conclusion for discrimination essay

Essays About Discrimination: Top 5 Examples and 8 Prompts

You must know how to connect with your readers to write essays about discrimination effectively; read on for our top essay examples, including prompts that will help you write.

Discrimination comes in many forms and still happens to many individuals or groups today. It occurs when there’s a distinction or bias against someone because of their age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Discrimination can happen to anyone wherever and whenever they are. Unfortunately, it’s a problem that society is yet to solve entirely. Here are five in-depth examples of this theme’s subcategories to guide you in creating your essays about discrimination.

1. Essay On Discrimination For Students In Easy Words by Prateek

2. personal discrimination experience by naomi nakatani, 3. prejudice and discrimination by william anderson, 4. socioeconomic class discrimination in luca by krystal ibarra, 5. the new way of discrimination by writer bill, 1. my discrimination experience, 2. what can i do to stop discrimination, 3. discrimination in my community, 4. the cost of discrimination, 5. examples of discrimination, 6. discrimination in sports: segregating men and women, 7. how to stop my discrimination against others, 8. what should groups do to fight discrimination.

“In the current education system, the condition of education and its promotion of equality is very important. The education system should be a good place for each and every student. It must be on the basis of equal opportunities for each student in every country. It must be free of discrimination.”

Prateek starts his essay by telling the story of a student having difficulty getting admitted to a college because of high fees. He then poses the question of how the student will be able to get an education when he can’t have the opportunity to do so in the first place. He goes on to discuss UNESCO’s objectives against discrimination. 

Further in the essay, the author defines discrimination and cites instances when it happens. Prateek also compares past and present discrimination, ending the piece by saying it should stop and everyone deserves to be treated fairly.

“I thought that there is no discrimination before I actually had discrimination… I think we must treat everyone equally even though people speak different languages or have different colors of skin.”

In her short essay, Nakatani shares the experiences that made her feel discriminated against when she visited the US. She includes a fellow guest saying she and her mother can’t use the shared pool in a hotel they stay in because they are Japanese and getting cheated of her money when she bought from a small shop because she can’t speak English very well.

“Whether intentional or not, prejudice and discrimination ensure the continuance of inequality in the United States. Even subconsciously, we are furthering inequality through our actions and reactions to others… Because these forces are universally present in our daily lives, the way we use them or reject them will determine how they affect us.”

Anderson explains the direct relationship between prejudice and discrimination. He also gives examples of these occurrences in the past (blacks and whites segregation) and modern times (sexism, racism, etc.)

He delves into society’s fault for playing the “blame game” and choosing to ignore each other’s perspectives, leading to stereotypes. He also talks about affirmative action committees that serve to protect minorities.

“Something important to point out is that there is prejudice when it comes to people of lower class or economic standing, there are stereotypes that label them as untrustworthy, lazy, and even dangerous. This thought is fed by the just-world phenomenon, that of low economic status are uneducated, lazy, and are more likely to be substance abusers, and thus get what they deserve.”

Ibarra recounts how she discovered Pixar’s Luca and shares what she thought of the animation, focusing on how the film encapsulates socioeconomic discrimination in its settings. She then discusses the characters and their relationships with the protagonist. Finally, Ibarra notes how the movie alluded to flawed characters, such as having a smaller boat, mismatched or recycled kitchen furniture, and no shoes. 

The other cast even taunts Luca, saying he smells and gets his clothes from a dead person. These are typical things marginalized communities experience in real life. At the end of her essay, Ibarra points out how society is dogmatic against the lower class, thinking they are abusers. In Luca, the wealthy antagonist is shown to be violent and lazy.

“Even though the problem of discrimination has calmed down, it still happens… From these past experiences, we can realize that solutions to tough problems come in tough ways.”

The author introduces people who called out discrimination, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Barbara Henry – the only teacher who decided to teach Ruby Bridges, despite her skin color. 

He then moves on to mention the variations of present-day discrimination. He uses Donald Trump and the border he wants to build to keep the Hispanics out as an example. Finally, Bill ends the essay by telling the readers those who discriminate against others are bullies who want to get a reaction out of their victims. 

Do you get intimidated when you need to write an essay? Don’t be! If writing an essay makes you nervous, do it step by step. To start, write a simple 5 paragraph essay .

