Human beings are social animals. They co-exist in communities and do activities together. Humans live in family set-ups in natural circumstances and identify with certain specific communities developing traditions and maintaining cultures. The traditions and cultures can be under natural heritages or from social construction. Granted, humans also seem to identify with their communities' characteristics, traditions, and ideas and seem to be biased against those they deem as inferior or unlike them.
This phenomenon is often described as prejudice and discrimination in different contexts and extents. By definition, prejudice is prejudged beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes about a group that is not based on personal experience. Discrimination is hostile actions against a person or group of people because of their membership in a specific social group. While prejudice is about feelings and attitudes, discrimination acts on feelings
...and stereotypes. Prejudice and discrimination can exist in different contexts and be shown differently. Prejudice and discrimination based on gender is known as sexism. When based on national grouping or race, it is called racism.
It can also occur based on ethnicity or tribe. Other bases for prejudice and discrimination may include age (ageism), religious beliefs (e.g., Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism), disability, and sexual orientation (homophobia). Not all discrimination is harmful. There can also be positive forms of discrimination. This form of discrimination is where a disadvantaged group is given special privileges to compensate for their lack of opportunity or equal access.
An example is incentives that allow people with disability to compete equally with those without disabilities. Due to the repetitive use of the term discrimination in negative settings, the term 'affirmative action' is used to refer to the
acts of positive discrimination. Prejudice and discrimination have effects on both the individual and society. From a personal perspective, it lowers victims' self-esteem and may, at worst, lead to the development of personality issues. Discrimination creates an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty about the future. At broader levels, it may lead to inter-racial conflicts, wars, and even extermination, as experienced during the second world war against Jews in what is known as the holocaust. Discrimination can rob people of opportunity when done by design or by impact.
Systemic discrimination involves practices, policies, or traditions that often, unintendedly, create disadvantages for people with a common set of characteristics like race, religion, sexual orientation, among others. Institutional discrimination is revisable through deliberate and inclusive policy-making. While prejudice is moral, discrimination can be tackled by legal means, and many organizations and countries have set up legal means to reduce and punish discrimination. In conclusion, prejudice and discrimination are the results of aggressive human socialization. Human beings prefer aligning themselves in groups to survive and prosper.
Groups with particular ideas or characteristics may disagree with one another; however, it is essential to understand the humanity between both groups. Prejudice comes from moral bias and may be derived from stereotypes, and require the same level of moral, ethical, and mental solutions. However, since it is actionable, discrimination can also be solved by actionable means that involve law and policy. In general, it is individual and collective responsibility to tackle all forms of bias, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.
