Discrimination

Discrimination are the negative actions toward the objects of racial, ethnic and gender prejudice. It implies more than simply distinguishing among social objects, but refers also to inappropriate and potentially unfair treatment of individuals due to group membership.

According to Allport (1954), “Discrimination involves denying individuals or groups of people equality of treatment which they may wish.”

According to Jones (1972), “Discrimination are those actions designed to maintain own-group characteristics and favoured position at the expanse of the comparison group.”

Discrimination is done based on many aspects, like:

1. Age discrimination: Age discrimination, sometimes referred to as ageism, involves being treated unfairly based on your age. For example, age discrimination may originate from the idea that older adults are less willing to accept change or learn new skills, which can lead to an unwillingness to train, hire and promote older workers. While it is often applied to discrimination against older adults, it can also involve bias against people of all ages.

2. Disability discrimination: It involves unfair or biased treatment of individuals due to their disability. Discrimination can be direct, such as not hiring someone because of a chronic illness, or indirect, such as having job requirements that exclude people with disabilities. It can also involve failing to make reasonable accommodations, harassment, and victimization.

3. Sexual orientation discrimination: It refers to discriminatory treatment based on a person's sexual orientation. This discrimination may involve the denial of rights and services related to employment and housing. It can also involve verbal or physical harassment and other displays of prejudice. For example, unequal pay to women.

4. Parent status: Discrimination can also occur based on a person's status as a parent. Parental status refers to whether or not someone is a parent. It includes having children, but it also applies to not having children. Examples of discrimination based on status as a parent might include: Firing someone for being pregnant, reducing someone's hours because they are a parent, and expecting childless employees to work longer hours, etc.

5. Religious discrimination: It is treating someone differently or unfairly based on their religious beliefs and practices. This can involve unfavorable attitudes or behaviors directed at people who are part of major world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, or Buddhism. It can also involve discrimination against people with other deeply held religious, moral, and ethical beliefs and those with a lack of religious belief.

6. National Origin: Discrimination based on national origin involves prejudiced treatment due to a person’s place of birth, culture, ancestry, or linguistic characteristics. Examples of this type of discrimination include denying someone employment because of their accent or harassing them because of their nationality. Teasing or offhand remarks would qualify as discrimination if they create a hostile work environment.

 

Item	Function	Connection	Example
Stereotype	Cognitive; thoughts about people	Overgeneralized beliefs about people may lead to prejudice.	“Yankees fans are arrogant and obnoxious.”
Prejudice	Affective; feelings about people, both positive and negative	Feelings may influence treatment of others, leading to discrimination.	“I hate Yankees fans; they make me angry.”
Discrimination	Behavior; positive or negative treatment of others	Holding stereotypes and harboring prejudice may lead to excluding, avoiding, and biased treatment of group members.	“I would never hire nor become friends with a person if I knew he or she were a Yankees fan.”

Table 1.1 Connecting Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination