Short guys get payed less

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Apr 25, 2002
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By Jeanie Davis

April 23, 2002 -- Decades after the teasing they endure in high school, short guys still pay the price for their stature. As adults, they have lower self-esteem -- and are paid less. That's even if they grow a few inches and reach "normal" height after graduation.

A group of economics professors from the University of Pennsylvania have looked at the issue closely, authoring a report, The Effect of Adolescent Experience on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Height.

In it, they give the results of a survey that included more than 2,000 men working in the U.S., ranging in height from 5 feet to 6 feet 8 inches. The men's wages were measured during a seven-year period when they were 31-38 years old. Researchers also asked about high-school activities that the guys participated in, separating out athletics from social activities like youth groups, hobby clubs, student government, and performing arts.

Only white, non-Hispanic males were involved in the study, so the results wouldn't be skewed by race, gender, and socioeconomic status, researchers say.

Their findings?

"Two adults of the same age and height, who were different heights at age 16, were treated differently in the labor market. ...The taller teen earned more," writes co-author Nicola Persico, PhD, assistant professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

The average wage of shorter males is 13% lower than that of the taller group, he says.

In fact, a similar wage gap is seen between black and white males -- approximately 15%, Persico notes.

Theories abound as to why height matters in the labor pool. Tall people exude "interpersonal dominance," say some psychologists. "According to this theory, short people are stigmatized by others, perceived less positively, and thus placed at a disadvantage in negotiating interpersonal dealings," writes Persico. Also, tall people grow up with a better self-image, which leads to greater perseverance, better interpersonal skills, and higher achievement, he says.

All these theories describe why a guy's current height works for or against him, Persico writes. But there's more to it -- the problem starts when he's in high school, he says.

Fewer short kids in his study participated in athletics, clubs, and social activities, he says

That points to the issue of "not fitting in," says Persico. The social and cultural stigma of being short during adolescence excludes kids from athletics, social activities, and other groups that would help them "develop interpersonal skills, positive self-conception, ... self-esteem, and social adaptability," he writes.

Such kids report lower self-esteem that sticks with them as adults, he adds. "The feeling of 'not fitting in' has long-term, economically important consequences for shorter teens," writes Persico. "One must consider the possibility that minority youths might suffer similarly."

The National Science Foundation funded the research.
 
D

DJ N-Dubb

Guest
#2
I can relate to that. I'm a short white male. I'm only 5'8". I do notice that I don't get as much respect as someone taller. It seems like people don't take you as seriously if your short. The shit sux.
 
Apr 25, 2002
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#3
I saw something on tv the other day kind of relating to this-
they picked out two guys who looked almost exactly the same except for their height. then they asked girls to guess what jobs they had. and the girls consistantly predicted that the taller guy had the better jobs (lawyer, broker, etc) and the shorter guy had the shitty jobs (part-time, maintenance, etc)
 
Apr 25, 2002
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krishna said:
Ithen they asked girls to guess what jobs they had. and the girls consistantly predicted that the taller guy had the better jobs (lawyer, broker, etc) and the shorter guy had the shitty jobs (part-time, maintenance, etc)
DAMN..:p Thats cold as fuck
 
Apr 25, 2002
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#7
i bet if they did a study on women, i bet blondes get paid more than brunettes...and i just heard some shit on Good Morning America today sayin that light skinned blacks are perceived as intelligent hard workers, while dark skinned blacks are perceived as "thugs"...the only advice i can give (i'm 5'11'', white, and going bald) is learn how to carry yourself, and you can abolish many perceptions people have of you...what you don't have control over is how the mass public perceives your traits
 

I AM

Some Random Asshole
Apr 25, 2002
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#8
well, I'm 6 foot 6, and I get $8 an hour....lmao....but i'm also 18 and just started...and i can even reach things on the top of shelfs.....lmao :D
 
Apr 25, 2002
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Sixxness said:
well, I'm 6 foot 6, and I get $8 an hour....lmao....but i'm also 18 and just started...and i can even reach things on the top of shelfs.....lmao :D
Well it really has nothing to do with your job now. Its about what people perceive you do for a living. Of all people the 6-6 folks should be the janitors..LOL!! The short ones should be stereotyped as hot tempered lawyers.
 
Apr 25, 2002
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Naptown317 said:
i bet if they did a study on women, i bet blondes get paid more than brunettes...and i just heard some shit on Good Morning America today sayin that light skinned blacks are perceived as intelligent hard workers, while dark skinned blacks are perceived as "thugs"...the only advice i can give (i'm 5'11'', white, and going bald) is learn how to carry yourself, and you can abolish many perceptions people have of you...what you don't have control over is how the mass public perceives your traits
Lighter skin black folks have been given passes since slavery. Its true that dark skin folks are looked down upon as thugs. One sista told me that the "darker the black man is the worse he treats you"....I kind of ruined that stereotype because I ended up dating her :eek:
 

I AM

Some Random Asshole
Apr 25, 2002
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#11
WestAfrica2010 said:


Well it really has nothing to do with your job now. Its about what people perceive you do for a living. Of all people the 6-6 folks should be the janitors..LOL!! The short ones should be stereotyped as hot tempered lawyers.

riiiight. don't get mad because you're vertically challenged...lol....if you are.....so....how tall are you?:mad: lmfao......peace homey!
 
Apr 25, 2002
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Sixxness said:



riiiight. don't get mad because you're vertically challenged...lol....if you are.....so....how tall are you?:mad: lmfao......peace homey!
I stand perfect at 6'0" even :D ...I ain't too short and I ain't that tall...LOL!! I just can't imagine being that tall, I mean shit people must hassle yo ass on dunking..LOL!! Can you dunk? If you can't you must be embarrassed..there was this one guy when I was in highschool who was 6'6" and couldn't dunk man heard that shit all day everyday..
 

I AM

Some Random Asshole
Apr 25, 2002
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WestAfrica2010 said:


I stand perfect at 6'0" even :D ...I ain't too short and I ain't that tall...LOL!! I just can't imagine being that tall, I mean shit people must hassle yo ass on dunking..LOL!! Can you dunk?

I can when I'm in shape....right now I can....cause I've been excercising, but when I slack off and dont do shit, then I can't...lmao.....I've got like a 30 inch vertical :D

and yeah, i hear everyday, "do you play basketball?" lol

i was at a b-ball game for our school, and the guys team had just lost earlier at the away game, and some lady was walking by me, and looked up at me...and said, "do you play for the basketball team here?" i was like, uh no....lol...and she goes "well shit! you should have tried out, we could use your help..." lol, i had a huge fuckin grin on my face......
 
Apr 25, 2002
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I'm one of the rare unathletic black folks..LOL!! I can't jump worth shit but I got an outside shot better then Reggie Miller..LOL!! Don't let me shoot because I will take over a game. I ain't very fast either, atleast not anymore. I went to a high school that was 99.9% white...and well all the white kids had a high expectation for black folks..LOL!! Anythime I lost to a white person on the track field I heard of it.

But I can bowl like a mothafucka..Ain't no one fuckin with me on the lanes. I got my own ball that says "PRIMETIME" :D
 

M-PHIVE

On the Rise
Apr 25, 2002
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#15
DJ N-Dubb said:
I can relate to that. I'm a short white male. I'm only 5'8". I do notice that I don't get as much respect as someone taller. It seems like people don't take you as seriously if your short. The shit sux.
I FEEL THAT SHIT, IM 5'7" AND FEEL LIKE THAT SOMETIMES TOO, BUT YOU GOTTA BE A HOGG AND NOT LET PEOPLE GET YOU DOWN, FEEL ME?
 

Daveyboy

Sicc Triple OG
Apr 25, 2002
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well my homeboy iz like 6'7 and i'm only like 5'10, i mean this fools like twice my size and i be fuckin him up in everything...basketball...the only 6'7 black dude that a little white boy can roll on that i've ever heard.lol he cool though that fool remind me of the rain man sometimes cuz he slow in the head a lil but thats my nigg
 

I AM

Some Random Asshole
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WestAfrica2010 said:
But I can bowl like a mothafucka..Ain't no one fuckin with me on the lanes. I got my own ball that says "PRIMETIME" :D
i can't bowl for shit......my first time i played i got a 46.....hahaha, then my 2nd time i think i got like 120 or somethin.....it's not my game, that's for damn sure.....lol