Lecture Notes: Discrimination

Definition of Discrimination

• Differential treatment and harmful actions against minorities.
• Key aspect: actions.
• Can be based on various factors (e.g., race, age, religion).
• Occurs at both individual and institutional levels.

Individual Discrimination

• Example: A professor not allowing women into his class solely based on gender.
• Characteristics:
  • Actions taken by an individual person.
  • Can be based on sex, age, race, religion, etc.

Institutional Discrimination

• Involves organizations (e.g., governments, banks, schools).

Example: Brown v. Board of Education

• Landmark court case in 1954.
• Overturned "separate but equal" policies in schools.
• Highlighted the inequality in services and treatment.

Types of Institutional Discrimination

• Intentional: Directly through policies (e.g., laws).
• Unintentional
  • Side-Effect Discrimination:
    • Actions in one institution negatively affect another.
    • Example: Criminal justice influences employment opportunities.
    • African-American men receiving unjust verdicts affect employment prospects due to criminal records.
  • Past-in-Present Discrimination:
    • Past discriminatory actions continue to have effects today.
    • Example: Post-Brown v. Board of Education, students still facing negative attitudes leading to discrimination.

Summary

• Discrimination can be both overt (intentional) and covert (unintentional).
• Effects of historical and inter-institutional actions continue to perpetuate inequality.
• Understanding different types helps in recognizing and addressing discrimination in various forms.