Understanding
Discrimination
Think
about this: There are over 6 billion people on earth today. What do you
have in common with these people? In what ways are you different or unique?
A. Similarities, Differences, and Social Groups
The earth's six billion humans share many similarities and differences.
Everyone on earth must eat,, breathe, and drink to stay alive. Everyone
has a family, a language, and a culture. All people have hopes, dreams,
fears, and feelings of every kind imaginable.
Humans differ in many ways, too. Some of these differences are physical,
such as skin color, hair texture, or sex. Others differences, such as
language, customs, and beliefs, are learned.
These similarities and differences are the basis for social groups, a
term to describe common categories people use to describe or identify
themselves.
Age,
gender, race, culture, and religion are some social groups you may be
familiar with. Everyone is a member of some social groups, even if they
don't always realize it.
Reflection
for after Part A
1. What are the important social groups at your school? In your community?
In your country?
2. What social groups do you consider yourself a member of?
3. What does if feel like when you're among people in your social group?
5. What does if feel like when you're among people who are not in your
social group?
B. Prejudice
Social groups have long been a part of human history. Categorizing people
into "us" and "them" helped humans develop tribes,
clans, and other early social structures. Deciding who belonged and who
didn't also led to conflicts and fighting.
"Us" and "them" thinking still continues. Like early
humans, we tend to stick with people who are similar to us while avoiding
people who are different. In many ways, this is understandable. It's often
comfortable to be among people who are like us, and identifying by similar
traits can provide a sense of belonging and community. But when we avoid
others who are different, we tend not to learn about them. And when we
don't really know what people are like, it's easy to make guesses, fill
in the blanks, or make generalizations about "them" based on
very limited knowledge. In short, we make judgments about others before
we know the full story. These pre-judgments are called prejudices.
Prejudices often have two sides. If "they" are lazy and stupid,
then "we" must be intelligent and hard-working. Whether it paints
people favourably or not, prejudice is typically based on ignorance, misinformation,
and/or and fear of differences.
Reflection
for after Part B:
1. What kinds of differences are you uncomfortable around?
2. What do you think accounts for this discomfort?
3. What kinds of differences do you think you could learn more about?
4. How could you go about doing so?
C. Stereotypes
Prejudices are fueled by stereotypes, an exaggerated or distorted belief
or image about a person or group. Stereotypes assume that everyone in
a group the same characteristics, leading people to falsely believe that
"they" are all alike. Even when the stereotype suggests positive
traits (for example, that women are nurturing), everyone is hurt because
these images leave no room for individual differences.
No one is born believing stereotypes -- they are learned from media, or
parents, peers and many other sources. Social scientists believe that
children begin to learn prejudices and stereotypes as early as two or
three years old. Even though they don't fully understand what prejudice
is, young children may repeat racial slurs or act out stereotypes they
see in the media. For example, a group of girls may tell a boy that he
can't play house because it's a girl's game.
As they are exposed to more stereotypes, young children tend to form attachments
to their own group and develop negative attitudes about other groups.
As these attitudes deepen over a person's lifetime, they are difficult
to change. As they get older, people tend to see the things that support
their views and disregard or ignore experiences that challenge them.
Reflection
for after Part C.
1. How do stereotypes affect you?
2. How do stereotypes affect your school or community?
3. Where do you think these stereotypes come from?
4. Do you think these images are accurate? Why or why not?
D. Discrimination: When beliefs turn into actions
Discrimination is an action that treats people unfairly because of their
membership in a particular social group. Discriminatory behaviours take
many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection.
You may have witnessed individual acts of discrimination, such as a student
who won't let people of a certain race sit with them at lunch. Often,
these individual acts reflect a larger system of exclusion. Consider a
school that won't let girls take the same classes as boys, or a business
that doesn't hire people of certain ethnic backgrounds.
On a national level, discrimination can take the form of official laws
and policies. The enslavement of Africans in the United States, the official
domination of Blacks by Whites in South Africa, or Hitler's widespread
extermination of Jews are some historic examples of systematic, legal
discrimination. When discrimination becomes is part of a systematic use
of power and is "just how things are," it is known as an "ism."
Racism and sexism are a few "isms" you may be familiar with.
Reflection for after Part D
1. What can happen when we let biases and prejudice affect our actions
toward others?
2. Have you ever not wanted to have someone as a friend because of where
they live or what they look like?
3. Has anyone rejected or excluded you for similar reasons?
4. What do you think can be done to prevent or eliminate discrimination?
What do you think you can do?
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