I'm going to limit myself to 15 minutes on the subject.
http://www.nber.org/papers/w15090.pdf?new_window=1
Two days ago I was watching Redes and they mentioned social intuition, heightism, and the workplace.
http://economics.sas.upenn.edu/~apostlew/paper/pdf/short.pdf
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/Careers/02/02/cb.tall.people/index.html
http://ftp.iza.org/dp2394.pdf
They discussed a positive correlation between height and salary as well as sexual partners, social status, and perceived. Research from the past 5 years between these three articles has the value at about $850-1100 per inch in height. Redes said something similar. The opinion offered on the show was that self-perception heavily influences how a person presents themself
The fact that height and attractiveness is positively correlated in men and has relatively negatively correlated with female attractiveness (only if they are taller than their partner) is well supported.
The relationship is frequently drawn between humans and other primates:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12110-012-9130-3
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-01979-6_7
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12110-006-1003-1#page-1
From a scientific opinion: I agree. It makes sense that selection for leadership and the value attributed to a member of a group of individuals should correlate with their genetic fitness. In the same light, it would follow that group members who can accomplish a task essential for the survival of a pack should be well compensated with access to food and the sexual selection from the females in the group.
It also makes sense, from a perspective of utilitarian evolutionary psychology, that they should exclude individuals who appear different from a group (stranger danger). It would also make sense that female individuals should have roles in the group (child rearing). These behavriors are well demonstrated in primate behavior.
The previous two paragraphs should not apply to human behavior and even a simple-minded individual to realize that our rational capacity should allow us to integrate all different customs, cultures, and appearances in a society which grants equal opportunity for women and no discrimination based on factors which, although important in our evolution, hold no bearing on contemporary life.
There are no well-known groups for the elimination of height descrimination in the workplace. The practice of bullying and ridiculing people based on smaller stature is not seen as ignorant or blatantly offensive as racism or sexism.
From personal experience... when I was working in a space heater factory for 3 months I had a boxing-line job which paid $8.50/hr. The boss hired in someone named Chris, who was a 6 foot 3 inch linebacker from Virginia. He was a good guy, but I was working there for 3 months by the time he got there. Within a month he was hired in and on the tow-motor floor (which paid $12/hr). When I asked the boss: "Why did you give Chris that position instead of training me? Have I done something wrong?" She replied curtly "Chris is tall. You have to be tall to reach the palates."
Two weeks later I saw Chris on smoke break. Catching up, I mentioned in passing... "man, you're lucky you're tall because you can reach the palates off the top shelves." He laughed. "I never have to reach up, we always use the jacks for that."
In plenty of other situations my bosses in these blue-collar jobs undervalued my capacity to perform a task which required intelligence and technical skill instead of height.
In love it is the roughest. You take yourself and put it out there. Someone judges whether or not you are worth being around and falling in love with.
"I'm sorry, I don't like short guys" I was told by a fan at one of my shows when I invited her to an afterparty.
"I thought you were taller" someone mentioned, disappointed, when I show up for blind date.
"I would date you, but you're not at least 6 ft." a girl I took to the homecoming dance told me.
"You're funny, smart, and a good guy...but I'm not attracted to you. I like tall guys" a girl told me after asking me to come to a wedding as her date.
"I think masculine women prefer you because your wit is attractive but your stature is non-threatening" a lover once told me.
"That's good it doesn't bother you" someone said when they saw me and my girlfriend junior year, who was a full head taller than me.
Let's reverse the situation...
Imagine someone connects with a girl and says "You're a great girl, but you're just unattractive."
I can't imagine that...I'm sure it's happened.
Concerning relationships, I am most happy and most comfortable around someone who acknowledges that these differences between genders and desire exist...but knows why they prefer to ignore them. I have been in several great, meaningful relationships with awesome sex (for both of us) and they come when you're willing to address the situation and how you feel about it.
Something like this: I understand that you will be more physically attracted to someone who is taller than me... but what's more important is our connection. We get each other and help each other come into the moment. Likewise, you have attributes which might be offputting...but it's ok. We know they're there. As long as we have fun with each other, the sex is good for both of us, and we don't start manipulating or getting jealous of one another we should keep doing this.
The absurdity of reality is different, though. People don't see and acknowledge that there is a natural irrational tendency toward tall men (just as there is a tendency toward blondes, which as been demonstrated to be associated with youthfulness http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/jun/04/men-blonde-women-attractive). Instead, mentioning the fact that a person is below average height elicits the response: "well..he's not that short." Imagine someone saying "well...you're not that black/asian/mexican." The tone implies that, if you were, it would be a bad thing.
I can say that I'm not insecure, which would imply that the problem is mine. The problem is with the confused primates who I deal with on the day-to-day. I don't respect people who can't figure themselves out. You know them. People who repeatedly end up in bad relationships because they have a list and can't figure out that their judgement of a person's actions are heavily influenced by their sexual attractiveness.
It's frustrating (and...completely obvious) when I see someone respond differently to another individual suggesting an opinion which I have just given...because they appear taller than I do. The frustration stems from the fact that they don't see that their actions are offensive.
On a side note, I think that the appraisal of the genetic appeal of a member of the opposite sex (although "natural") in a vocal way can be offensive. The same way "man she has some nice tits" is scathing to hear in certain situations, "he's really tall" is something which shorter guys don't want to hear.
In conclusion, personally I stay away from people who are very blatantly heightist. They generally are bad conversationalists and are incapable of forming the type of connection, friendship or otherwise, which I prefer to have in my life. They are swept by marketing and don't know what they want.
That ended up taking longer than it should :-)
