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Discrimination v. Discrimination v. PrejudicePrejudice

What’s the difference?What’s the difference?Discrimination usually Discrimination usually

involves actionsinvolves actions

Prejudice refers to attitudesPrejudice refers to attitudes

2 types of discrimination2 types of discrimination1. Legal discrimination

Upheld by law Examples:

Apartheid (South Africa) Plessy v Ferguson (separate but

equal) Brown v Topeka Board of Education

(desegregation) Affirmative Action

2 types of discrimination2 types of discrimination2. Institutionalized Discrimination

An outgrowth of the structure of a society

Self-perpetuating Can occur when the society takes legal

steps to end discriminatory practices Example

Police forces used to have height requirements, but these were deemed by courts to discriminate against women, Latinos, and other individuals.

Racial profilingRacial profiling

PrejudicePrejudice Prejudice starts with a stereotype Stereotype

– An oversimplified, exaggerated or unfavorable generalization about a group of people

– Example: All Irish people are hot-tempered drunks Others?

PrejudicePrejudice Self-fulfilling prophecy

– A prediction that results in behavior that makes the prediction come true

– Example: If a teacher doesn’t think a student will

learn, that teacher is less likely to push that student. Then the student won’t learn; therefore, proving the teacher correct.

The “I can’t” attitude almost always leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy

PrejudicePrejudice Racism

– The belief that one’s own race or ethnic group is naturally superior to other races or ethnic groups.

– It has been used as a justification for slavery and genocide (even immigration laws in US)

Merton’s PatternsMerton’s Patterns Active BigotActive Bigot

– Prejudiced and openly discriminatePrejudiced and openly discriminate– Example:Example:

KKKKKK Timid BigotTimid Bigot

– Prejudiced but is afraid to discriminate Prejudiced but is afraid to discriminate because of societal pressuresbecause of societal pressures

Merton’s PatternMerton’s Pattern Fair-weather liberalFair-weather liberal

– Not prejudiced but discriminatory Not prejudiced but discriminatory anyway because of societal pressureanyway because of societal pressure

– ExampleExample The southern white restaurant owner The southern white restaurant owner

during Jim Crow who felt in his heart that during Jim Crow who felt in his heart that inequality between the races was wrong, inequality between the races was wrong, but who still refused to service blacks for but who still refused to service blacks for fear of being burned out by other whites fear of being burned out by other whites

Merton’s PatternsMerton’s Patterns All-weather liberalAll-weather liberal

– Not prejudiced and does not Not prejudiced and does not discriminatediscriminate