Lookism: The New Frontier of Appearance Discrimination and its Effects on Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper is an examination of Lookism: The New Frontier of Appearance Discrimination and
Implications for Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria. Lookism is prejudice or the
discriminatory treatment of people on the basis of looks or discrimination of people who are
considered physically unattractive. Though, the problem of discrimination based on people’s
appearance is not very popular among modern social scientists as well as in mass discourse. Yet
lookism often occurs in a variety of settings, including dating, social environments, political
settings, and work places. The paper recommends that employers should be fair and non-
discriminatory in their herring and practices. People should stop complimenting others
appearance. Moreover, society members should transform its social and cultural values regarding
appearance.