Research prevalent and unfortunate societal constants of “prejudice” and “discrimination.” In the first third of the paper, you will discuss
prejudice and discrimination from both a historical and present perspective in very general terms. You will then increase specificity as directed by the
questions/topics I have outlined below. In the last third of the paper, you will examine and discuss ways in which we can minimize prejudice and
discrimination and advocate for diversity.
How does research define and explain prejudice and discrimination?
How do you define and recognize prejudice and discrimination?
How does research define systemic racism and what impacts does this construct have on human behavior and our society?
Historically, what did discrimination look like, according to research?
Currently, what does discrimination look like, according to research?
Have you personally experienced and/or observed prejudice and/or discrimination?
If you have experienced OR observed it, how did it make you feel?
How might we as BOTH individuals and a society promote diversity and reject prejudice and discrimination?
This paper will be a minimum of 3-4 pages, 12-point font, Times New Roman. This paper will be written in APA format and include citations. This paper must
include a minimum of 3-4 pages of content NOT including your required title and reference pages. Also, please be sure that you are using the Norco College
Library Database for your sources. If you use any sources outside of there, you will need to run them by me to ensure that they are scholarly. Please note that
a failure to meet any of these requirements will result in a marked loss of points. As a
Prejudice and discrimination are terms that are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Prejudice is an attitude based on limited information that leads to beliefs about a whole group of people or individuals. These attitudes can be positive or negative, but the most common are negative opinions that lead to unfair treatment and exclusion. Discrimination occurs when these unfavorable feelings and beliefs result in the unequal treatment of certain groups of people or individuals because of those prejudices, resulting in adverse consequences for them. This can take many forms such as verbal abuse, physical violence, employment practices, housing policies, interactions with law enforcement officers, etc (Davis & Syed-Abdulshafi 2020).
In order to understand prejudice and discrimination better from a historical perspective it is important to look at how they have been used throughout history. Prejudices were held by Europeans against other cultures during colonialism which was reflected by their lack of respect towards different customs and values (Hajdukowski-Ahmed et al 2019). Throughout U.S history there has been systemic racism which has resulted in inequalities between minority racial groups like African Americans compared to Whites. This includes oppressive laws such as redlining which prevented minorities from buying homes in certain areas as well being forced into lower quality schools due to segregation laws (Wise 2020). Even today we continue to see examples of discrimination such as unequal job opportunities for women or people with disabilities even though anti-discrimination laws exist (Deacon 2018).
I have personally observed both prejudice and discrimination numerous times throughout my life whether it was directed towards myself or someone else I know. Whether it was the first time I heard someone use a racial slur or when I saw people turn away from homeless person asking for help because they believed he did not “deserve” anything unless he earned it himself; all this made me feel frustrated because these behaviors showed an unwillingness on part of those involved in recognizing basic human rights regardless of who you are.. It also saddens me that this type behavior still continues today despite our advances in society on the issue of equality among all peoples regardless if their differences: race/ethnicity gender identity sexual orientation religious belief etc…
The only way we can combat prejudice and discrimination is by fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome regardless difference backgrounds. This starts at individual level where each one us should be open minded towards new ideas/thoughts/beliefs while also rejecting any form immediate judgement based on stereotypes assumptions etc… In addition government policy should reflect this commitment diversity by having comprehensive non-discrimination measures place ensure equal right protections members belonging marginalized communities Lastly media campaigns aimed promoting acceptance diverse community can make real change public opinion reduce stigma associated difference identities thus creating more inclusive world . We must continue strive promote understanding between various groups set example future generations come .