Prompts on Essays About Discrimination

Below are writing prompts that can inspire you on what to focus on when writing your discrimination essay:

Have you had to go through an aggressor who disliked you because you’re you? Write an essay about this incident, how it happened, what you felt during the episode, and what you did afterward. You can also include how it affected the way you interact with people. For example, did you try to tone down a part of yourself or change how you speak to avoid conflict?

List ways on how you can participate in lessening incidents of discrimination. Your list can include calling out biases, reporting to proper authorities, or spreading awareness of what discrimination is.

Is there an ongoing prejudice you observe in your school, subdivision, etc.? If other people in your community go through this unjust treatment, you can interview them and incorporate their thoughts on the matter.

Tackle what victims of discrimination have to go through daily. You can also talk about how it affected their life in the long run, such as having low self-esteem that limited their potential and opportunities and being frightened of getting involved with other individuals who may be bigots.

For this prompt, you can choose a subtopic to zero in on, like Workplace Discrimination, Disability Discrimination, and others. Then, add sample situations to demonstrate the unfairness better.

What are your thoughts on the different game rules for men and women? Do you believe these rules are just? Cite news incidents to make your essay more credible. For example, you can mention the incident where the Norwegian women’s beach handball team got fined for wearing tops and shorts instead of bikinis.

Since we learn to discriminate because of the society we grew up in, it’s only normal to be biased unintentionally. When you catch yourself having these partialities, what do you do? How do you train yourself not to discriminate against others?

Focus on an area of discrimination and suggest methods to lessen its instances. To give you an idea, you can concentrate on Workplace Discrimination, starting from its hiring process. You can propose that applicants are chosen based on their skills, so the company can implement a hiring procedure where applicants should go through written tests first before personal interviews.

If you instead want to focus on topics that include people from all walks of life, talk about diversity. Here’s an excellent guide on how to write an essay about diversity .

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change (2016)

Chapter: 6 conclusions and recommendations, 6 conclusions and recommendations, lessons learned, experiences of other countries.

The experiences of Australia, Canada, and England (see Chapter 4 ) strongly indicate that changing negative social norms that stigmatize people with mental and substance use disorders will require a coordinated and sustained effort. Behavioral health-related norms and beliefs are created and reinforced at multiple levels, including day-to-day contact with people affected by mental and substance use disorders, organizational policies and practices, community norms and beliefs, the media, and governmental law and policy. Successful national-scale anti-stigma programs in other countries shared the following characteristics:

• They were supported by government at the national level.
• Support was committed on a long-term basis, often over decades.
• There was ongoing evaluation and monitoring from the planning phase forward.
• The initiative was multipronged to address the full range of relevant needs.
• Programs and services were coordinated across states (provinces) and across economic and social sectors to reduce fragmentation of efforts.
• Information was collected and disseminated about what worked, with whom, and under which conditions in order to inform the ongoing program development as well as future programs.

The Ryan White Act

In the United States, the Ryan White Care Act (RWCA) provides an example of a coordinated and sustained effort to meet the full spectrum of needs in people with HIV/AIDS. The act was initially passed by Congress in 1990 and has since been reauthorized four times in 1996, 2000, 2006, and 2009. The act supports programs and services at the community, municipal, and state level across the nation. Over the past 25 years, the Ryan White Program has become a critical component of the HIV/AIDS health care system in the United States, serving more than one-half million people ( Crowley and Kates, 2013 ). The history, evolution, and outcomes of the program provide relevant information for future behavioral health anti-stigma initiatives.

The Ryan White Program has evolved to embrace a focus on treatment as prevention, which is consistent with the goals of the Affordable Care Act and the U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Ongoing evaluation and outcomes research provide future direction for the program, most recently in the areas of health workforce development, insurance coverage, and efforts to scale up programs to achieve population-level impacts ( Crowley and Garner, 2015 ).

The Ryan White Program funds social support-related services in addition to traditional health care and prescription drug programs, including transportation and housing assistance, nutrition services, day care, and dental care ( Taylor, 2010 ). Such “wrap-around” services are provided within the context of an integrated model of care to improve quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS who face many of the stigma-related barriers as individuals with mental and substance use disorders ( Garfield, 2011 ). Funding is awarded through statutorily established formula grants and through competitive mechanisms with the bulk of funds distributed noncompetitively in response to evolving needs.

