Discrimination Worksheet Pg.

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Discrimination Worksheet
ETH/125
Samuel W. Willis
May 1
st
, 2014











Discrimination Worksheet Pg. 2

What is discrimination? How is discrimination different from prejudice and stereotyping?
Discrimination is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups
because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons. According to Macionis (2012), discrimination
involves the unequal treatment of various categories of people. Prejudice is a matter of attitudes,
but discrimination is a matter of actions. Like prejudice, discrimination can be positive or negative.
(pp.75). Stereotyping, we know from last weeks reading is unreliable, exaggerated generalizations
about all members of a group that do not take individual differences into account. Schaefer states
Prejudice and discrimination are related concepts but are not the same. Prejudice is a negative
attitude toward an entire category of people. The two important components in this definition are
attitude and entire category. Prejudice involves attitudes, thoughts, and beliefs, not actions.
(Schaefer, 2012, pp.35). The only thing that differs discrimination from prejudice and stereotyping
is actions. So the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of
prejudice or other arbitrary reasons is the action that distinguishes discrimination from the other
two definitions.

What are the causes of discrimination?

According to the text discrimination is caused by a number of social factors. Last week we
were asked, What can be done to eliminate or to prevent things like prejudices and discrimination
from occurring. Some of the things we can do to eliminate it are to: Act. Do something. In the face of
hatred, apathy will be taken as acceptances even by the victims of prejudice themselves. Unite. Call
a friend or coworker. Organize a group of like-thinking friends from school or your place of worship
or club. Support the victims. Victims of hate crimes are especially vulnerable. Do your homework. If
you suspect a hate crime has been committed, do your research to document it. Speak up. You, too,
have First Amendment rights. Denounce the hatred, the cruel jokes. Teach tolerance. Prejudice is
learned, and parents and teachers can influence the content of curriculum.
I submit that prejudices lead to discrimination and doing the opposite of the above mentioned
actions let the seed of prejudice to lead to discrimination.

How is discrimination faced by one identity group (race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, sexual
orientation, age, or disability) the same as discrimination faced by another? How are they different?

Discrimination can be faced by one identity group such as a race group, by fighting back. I
think it is important to note in the text, according to Schaefer (2012 When considering
discrimination, therefore, it is not enough to focus only on what is being done to people now.
Discrimination is cumulative in its impact over what occurs in ones own lifetime. Sometimes a
person may be dealt with fairly but may still be at a disadvantage because he or she suffered from
Discrimination Worksheet Pg. 3

poorer healthcare, inferior counseling in the school system, less access to books and other
educational materials, or a poor job record resulting from absences to take care of brothers and
sisters (Pager and Shepherd 2008). (pp.62). These topics have been raised by black groups and new
laws are now in place as a result of those groups being discriminated against for a positive change
in our society. Other groups may look at these new laws and see a nuisance and an infringement on
their rights. The only difference in my mind is the perspective of the person looking at the
discrimination.