The thermostat wars: sexism or outdated air conditioning?
El País has reignited the debate: is office air conditioning sexist? A look at the arguments for and against a thesis that divides opinion every summer.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The new controversy: air conditioning as a patriarchal tool
Every summer the same debate returns: are offices too cold because temperatures are set according to the male metabolism? The latest episode comes from El País, with an article arguing that workplace air conditioning is sens. The thesis is not new: the 22-23 degree standard was designed in the 1960s with men in suits in mind. But the response on social media and among the public has been mostly ironic.
Critics point out that, if the problem is the difference in thermal perception, the solution does not lie in demonising the thermostat. They note that menopausal women suffer hot flushes and ask for lower temperatures, so generalising makes no sense. Others argue that 'gender ideology' is looking for explanations where there is only poor climate control management.
The real issue is not the sens of the air conditioning, but the fact that every office has microclimates that make it impossible to please everyone. Between cardigans, desk fans and battles over the remote, the thermostat wars will remain a summer classic.
Every summer the same debate returns: are offices too cold because temperatures are set according to the male metabolism? The latest episode comes from El País, with an article arguing that workplace air conditioning is sens. The thesis is not new: the 22-23 degree standard was designed in the 1960s with men in suits in mind. But the response on social media and among the public has been mostly ironic.
Critics point out that, if the problem is the difference in thermal perception, the solution does not lie in demonising the thermostat. They note that menopausal women suffer hot flushes and ask for lower temperatures, so generalising makes no sense. Others argue that 'gender ideology' is looking for explanations where there is only poor climate control management.
The real issue is not the sens of the air conditioning, but the fact that every office has microclimates that make it impossible to please everyone. Between cardigans, desk fans and battles over the remote, the thermostat wars will remain a summer classic.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (22 replies).
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