{"id":4636,"date":"2014-02-13T21:44:03","date_gmt":"2014-02-14T02:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/citings\/?p=4636"},"modified":"2015-10-13T13:37:39","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T18:37:39","slug":"the-height-of-romance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/clippings\/2014\/02\/13\/the-height-of-romance\/","title":{"rendered":"The Height of Romance"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo by Emiliano Horcada via flickr.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it comes to love, it\u2019s what\u2019s inside that counts…assuming you measure up.<\/p>\n

Business Standard<\/i> reports on the findings<\/a> of Rice University sociology professor Michael Emerson,<\/a> who found that women really do prefer tall men. Emerson\u2019s study data showed that women preferred tall men for two reasons: feminity and protection.<\/p>\n

One woman from the study said she wanted to feel delicate and protected at the same time. Sociologically, the preference for taller men seems to play into stereotypical gender roles and patriarchal society. Men weren\u2019t as concerned with matters of height, but when they did weigh in, they preferred shorter women.<\/p>\n

University of North Texas sociology professor George Yancy<\/a> says, “The masculine ability to offer physical protection is clearly connected to the gender stereotype of men as protectors. And in a society that encourages men to be dominant and women to be submissive, having the image of tall men hovering over short women reinforces this value.”<\/p>\n

In that case, instead of peering up into a man\u2019s eyes this Valentine\u2019s Day, I might just stand on a chair.<\/p>\n