ABSTRACT
Looks-based social stratification refers to the socially constructed placement of people into greater and lesser power strata based on physical appearance. Such placement is artificial in the same way as many other forms of social stratification, as immediately comes to mind with hierarchies founded on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other meaningless yet very meaningful traits. The social power that is related to physical appearance is of two forms, economic and more purely social, the former having largely to do with employment, and the latter having to do with marriage markets and social networks such as club memberships, friendships, educational opportunities. In essence, appearance-biased employers are saying that beauty, at least for women, is a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). Among the explanations offered for employment-looks bias are rational bias, valid discrimination, BFOQ, and the new meritocracy. Clearly, we discriminate against people economically, based on their appearance, denying them access to important means of socio-economic advancement.
