Health And Social Care Level 2 Unit 1 Promoting Equality And Diversity
NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Equality and Diversity
Unit 1: Exploring Equality and Diversity
Assessment
You should use this file to complete your Assessment.
• The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a disk
• Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly
• When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference
• Then, go to www.vision2learn.com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and Assessment number.
Name: Caroline Steele
1. What is meant by diversity?
Diversity explains the many different and varied ways people can be different to one another. These differences may be gender, whether a person is male or female. Their ethnic group, for example their cultural beliefs, race, language, attitudes, values or physical characteristics. Their age, …show more content…
whether a person is old, middle aged or young. Their culture/sub-culture, based on their beliefs, likes, dislikes and behaviours that define a particular social group. Differences in their religion meaning their system regarding faith and worship. Another difference may be class which refers to the socio-economic class that a person belongs to.
These many variations between people means we end up with diverse individuals, groups and communities. Each person has certain qualities that make them similar to other people and they also have unique qualities that make them different to all other people.
2. Describe the community you live in. Highlight some of the variations you may observe in terms of: • Interests • Beliefs • Ages • Lifestyles • Personal, social and cultural identities.
I live in a partial council estate. Some of the houses are owned by the council whilst the rest are privately owned. The people living in the council houses are mostly low income families and some are on benefits. Some are families, lone parent families and some are couples or single people. We are not a tight knit community but there is occasional interaction. There are different races of people including, black people, people from other countries including Poland and Zimbabwe, there are some practising Christians from various sub faiths including Methodists and Mormons, atheists and Hindi. There are people of all ages ranging from infants to the elderly. There is a large group of youths in our community who display some antisocial behaviour such as smoking drugs on the street, shouting expletives, littering, etc. They are all mostly unemployed and part of the benefits system. We also have some pagans and “Goths” in our community which tend to stick together. They hold coffee mornings for their children to play at each other’s houses. A lot of the groups in our community tend to stick together and not really interact much with the others.
There are quite a few unemployed people in our community, especially recently due to the economic climate, many of these households have children in them too. Crewe is generally a working class area with a lot of cultural diversity as we have large Polish and Muslim communities within the town.
3. Explain how the variations in question 2 contribute to the diversity of the community.
The Polish community means that we have a lot of different foods in our shops and we have some exclusively Polish food shops so everyone has access to a different cuisine. We also have the chance to learn more about their culture and what they like/dislike and the children get to interact with them at school which teaches them that people from other countries may speak different languages and eat different foods.
The different religions community in Crewe helps us learn about different cultures and how their beliefs affect their everyday lives. The children in the schools also learn about these and get the experience of mixing with different cultures. There are various food establishments around Crewe with food from different countries including Thai, Indian, Turkish and Italian. This means that we have a varied choice of foods to try. The people with children who are young can attend different groups in which to get together for their children to play and mix with other children, this is good for them to mix with different types of people from a young age.
4. Give some examples to explain how diversity: • Enhances your life • Enhances the local community • Enhances this country.
Diversity enhances my life as I can learn about different cultures and their lives which I find interesting. It means my children can learn too and they can learn about many different aspects of many walks of life. This helps them to not develop prejudices. We can learn from the experiences of older people, that everyone is different and unique so to respect their beliefs and way of life so that they do the same for us. We like to sample the cuisine from different countries.
The diversity in our community means that all the different cultural groups will be able to able to mix with those of other cultures, thus learning of the differences and being able to understand and accept and respect them. The speciality food shops mean that those from other countries have access to food and items from their original countries if they so wish.
Diversity enhances the country by bringing all sorts of goods and services that are available to all. These include different foods, clothing, and other services such as beauty treatments, healthcare, etc. It also brings people with unique life experiences and knowledge together; this can increase opportunities and other benefits such as better healthcare and more job opportunities. It also increases the relationships and friendships that people can have with one another. The general knowledge of people is increased as they are aware of beliefs, cultures, languages and circumstances different to their own.
5.
Describe what it means to respect people’s differences and why it is important to respect differences.
To respect people’s differences means to recognise that every person is different and has the right to be. This does not mean that you have to agree with their lifestyle choices or preferences; it just means you should be tolerant and accept that that’s who they are and how they live their lives. This helps them live a more peaceful life.