One critique of RWCA is that the act did not establish minimum standards for care and services delivery across all states. For example, the act funded AIDS Drug Assistance Programs that were managed by individual states with the states deciding how to allocate funding and set eligibility for enrollment. At the program’s peak height in September 2011, more than 9,000 people with HIV were on state medication waiting lists. Although state and local autonomy regarding implementation and delivery is essential, lessons learned from the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs underscore the need for unifying program standards and illustrate the

important role of the federal government in a national strategy to reduce stigma related to mental and substance use disorders.

An Ecological Framework

Research on stigma toward mental and substance use disorders is challenging and complex in part because it necessarily involves a wide range of independent service systems, numerous sectors and professions, competing agendas, nuanced ethical and cultural issues, and multiple levels of outcome analysis ranging from the individual level to national statistics. Coordinating research across these many layers and systems will require a strategic and harmonious effort on the part of the federal government, private foundations, and academic and health care institutions, and other stakeholders. A coordinated research effort should be finely tuned to the societal and cultural contexts that intentionally or unintentionally endorse or facilitate stigma at various levels, especially the structural level. One assumption of an ecological perspective is that society’s tolerance for or endorsement of a negative norm sets a precedent for stigma at the individual, family, and community levels ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2014 ). This underscores the need to focus more attention on eliminating structural stigma (see Recommendation 2 ).

Understanding the processes by which factors at the individual, family, community, and social levels interact to produce and maintain stigma will require multidisciplinary, multimethod, and multisector approaches. Research will need to leverage and build on the existing knowledge base related to mental and substance use disorders, stigma change, and other relevant and related fields. Finally, effective research needs to consider the cultural processes, social stratification, ecological variations, and immigrant/acculturation status that are pertinent to understanding the causes and consequences mental and substance disorder stigma ( Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2014 . These sociocultural factors are critical elements to consider in developing and testing intervention strategies and in adapting evidence-based practices to unique populations and target audiences to ensure cultural relevance, reach, efficacy, and adoption ( Barrera et al., 2013 ).

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A national-level approach.

CONCLUSION: The experiences of the U.S. campaigns related to HIV/AIDS and of anti-stigma campaigns in Australia, Canada, and

England demonstrate the need for a coordinated and sustained effort over 2 or more decades to reduce the stigma associated with mental and substance use disorders.

Norms and beliefs related to behavioral health, such as the stigma associated with mental and substance use disorders, are created and reinforced at multiple levels, including day-to-day contact with affected individuals, organizational policies and practices, community norms and beliefs, the media, and governmental law and policy. A number of private and public organizations are already engaged in anti-stigma and mental health promotion efforts, but because these efforts are largely uncoordinated and poorly evaluated, they cannot provide an evidence base for future national efforts.

RECOMMENDATION 1: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should take the lead responsibility among federal partners and key stakeholders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of a multipronged, evidence-based national strategy to reduce stigma and to support people with mental and substance use disorders.

Relevant stakeholder groups would include the following:

• consumers in treatment for mental and substance use disorders and consumer organizations;
• families and others whose lives are touched by mental illness or substance use disorders, including suicide-attempt survivors and loss survivors;
• relevant private sector leadership, including major employers;
• relevant foundations and nongovernmental organizations;
• advocates and advocacy groups, including civil rights and disability law experts;
• insurance companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers;
• journalists and others in the news media, including public health media experts;
• health and behavioral health care providers, and administrators, including protective services and social services providers;
• health professional education institutions and professional associations;
• academic researchers, including suicide prevention experts and researchers;
• law enforcement officials and first responders; and
• representatives of federal, state, and local governments.

Early tasks would include the following:

• Identify a lead organization to serve as convener of stakeholders.
• Promote coordination and engagement across local, state, federal, and nongovernmental groups, including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Justice, and Labor, and relevant stakeholder groups to pool resources and promote evidence-based approaches.
• Evaluate current laws and regulations related to persons with mental and substance use disorders to identify opportunities to promote changes to support people on the path to recovery.
• Support the development of a strategic plan for research and dissemination of evidence about effective strategies to change social norms related to mental and substance use disorders (see Recommendation 3 ).
• With the federal agencies and other partners, develop a process of identifying and engaging grassroots efforts in each state to promote the implementation of evidence-based programs and fidelity monitoring of service delivery.
• With the federal agencies, establish a long-term, national monitoring system for stigma and stigma reduction.

