Discrimination Worksheet

Write a 100- to 200-word response to each of the following questions. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

• 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 (Schaefer, 2012, pg. 61). In addition, it is when a person treats others unequally based on that person’s differences, or group excluding them from their rights and privileges because of others views. Discrimination can hinder a person from advancing in their life, which will affect their livelihood. Institutional discrimination a denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals or groups, resulting from the normal operations of society. A person can stereotype a group without showing discrimination against them. In addition, a person can be prejudice without showing discrimination but, a person cannot show discrimination without being prejudice. Therefore, discrimination is acting based on feelings and thoughts. Although, prejudice and stereotyping these are attitudes but does not actually mean that a person is acting on their beliefs. A person may be prejudice but, never show their dislike or hatred for a particular group because, prejudice is a judgment or views; it is the way a person feels. When discriminating towards a person it is acting out on how that person feels by denying or physically taunting the group, or person. Although prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination are related concepts, they are not the same thing. Stereotyping is a generalization of your thought on a group or person. A person may stereotype a person based on the group that they are associated with, but it can be based only on thoughts, not necessary actions.

• What are the causes of discrimination?
Many things can cause discrimination. The main thing, I would say, is it is a learned behavior. This means these people who discriminate were probably raised to feel this way towards a certain group of people. What you learn growing up can stay with you for the rest of your life. Here you are a defenseless child who knows nothing but are told to hate a certain group of people, you are going to listen because you were raised to. Then, when you’re older, you will automatically discriminate against this group because you were told to. There is discrimination against people of other races because they have a different skin color which makes them “different.” There is discrimination against gay people because we don’t understand why they “choose” to be that way. These are just a couple examples of what causes 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?
I think that discrimination is based on something a person can not control like what race they are or their gender. Now days sexual p refence is something that they say can be controlled. I think that discrimination faced with race, and sexual orientation is sort of the same. There are many times a person may not get a job because of their race, and also if a person looks to be gay or lesbian then they may not get the job also. On the other hand they are different, because a persons race is something they have no control over, and something that cannot be changed. A person sexual preference however, when asked some people will say is a choice, and is something that can be changed if a person is willing to change.