It is important to respect their differences as this helps to build better communities and helps everyone live more peacefully. Also if you are accepting of the differences in people they in turn are more likely to act the same and respect the differences in others. Many people try to find similarities in others and tend to not interact with people when they don’t find any similarities but if everyone respected peoples differences they would be able to build better relationships with people they wouldn’t usually think about building relationships
with.
6. For a person you know, describe the individual factors that make him / her who they are.
Name: Daniel Steele
|Defining factors |Brief description |
|Physical characteristics |Tall, overweight, middle aged, balding, Caucasian male with some |
| |tattoos. |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|Emotions |Generally happy but has had periods of stress. He’s a good husband |
| |and father who works hard to provide for his family. He’s a devoted |
| |brother and uncle too. |
| | |
| | |
|Likes and dislikes |He likes watching sports, playing games online, going the pub and |
| |socialising with friends. |
| |He dislikes Manchester united, doing housework, the soaps and bad |
| |drivers. |
| | |
|Values and beliefs |He is straight. He is Christian but not a church goer. He believes |
| |that everyone has a right to live as they like as long as its |
| |within the law. |
| | |
| | |
7. Describe yourself in terms of: • Personal interests • Religion / culture • Geography.
My personal interests are crafts, computer work, looking after my children and animals. I also like to listen to Goth metal music and I dress in a gothic style. I like piercings and tattoos and have got several of each. I enjoy reading fiction books in my spare time. I work as I like to provide for my children instead of relying on benefits as I want to instil a good work ethic within my children. I enjoy socialising with my friends and taking my children to playgroups and on holiday.
My religion is bordering on Christian and atheism as I’m unsure what I truly believe. I do like my gothic clothing and have interested in this for about 14 years. I like to attend music concerts with some of my like minded friends. Most of my friends are ‘alternative’ people.
I am from Crewe and have never lived anywhere other than Crewe. I have always lived on council estates and am quite happy to do so.
8. What is meant by having multiple identities? Give three examples in relation to people you know.
Multiple identities mean that people can act differently according to the situation they are in. For example Daniel is a signalman at work and acts professionally but when he is at home he is a husband and father and plays with his children.
Example 1: Heather is a mum of two boys. She is a student learning horticulture. She is also a carer to a woman with multiple sclerosis.
She acts accordingly depending which situation she is in at the time.
Example 2: Margaret is a 53 year old kitchen assistant in a care home. She is also a grandmother. She is also a wife to her husband Paul.
Example 3: Mandy is a childminder. She is also a mum of four. She is also a multiple sclerosis sufferer.
9. What is meant by shared identity?
Shared identity means that if a person has many defining characteristics and qualities then it’s highly likely that they will have the same characteristics as one or more other people. This is known as a shared identity.
10. Explain and give examples of how an individual can identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups.
An individual can identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups by first identifying some of their own characteristics and qualities. These may be physical qualities, age, their personal interests, where they are from, their religious beliefs, their cultural beliefs, their likes and dislikes or their socio economic class. Once they have done this they can look at the people they interact with and compare these qualities with their own. This will tell the individual what shared identities exist and which groups they belong to.
11. Describe yourself in terms of your multiple identities.
My multiple identities are a 28 year old female. I’m a mother, a student, a cleaner for the NHS, a white heterosexual, a none practising Christian and British. In terms of multiple identities, these can be physical or other, for example what beliefs, how I chose to live my life etc.
12. What is meant by stereotyping and labelling?
Stereotyping and labelling occurs when a single characteristic is used to form an opinion of someone. This may be the persons race, age or sexual orientation. A stereotype is a fixed, commonly held, usually simplified and over generalised idea about a class of people with a shared characteristic. When a person is stereotyped they have their qualities and characteristics simplified and standardised. Generally, stereotypes are not based on objective truth and may lead to people being labelled incorrectly which can cause problems. In most circumstances, stereotyping is often linked to a negative description of another person. One example of this is the view that all Scottish people are tight-fisted. The stereotype lumps an entire group together and has some generalised views that are then applied to everyone in that group. This is unfair and in most circumstances an incorrect label for the many individuals in that group. People then fail to appreciate the individuals in that group and labelling occurs. For example, the stereotype that all people who wear hoodies are criminals will make others fear them and distrust them.