Collaboration and Coordination

In 2013, eight federal agencies were identified as having programs to support individuals with mental and substance use disorders—the U.S. Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing, Justice, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration—although their specific mission goals vary. To improve the effectiveness and extend the reach of the federal agencies’ programs, there are some ongoing efforts to coordinate across the agencies and their programs ( U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2014 ).

To maximize desired outcomes, collaborative efforts should eschew “ownership” of programs and include cobranding and resource sharing. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA’s) ongoing engagement with stakeholders can support the search for common ground, mutually articulated goals, and shared agendas.

The committee has identified structural stigma and stereotypes of dangerousness and unpredictability as major sources of public and self-stigma. Given the importance of reducing stigma in these areas, early efforts could focus on development of a communications campaign that

targeted policy and decision makers to challenge specific laws, policies and regulations that discriminate against people with mental and substance use disorders. Such a campaign could develop evidence-based public service announcements to hold in readiness for tragic events, such as mass violence, suicide by school and college students, and suicide clusters.

CONCLUSION: Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, based on the best possible evidence, which are supported at the national level and planned and implemented by a representative coalition of stakeholders. Engaging a wide range of stakeholders would facilitate consensus building and provide the support needed to overcome major obstacles to the implementation of effective anti-stigma programs in the United States. Barriers and challenges include, but are not limited to, conflict among major stakeholder groups regarding best practices and priorities, resource constraints, and the need to target multiple audiences with variable perceptions and priorities, as well as shifting priorities at the national level.

RECOMMENDATION 2: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should evaluate its own service programs and collaborate with other stakeholders, particularly the criminal justice system and government and state agencies, for the purpose of identifying and eliminating policies, practices, and procedures that directly or indirectly discriminate against people with mental and substance use disorders.

Strategic Planning for Research

The committee defines strategic planning as the process undertaken by an agency or organization to define its future and formulate a detailed plan to guide its path from the current state to its vision for the future.

CONCLUSION: A planning process usually results in the development of a key document that includes a plan to ensure that communication is maintained across all stakeholders. This element is especially relevant for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration given the agency’s ongoing engagement with stakeholders and collaborators. A strategic plan can also serve as the basis of comparison for an ongoing plan for iterative effectiveness monitoring.

RECOMMENDATION 3: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should conduct formative and evaluative research as part of a strategically planned effort to reduce stigma.

SAMHSA’s ongoing program of research on social norms and communications practices could coordinate with national efforts to achieve common goals and objectives. SAMHSA’s Office of Communication’s future activities could also be informed and supported by partners and participating stakeholders.

Because change occurs slowly, outcome evaluations need to be multifaceted and sustained to capture both direct and indirect effects, as well as intended and unintended consequences. An evaluation plan should include and support community-based participatory research that is based on the principle of partnership, in which community partners act as co-learners with academic partners rather than helpers and recipients. This approach involves community stakeholders in helping to define both the change targets and the intervention strategies, as well as in the conduct of the research itself. To inform a national campaign, more in-depth formative and evaluative research is critically needed in three areas: communication strategies, contact-based programs, and the role of peers.

Communication Strategies

Communication science provides a basis for understanding the effects of message features, contents, and platforms on four outcomes: cognitive (e.g., attention and memory), affective (e.g., liking, empathy, and fear), persuasive (e.g., attitude and behavior change), and behavioral (e.g., intents and actions). These effects are not discrete. They depend on characteristics of the target audience or audiences, the media platform, the message source, and the specific content and production features used in the message. For example, in a campaign to counter the stereotype of dangerousness in the wake of a tragic event, relevant audiences would include the media, school officials and teachers, young people, parents, and clergy. Messages would target specific smaller groups and would be designed and delivered with input and support of engaged stakeholders, for example, in donated airtime or volunteered time of high-profile supporters and speakers.

CONCLUSION: Best practices in choosing effective messages first require that a communications campaign develop well-defined goals for each specific group targeted. Effective messages can then be tailored to the specific target audience for the defined goals.

