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DOUBLE STANDARD
A cultural practice that accords less freedom and choice to one sex than the other. The term is usually used to refer to different norms of sexual morality for women than for men. Men's sexual activity is viewed positively as natural, right and normal, whereas women are seen as diminished in status if they engage in free sexual relationships outside marriage. This double standard of conduct was once severely oppressive to women (and still is in many non-western societies), but has reduced relevance in western societies today where pre-marital sexual activity is normative for both sexes. See: STATUS OFFENCE / .

Last updated 2002--0-9-

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Athabaca University ICAAP

© Robert Drislane, Ph.D. and Gary Parkinson, Ph.D.
The online version of this dictionary is a product of
Athabasca University and
ICAAP

*This social science dictionary has 1000
entries covering the disciplines of sociology, criminology, political
science and women's study with a commitment to Canadian examples and
events and names