13. Explain why some people stereotype others.
Some people learn to stereotype from others. They may have grown up in an environment where people were stereotyped by their parents or other family members. They may also learn to stereotype from friends and other peer groups, they often agree with the stereotypical view made by family and peers in order to feel included or peer pressure. Some people stereotype as a way of placing the blame on a specific group for problems in the world, this can often be fuelled by the media. Examples of this include the stereotype that people from Iraq cannot be trusted due to all the trouble with the war on terrorism occurring now.
14. Provide two examples of the damaging effects that stereotyping and labelling can have on people.
One damaging effect that stereotyping and labelling can have on people and social groups is people accept the negative labels they have been given. For example, youths can be stereotyped as unemployed and not interested in working and often involved in crime. The youths then may accept that this is how they are seen and not try to be anything else in their lives. This also leads to a less productive society.
Another damaging effect that stereotyping and labelling can have on people is that they are misunderstood due to other people using poor quality and often incorrect information to label and stereotype them. For example people may assume that Muslims are involved in terrorist behaviour due to small sections of the Muslim faith being involved in terrorist behaviour or that they treat the females in their faith in a disrespectful way and that they have no rights. They use the most extreme behaviour from a subsection of people to assume that this is correct for all of them.
15. Provide at least two examples of the way stereotyping is perpetuated in society.
An example of a way stereotyping is perpetuated in society is that they are the views of parents or family and are “taught” to young children. This is probably the most common way for people to learn to stereotype others, the individual often does this for acceptance from family members and the need to ‘belong’ to the family unit. For example if a persons parents didn’t trust those of a different race, there is a high chance that they will learn this behaviour and they in turn will teach it to their children thus keeping the stereotype going.
Another way stereotyping is perpetuated in society is things fuelled by the media. If a person is wary of hooded youths then seeing new about other youths wearing hoodies committing crimes will fuel their view on that stereotype and keep it going in peoples minds.
16. Define prejudice and discrimination.
A prejudice is an unfair preconceived view or judgement that is formed without sufficient knowledge or without being based on any specific grounds. For example, people may be prejudiced against others from other countries. Prejudices are negative and apply to large groups of people usually based on race, gender, sexual orientation or ethnic origin.
Discrimination means treating a person or group differently, often in a negative manner, based upon one or a small number of characteristics. For example, the past racism in the USA when black people were not allowed in certain establishments.
17. Explain how people may develop prejudices.
There are many ways in which people develop prejudices. One way is socialisation; this is when they are learnt from members of their family or friends. A person could experience the views of these other people on a daily basis, and there will also be influences of the media and the views of high profile people such as celebrities or political people from around the world. If a young person is subjected to these views from their family and friends they are less likely to question them and take their views as their own. If a regular prejudice is regularly presented, then it is difficult for a person to challenge the prejudice and question the viewpoint.
Another way people develop prejudices is over generalisation. This may develop when a person has a powerful experience and then generalises it to a particular group. This is usually caused by a strong negative experience. It may be sensible to dislike the experience but the over generalisation caused by it may be inaccurate. For example, if a person is attacked by someone of a different race they may then distrust and dislike everyone of that race afterwards due to over generalising and assuming that everyone of that race is capable of doing the same thing.
18. Describe the following types of discrimination.
|Type of discrimination |Description |
|Dual discrimination |This occurs when there is direct discrimination on two grounds. So a|
| |person may be discriminated against for their gender and their race.|
| | |
|Multiple discrimination |This occurs when there is discrimination on multiple aspects of |
| |their personality. For example, a black lesbian may experience |
| |discrimination on the grounds of their race, gender and sexual |
| |orientation. |
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| | |
| | |
|Positive discrimination |This form of discrimination is when an advantage is given to groups |
| |in a community or society which are often subject to prejudice and |
| |discrimination. While the intent of this form of discrimination is |
| |to help disadvantaged groups, it remains unlawful in most |
| |circumstances. |
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| | |
| | |
|Discrimination arising out of disability |This is when a person with a physical or mental disability is |
| |discriminated against. A person with a disability is a person with a|
| |long term mental or physical impairment which limits their ability |
| |to carry out day to day activities. It must now be made possible by |
| |individuals and organisations so that disabled people have fair |
| |access to things such as education, employment, housing, goods, |
| |facilities and services. |
| | |
|Discrimination by association |This is when a person is discriminated against because of their |
| |association with another person. For example, they may be harassed |
| |due to the race of their partner. |
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19. What is meant by the term protected characteristics?