Because of the complexity of designing communication messages, efforts to implement the committee’s recommendation on this topic should be informed by the results of formative and evaluative research. Research is necessary both before message concepts are generated and after message concepts are created for testing in the field. The perspectives of people with lived experience of mental and substance use disorders should inform anti-stigma campaigns at every stage, including design, delivery, and evaluation.

RECOMMENDATION 4: To design stigma-reduction messaging and communication programs, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should investigate and use evidence from formative and evaluative research on effective communication across multiple platforms.

Several general features of effective communication programs have been identified by research and can inform the work in the committee’s recommendations to SAMHSA:

• Identify specific target groups and specific goals appropriate to each group (e.g., legislators and policy makers, employers and landlords, educators, health care practitioners, and people with mental and substance use disorders).
• Make strong appeals that are relevant and personally consequential to particular audiences, for example, young people or veterans.
• Understand how a particular audience orients to a message and what kinds of cues and styles hold their attention so that the message is absorbed and remembered.
• Know what matters most to a specific target group.

Contact-Based Programs

Mixed-methods research has led to the identification of key elements of successful contact-based programs ( Corrigan et al., 2013 , 2014 ). Outcome research on contact demonstrates robust effects in pre-post studies ( Corrigan et al., 2012 ; Griffiths et al., 2014 ) and at follow-up ( Corrigan et al., 2015a ). Although the efficacy of contact-based programs is greater than that of education programs alone in adults across a range of specific target audiences, such as health professionals, college students, and police, evidence shows that one-time contact is not as effective as repeated contact. Education programs are effective in changing stigmatizing attitudes among adolescents.

CONCLUSION: To expand the reach of contact-based programs, efforts will be needed to develop a nationally representative cohort of individuals who have disclosed information about their experiences of mental or substance use disorders. Involvement of those individuals needs to be preceded by the design of programs to aid personal consideration and action on disclosure decisions and of peer training programs to help people consider the risks and benefits of disclosure.

RECOMMENDATION 5: To decrease public and self-stigma and promote affirming and inclusive attitudes and behaviors targeted to specific groups, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should work with federal partners to design, evaluate, and disseminate effective, evidence-based, contact-based programming.

The Role of Peers

Peers play an essential role in combatting stigma, in part because they model personal recovery. Their role is critical in helping individuals to overcome the debilitating forces of self-stigma. Peer support programs and services include social and emotional support, as well as practical support related to quality-of-life decisions, delivered by people with mental and substance use disorders. Peer support has existed since the 1970s, but in 2001 several states began efforts to certify and train the peer specialist workforce. By 2012, 36 states had established such programs, although there is considerable variation in the certification programs across these states ( Ostrow and Adams, 2012 ). State programs vary in terms of stage of development and certification requirements, including the content and process of training, examination criteria, and requirements for continuing education and recertification ( Kaufman et al., 2012 ).

Most research on the outcomes of peer services has focused on quality-of-life measures. Few data are available about the costs and benefits of these programs, although the research suggests that people who use peer support services are more likely to use other behavioral health services of all kinds, including professional services and prescription drugs, which may lead to improved outcomes ( Landers and Zhou, 2014 ). Although more peers are becoming certified, stakeholders disagree about the risks and benefits of professionalizing the role given grassroots origins of peer support in the consumer movement ( Ostrow and Adams, 2012 ).

CONCLUSION: In the United States, there is no established and accepted set of national or state competencies or standards for peer

specialists, such as those that apply to other health professionals at state levels.

Although stakeholders do not agree on the risks and benefits of certification for peer support providers, it may contribute to the quality and outcomes of peer services and facilitate research on the effectiveness of these services across a range of outcomes. Programs need to be appropriately targeted to the audience or audiences and implemented at the relevant geographic level. Components of this effort would include standardization of preparation for peer service providers and development of practice guidelines for referral to and delivery of peer services across agencies and organizations engaged in this work. SAMHSA has taken steps in this direction with its 2009 Consumer-Operated Service Evidence-Based Practices Toolkit ( Chapter 4 ) and continues to have an important role to play in the development and dissemination of these products and programs across the nation. The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health offers a national certification for parent support providers that could serve as a model for future efforts to expand the reach of high-quality peer support services.

