Roles Of Identity In Discrimination

The Role of Identity in Discrimination The generally accepted reason that explains barriers between people of different identity markers--like gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, and social class--is that majority groups feel that other groups are inferior. But this idea goes deeper; it originates from humans’ tendency to separate themselves into groups according to these identity markers. Their sense of identity is dependent on it, and when other groups threaten this, it causes people to create separations. Therefore, walls within communities are caused by the inclination to defend one's identity.
Discriminatory attitudes stem from partiality toward people with similar demographic characteristics, and author Nadine Gordimer explores how this relates to the origins of the South
When this idea is challenged, they feel threatened and distance themselves away from these groups. This way of responding to changing times is universal; many groups become intolerant of minorities because they bring different beliefs and cultures that majority groups do not understand. Because of this ignorance, individuals believe that opposing ideas discredit and threaten their own beliefs. Moreover, in the speech “Making the Future Better Together” by Eboo Patel, the author explains that when America began, Jews questioned if they “would be safe in this new nation, or if they would be hounded and hated, blamed for crimes they did not commit”(Patel 3). This highlights an omnipresent situation: people of a group are often discriminated against because of occurrences out of their control. When there is a significant change that people disagree with, individuals will often find a scapegoat to blame it on. The hatred that results from this then results in the emergence of walls. So, because individuals want to protect their ideas, walls will form if another group’s ideas are