There are several characteristics or qualities in which a person may experience discrimination. The idea of protected characteristics is to specify key areas where discrimination may take place and seek to legally protect them. These protected key areas are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender and sexual orientation. If any of these aspects is used to treat a person differently then discrimination is taking place.
20. What is the difference between direct and indirect discrimination? Give two examples to illustrate your point.
Direct discrimination is when a person is treated less favourably than other people are treated. This is when there is no difference in circumstances and the person is treated differently due to a personal characteristic. For example, denying someone accommodation due to their race or paying someone a lower salary because they are a woman.
Indirect discrimination is when rules or practices, which apply to everybody, result in certain people being put at a disadvantage. For example, offering services at times that will clash with times of religious observance or not providing religiously appropriate foods when catering (e.g. vegetarian)
21. Describe the effects that discrimination and prejudice can have on people.
When people are subject to discrimination and prejudice their quality of life is usually lower than one they would reasonably expect. The effects of this include people being killed because of their race, nationality, sexual orientation or religion. People being denied the right to vote, being subjected to verbal and physical attacks, being deprived of legal rights, denied education, jobs and opportunities. People have been generally been treated as outsiders and second class citizens and people have accepted the negative views of themselves. Communities and societies have greater conflict and are less efficient and harmonious. Also some communities can be built on hatred and contempt.
22. Describe what equal opportunities means in relation to: • Education • Housing • Healthcare • Employment.
Equal opportunities in relation to education, means that education is available to everyone and everyone has the right to learn. This means that everyone gets the same education chances and nobody can be denied due to discrimination. This gives everyone the chance to learn and gain the skills so they can learn what profession they want despite what background, religion, race or gender they are.
Equal opportunities in housing mean that public, social and private housing cannot be allocated on the grounds of discrimination. It is now illegal for private landlords to specify that certain ethnic groups could not live in their property. If a person is deprived the opportunity of appropriate housing this can have a large impact on the quality of life for them and their families.
Equal opportunities in relation to healthcare means, that nobody can be refused treatment on grounds such as race or sexual orientation. The way treatments are prioritised should be based solely on the medical condition that is being treated. There must also be sensitivity to the needs of particular groups when they are being treated.
Equal opportunities in relation to employment means, that people are less likely to experience discrimination at work. Some types of discrimination that may occur is women not being offered promotion as they may get married and have children, people being treated unfairly due to their sexual orientation, people being treated unfairly due to their ethnicity and women getting paid less than men for doing the exact same work. Without equal opportunities guidelines these would occur more often and many people would be socially and economically disadvantaged.
23. Outline the inequality problems that persist in terms of pay for men and women.
The inequality problems that persist in terms of pay for men and women are that women sometimes get paid a lower salary for doing exactly the same job as a man. Men tend to get more of the highest paid jobs in organisations even though women are capable of doing them. Another problem is that a man doing a job at a similar skill level to a woman’s job and the man receiving a much higher wage. Since the Equal Pay Act of 1970, there has been legislation aimed at ending this discrimination. The aim is to focus on a person’s abilities not their gender. The gap in pay still exists despite this and a recent report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission recently found that women are still paid 16.4% less than men.
24. Identify and briefly describe two other signs of inequality.
Another inequality is that older people close to retirement age are less likely to gain employment if they are looking for it because they may only be in the role for a short time. Also they are more likely to need time off of they are in ill health due to their age.
Another sign of inequality in regards to employment is that some people are judged on their appearance. For example if they have tattoos they are more than likely not going to get the job even if they are capable and performed well in the interview. This is because there is still a taboo on tattoos in regards to employment even though they have recently become more socially acceptable and a larger proportion of the population have them.
