By Chen Chenchen (
Global Times) 11:32, November 01, 2014
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Comments twitter facebook Sina Microblog reddit Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT
In the latest issue of The Economist magazine, a story titled "The rise of China" talks aboutChinese employers' obsession with height. It cited an interesting report early this year byDalian Evening News, saying that two security guards in Dalian found they were paiddifferently for the same job. The one who was 1.8-meters tall was paid 200 yuan ($33)higher a month than the other who was 5 centimeters shorter. The 1.75-meter-tall thusprotested to the manager, only getting the response that taller security guards provide agreater sense of security.
While the job of security guard might arguably be related to size, the heightist bigotry ofhirers in many other industries seems incredibly funny. Strolling around job fairs in China,one can find specific height requirements at almost every single booth, including those whoare looking for house cleaners and electric welders. It seems a perpetual preference thatfemale job-seekers should be taller than 1.6 meters and male ones over 1.7 meters.
The results of an interesting study by Huazhong University of Science and Technology,which were also invoked in the Economist story, may sound astounding to many, "Eachcentimeter above the mean adds 1.5-2.2 percent to a woman's salary, particularly amongmiddle and high-wage earners."
I posted this on WeChat, and got a tread of funny comments below. One tall friend saidfretfully that this result doesn't apply to her situation at all - although 1.75-meters tall, sheonly finds herself disliked by her boss whenever she stands beside him.
Another friend, who is very pretty but short, bantered that she wouldn't worry much,since this is a world that judges a person by "face."
A 45-year-old man in China is about 5 centimeters taller than his counterpart threedecades ago. But still, the wealth gap between rich and poor regions in China is partlymirrored in the gap in terms of people's heights, which is backed by statistics for urban andrural areas.
For Chinese people, height is still an indicator that may mean they come from a moreprivileged background. This is not totally groundless. Such indications are especially stronggiven that the memory of starvation and poverty is not far away.
Therefore, while one criticizes Chinese employers for height discrimination, the generalsocial psychology under it cannot be ignored. Through exercise in gyms or operations inclinics, you can change your body or your face. But height still tells something about genesand early year nutrition.
Of course, as China develops and malnutrition is no longer a problem for the majority,being tall or short will be seen purely as a physical characteristic, rather than carryingsocial connotation. That change itself will mean China's social progress.
And such progress is already taking place. Guo Jingming, one of China's richest youngwriters, is just 1.5-meters tall. On Weibo, he often jokes about his height himself. He hasnumerous fans and has achieved business success. Height means neither wisdom norwealth, just size.
(Editor:Du Mingming、Bianji)
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