Unit 1: Exploring Equality and Diversity
Assessment
You should use this file to complete your Assessment.
• The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a disk
• Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly
• When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference
• Then, go to www.vision2learn.com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and Assessment number.
Name: Caroline Steele
1. What is meant by diversity?
Diversity explains the many different and varied ways people can be different to one another. These differences may be gender, whether a person is male or female. Their ethnic group, for example their cultural beliefs, race, language, attitudes, values or physical characteristics. Their age, …show more content…
whether a person is old, middle aged or young. Their culture/sub-culture, based on their beliefs, likes, dislikes and behaviours that define a particular social group. Differences in their religion meaning their system regarding faith and worship. Another difference may be class which refers to the socio-economic class that a person belongs to.
These many variations between people means we end up with diverse individuals, groups and communities. Each person has certain qualities that make them similar to other people and they also have unique qualities that make them different to all other people.
2. Describe the community you live in. Highlight some of the variations you may observe in terms of: • Interests • Beliefs • Ages • Lifestyles • Personal, social and cultural identities.
I live in a partial council estate. Some of the houses are owned by the council whilst the rest are privately owned. The people living in the council houses are mostly low income families and some are on benefits. Some are families, lone parent families and some are couples or single people. We are not a tight knit community but there is occasional interaction. There are different races of people including, black people, people from other countries including Poland and Zimbabwe, there are some practising Christians from various sub faiths including Methodists and Mormons, atheists and Hindi. There are people of all ages ranging from infants to the elderly. There is a large group of youths in our community who display some antisocial behaviour such as smoking drugs on the street, shouting expletives, littering, etc. They are all mostly unemployed and part of the benefits system. We also have some pagans and “Goths” in our community which tend to stick together. They hold coffee mornings for their children to play at each other’s houses. A lot of the groups in our community tend to stick together and not really interact much with the others.
There are quite a few unemployed people in our community, especially recently due to the economic climate, many of these households have children in them too. Crewe is generally a working class area with a lot of cultural diversity as we have large Polish and Muslim communities within the town.
3. Explain how the variations in question 2 contribute to the diversity of the community.
The Polish community means that we have a lot of different foods in our shops and we have some exclusively Polish food shops so everyone has access to a different cuisine. We also have the chance to learn more about their culture and what they like/dislike and the children get to interact with them at school which teaches them that people from other countries may speak different languages and eat different foods.
The different religions community in Crewe helps us learn about different cultures and how their beliefs affect their everyday lives. The children in the schools also learn about these and get the experience of mixing with different cultures. There are various food establishments around Crewe with food from different countries including Thai, Indian, Turkish and Italian. This means that we have a varied choice of foods to try. The people with children who are young can attend different groups in which to get together for their children to play and mix with other children, this is good for them to mix with different types of people from a young age.
4. Give some examples to explain how diversity: • Enhances your life • Enhances the local community • Enhances this country.
Diversity enhances my life as I can learn about different cultures and their lives which I find interesting. It means my children can learn too and they can learn about many different aspects of many walks of life. This helps them to not develop prejudices. We can learn from the experiences of older people, that everyone is different and unique so to respect their beliefs and way of life so that they do the same for us. We like to sample the cuisine from different countries.
The diversity in our community means that all the different cultural groups will be able to able to mix with those of other cultures, thus learning of the differences and being able to understand and accept and respect them. The speciality food shops mean that those from other countries have access to food and items from their original countries if they so wish.
Diversity enhances the country by bringing all sorts of goods and services that are available to all. These include different foods, clothing, and other services such as beauty treatments, healthcare, etc. It also brings people with unique life experiences and knowledge together; this can increase opportunities and other benefits such as better healthcare and more job opportunities. It also increases the relationships and friendships that people can have with one another. The general knowledge of people is increased as they are aware of beliefs, cultures, languages and circumstances different to their own.
5.
Describe what it means to respect people’s differences and why it is important to respect differences.
To respect people’s differences means to recognise that every person is different and has the right to be. This does not mean that you have to agree with their lifestyle choices or preferences; it just means you should be tolerant and accept that that’s who they are and how they live their lives. This helps them live a more peaceful life.
It is important to respect their differences as this helps to build better communities and helps everyone live more peacefully. Also if you are accepting of the differences in people they in turn are more likely to act the same and respect the differences in others. Many people try to find similarities in others and tend to not interact with people when they don’t find any similarities but if everyone respected peoples differences they would be able to build better relationships with people they wouldn’t usually think about building relationships
with.
6. For a person you know, describe the individual factors that make him / her who they are.
Name: Daniel Steele
|Defining factors |Brief description |
|Physical characteristics |Tall, overweight, middle aged, balding, Caucasian male with some |
| |tattoos. |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|Emotions |Generally happy but has had periods of stress. He’s a good husband |
| |and father who works hard to provide for his family. He’s a devoted |
| |brother and uncle too. |
| | |
| | |
|Likes and dislikes |He likes watching sports, playing games online, going the pub and |
| |socialising with friends. |
| |He dislikes Manchester united, doing housework, the soaps and bad |
| |drivers. |
| | |
|Values and beliefs |He is straight. He is Christian but not a church goer. He believes |
| |that everyone has a right to live as they like as long as its |
| |within the law. |
| | |
| | |
7. Describe yourself in terms of: • Personal interests • Religion / culture • Geography.
My personal interests are crafts, computer work, looking after my children and animals. I also like to listen to Goth metal music and I dress in a gothic style. I like piercings and tattoos and have got several of each. I enjoy reading fiction books in my spare time. I work as I like to provide for my children instead of relying on benefits as I want to instil a good work ethic within my children. I enjoy socialising with my friends and taking my children to playgroups and on holiday.
My religion is bordering on Christian and atheism as I’m unsure what I truly believe. I do like my gothic clothing and have interested in this for about 14 years. I like to attend music concerts with some of my like minded friends. Most of my friends are ‘alternative’ people.
I am from Crewe and have never lived anywhere other than Crewe. I have always lived on council estates and am quite happy to do so.
8. What is meant by having multiple identities? Give three examples in relation to people you know.
Multiple identities mean that people can act differently according to the situation they are in. For example Daniel is a signalman at work and acts professionally but when he is at home he is a husband and father and plays with his children.
Example 1: Heather is a mum of two boys. She is a student learning horticulture. She is also a carer to a woman with multiple sclerosis.
She acts accordingly depending which situation she is in at the time.
Example 2: Margaret is a 53 year old kitchen assistant in a care home. She is also a grandmother. She is also a wife to her husband Paul.
Example 3: Mandy is a childminder. She is also a mum of four. She is also a multiple sclerosis sufferer.
9. What is meant by shared identity?
Shared identity means that if a person has many defining characteristics and qualities then it’s highly likely that they will have the same characteristics as one or more other people. This is known as a shared identity.
10. Explain and give examples of how an individual can identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups.
An individual can identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups by first identifying some of their own characteristics and qualities. These may be physical qualities, age, their personal interests, where they are from, their religious beliefs, their cultural beliefs, their likes and dislikes or their socio economic class. Once they have done this they can look at the people they interact with and compare these qualities with their own. This will tell the individual what shared identities exist and which groups they belong to.
11. Describe yourself in terms of your multiple identities.
My multiple identities are a 28 year old female. I’m a mother, a student, a cleaner for the NHS, a white heterosexual, a none practising Christian and British. In terms of multiple identities, these can be physical or other, for example what beliefs, how I chose to live my life etc.
12. What is meant by stereotyping and labelling?
Stereotyping and labelling occurs when a single characteristic is used to form an opinion of someone. This may be the persons race, age or sexual orientation. A stereotype is a fixed, commonly held, usually simplified and over generalised idea about a class of people with a shared characteristic. When a person is stereotyped they have their qualities and characteristics simplified and standardised. Generally, stereotypes are not based on objective truth and may lead to people being labelled incorrectly which can cause problems. In most circumstances, stereotyping is often linked to a negative description of another person. One example of this is the view that all Scottish people are tight-fisted. The stereotype lumps an entire group together and has some generalised views that are then applied to everyone in that group. This is unfair and in most circumstances an incorrect label for the many individuals in that group. People then fail to appreciate the individuals in that group and labelling occurs. For example, the stereotype that all people who wear hoodies are criminals will make others fear them and distrust them.
13. Explain why some people stereotype others.
Some people learn to stereotype from others. They may have grown up in an environment where people were stereotyped by their parents or other family members. They may also learn to stereotype from friends and other peer groups, they often agree with the stereotypical view made by family and peers in order to feel included or peer pressure. Some people stereotype as a way of placing the blame on a specific group for problems in the world, this can often be fuelled by the media. Examples of this include the stereotype that people from Iraq cannot be trusted due to all the trouble with the war on terrorism occurring now.
14. Provide two examples of the damaging effects that stereotyping and labelling can have on people.
One damaging effect that stereotyping and labelling can have on people and social groups is people accept the negative labels they have been given. For example, youths can be stereotyped as unemployed and not interested in working and often involved in crime. The youths then may accept that this is how they are seen and not try to be anything else in their lives. This also leads to a less productive society.
Another damaging effect that stereotyping and labelling can have on people is that they are misunderstood due to other people using poor quality and often incorrect information to label and stereotype them. For example people may assume that Muslims are involved in terrorist behaviour due to small sections of the Muslim faith being involved in terrorist behaviour or that they treat the females in their faith in a disrespectful way and that they have no rights. They use the most extreme behaviour from a subsection of people to assume that this is correct for all of them.
15. Provide at least two examples of the way stereotyping is perpetuated in society.
An example of a way stereotyping is perpetuated in society is that they are the views of parents or family and are “taught” to young children. This is probably the most common way for people to learn to stereotype others, the individual often does this for acceptance from family members and the need to ‘belong’ to the family unit. For example if a persons parents didn’t trust those of a different race, there is a high chance that they will learn this behaviour and they in turn will teach it to their children thus keeping the stereotype going.
Another way stereotyping is perpetuated in society is things fuelled by the media. If a person is wary of hooded youths then seeing new about other youths wearing hoodies committing crimes will fuel their view on that stereotype and keep it going in peoples minds.
16. Define prejudice and discrimination.
A prejudice is an unfair preconceived view or judgement that is formed without sufficient knowledge or without being based on any specific grounds. For example, people may be prejudiced against others from other countries. Prejudices are negative and apply to large groups of people usually based on race, gender, sexual orientation or ethnic origin.
Discrimination means treating a person or group differently, often in a negative manner, based upon one or a small number of characteristics. For example, the past racism in the USA when black people were not allowed in certain establishments.
17. Explain how people may develop prejudices.
There are many ways in which people develop prejudices. One way is socialisation; this is when they are learnt from members of their family or friends. A person could experience the views of these other people on a daily basis, and there will also be influences of the media and the views of high profile people such as celebrities or political people from around the world. If a young person is subjected to these views from their family and friends they are less likely to question them and take their views as their own. If a regular prejudice is regularly presented, then it is difficult for a person to challenge the prejudice and question the viewpoint.
Another way people develop prejudices is over generalisation. This may develop when a person has a powerful experience and then generalises it to a particular group. This is usually caused by a strong negative experience. It may be sensible to dislike the experience but the over generalisation caused by it may be inaccurate. For example, if a person is attacked by someone of a different race they may then distrust and dislike everyone of that race afterwards due to over generalising and assuming that everyone of that race is capable of doing the same thing.
18. Describe the following types of discrimination.
|Type of discrimination |Description |
|Dual discrimination |This occurs when there is direct discrimination on two grounds. So a|
| |person may be discriminated against for their gender and their race.|
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|Multiple discrimination |This occurs when there is discrimination on multiple aspects of |
| |their personality. For example, a black lesbian may experience |
| |discrimination on the grounds of their race, gender and sexual |
| |orientation. |
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|Positive discrimination |This form of discrimination is when an advantage is given to groups |
| |in a community or society which are often subject to prejudice and |
| |discrimination. While the intent of this form of discrimination is |
| |to help disadvantaged groups, it remains unlawful in most |
| |circumstances. |
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|Discrimination arising out of disability |This is when a person with a physical or mental disability is |
| |discriminated against. A person with a disability is a person with a|
| |long term mental or physical impairment which limits their ability |
| |to carry out day to day activities. It must now be made possible by |
| |individuals and organisations so that disabled people have fair |
| |access to things such as education, employment, housing, goods, |
| |facilities and services. |
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|Discrimination by association |This is when a person is discriminated against because of their |
| |association with another person. For example, they may be harassed |
| |due to the race of their partner. |
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19. What is meant by the term protected characteristics?
There are several characteristics or qualities in which a person may experience discrimination. The idea of protected characteristics is to specify key areas where discrimination may take place and seek to legally protect them. These protected key areas are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender and sexual orientation. If any of these aspects is used to treat a person differently then discrimination is taking place.
20. What is the difference between direct and indirect discrimination? Give two examples to illustrate your point.
Direct discrimination is when a person is treated less favourably than other people are treated. This is when there is no difference in circumstances and the person is treated differently due to a personal characteristic. For example, denying someone accommodation due to their race or paying someone a lower salary because they are a woman.
Indirect discrimination is when rules or practices, which apply to everybody, result in certain people being put at a disadvantage. For example, offering services at times that will clash with times of religious observance or not providing religiously appropriate foods when catering (e.g. vegetarian)
21. Describe the effects that discrimination and prejudice can have on people.
When people are subject to discrimination and prejudice their quality of life is usually lower than one they would reasonably expect. The effects of this include people being killed because of their race, nationality, sexual orientation or religion. People being denied the right to vote, being subjected to verbal and physical attacks, being deprived of legal rights, denied education, jobs and opportunities. People have been generally been treated as outsiders and second class citizens and people have accepted the negative views of themselves. Communities and societies have greater conflict and are less efficient and harmonious. Also some communities can be built on hatred and contempt.
22. Describe what equal opportunities means in relation to: • Education • Housing • Healthcare • Employment.
Equal opportunities in relation to education, means that education is available to everyone and everyone has the right to learn. This means that everyone gets the same education chances and nobody can be denied due to discrimination. This gives everyone the chance to learn and gain the skills so they can learn what profession they want despite what background, religion, race or gender they are.
Equal opportunities in housing mean that public, social and private housing cannot be allocated on the grounds of discrimination. It is now illegal for private landlords to specify that certain ethnic groups could not live in their property. If a person is deprived the opportunity of appropriate housing this can have a large impact on the quality of life for them and their families.
Equal opportunities in relation to healthcare means, that nobody can be refused treatment on grounds such as race or sexual orientation. The way treatments are prioritised should be based solely on the medical condition that is being treated. There must also be sensitivity to the needs of particular groups when they are being treated.
Equal opportunities in relation to employment means, that people are less likely to experience discrimination at work. Some types of discrimination that may occur is women not being offered promotion as they may get married and have children, people being treated unfairly due to their sexual orientation, people being treated unfairly due to their ethnicity and women getting paid less than men for doing the exact same work. Without equal opportunities guidelines these would occur more often and many people would be socially and economically disadvantaged.
23. Outline the inequality problems that persist in terms of pay for men and women.
The inequality problems that persist in terms of pay for men and women are that women sometimes get paid a lower salary for doing exactly the same job as a man. Men tend to get more of the highest paid jobs in organisations even though women are capable of doing them. Another problem is that a man doing a job at a similar skill level to a woman’s job and the man receiving a much higher wage. Since the Equal Pay Act of 1970, there has been legislation aimed at ending this discrimination. The aim is to focus on a person’s abilities not their gender. The gap in pay still exists despite this and a recent report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission recently found that women are still paid 16.4% less than men.
24. Identify and briefly describe two other signs of inequality.
Another inequality is that older people close to retirement age are less likely to gain employment if they are looking for it because they may only be in the role for a short time. Also they are more likely to need time off of they are in ill health due to their age.
Another sign of inequality in regards to employment is that some people are judged on their appearance. For example if they have tattoos they are more than likely not going to get the job even if they are capable and performed well in the interview. This is because there is still a taboo on tattoos in regards to employment even though they have recently become more socially acceptable and a larger proportion of the population have them.