RECOMMENDATION 6: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should work with partners to design, support, and assess the effectiveness of evidence-based peer programs to support people with mental and substance use disorders along the path to recovery and to encourage their participation in treatment.

Development of a national strategy for eliminating the stigma of mental and substance use disorders is a challenging, long-term goal that will require collaboration across federal agencies, support from governments at all levels, and engagement of a broad range of stakeholders. No single agency can implement an effective national strategy, but SAMHSA brings specific and unique strengths including well-established stakeholder relations, commitment to the recovery model, and a history of promotion and implementation of prevention and early intervention strategies. Early objectives will include consensus building across a range of issues, design of cost-sharing arrangements, and development and implementation of a research strategy, including a system for monitoring change public attitudes, and mechanisms for disseminating information to inform future anti-stigma interventions.

Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health.

However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders.

Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.

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Essay on Discrimination

Students are often asked to write an essay on Discrimination in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Discrimination

Understanding discrimination.

Discrimination means treating people unfairly because they are different. It can be based on race, religion, gender, age, or disability.

Types of Discrimination

Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated worse because of their differences. Indirect discrimination happens when rules or practices disadvantage certain groups.

Effects of Discrimination

Discrimination can lead to feelings of sadness, anger, and loneliness. It can also cause mental health problems.

Fighting Discrimination

We can fight discrimination by treating everyone equally, standing up against unfair treatment, and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Also check:

• Speech on Discrimination

250 Words Essay on Discrimination

Discrimination is a pervasive social issue that transcends geographical boundaries and cultural contexts. It is the unjust or prejudiced treatment of different categories of people, often based on aspects such as race, age, sex, or disability.

The Roots of Discrimination

Discrimination is deeply rooted in stereotypes, biases, and societal norms. These are often perpetuated through socialization processes, media representations, and institutional practices, leading to systemic discrimination. This systemic discrimination is often invisible to those not affected, making it a challenging issue to address.

Impacts of Discrimination

Discrimination has far-reaching effects on individuals and societies. It can lead to social exclusion, economic disparity, and mental health issues among those discriminated against. It hampers social cohesion and economic development, creating divisions and tensions within societies.

Combating Discrimination

Addressing discrimination requires a multi-faceted approach. Education plays a vital role in breaking down stereotypes and promoting empathy and understanding. Legislation can also provide protection against discriminatory practices. However, to truly combat discrimination, societal attitudes must change, and this requires collective effort.

Discrimination is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach to address. While significant strides have been made, there is still much work to be done. It is crucial for everyone to take responsibility and play their part in creating a more inclusive and equitable society.

500 Words Essay on Discrimination

Introduction.

Discrimination is a pervasive social issue that exists in various forms across the globe. It is an unjust practice that involves the unequal treatment of individuals based on their particular attributes such as race, gender, age, religion, or sexual orientation. This essay explores the nature, impacts, and potential solutions to this complex issue.

The Nature of Discrimination

Discrimination is deeply embedded in societal structures, often perpetuated by stereotypes, prejudices, and biases. It manifests in both overt and subtle ways, from explicit laws and policies that disadvantage certain groups to unconscious biases affecting interpersonal interactions. Discrimination can be systemic, where it is entrenched in societal institutions, or individual, where it is enacted by individuals in their daily interactions.

The Impact of Discrimination

The effects of discrimination are far-reaching, affecting individuals and communities at multiple levels. At the individual level, it can lead to psychological distress, lower self-esteem, and reduced opportunities for employment, education, and social participation. At the societal level, discrimination hampers social cohesion and economic progress. It perpetuates social inequality, fostering environments of hostility and tension.

Intersectionality and Discrimination

Intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is crucial in understanding discrimination. It refers to the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, and how they create overlapping systems of discrimination. For instance, a woman of color may face discrimination that is different from what a white woman or a man of color experiences. Acknowledging intersectionality allows for a more nuanced understanding of discrimination and its impacts.

Combatting Discrimination

Addressing discrimination requires concerted efforts at multiple levels. Legal measures, such as anti-discrimination laws and equal opportunity policies, can provide a framework for preventing discriminatory practices. However, laws alone are insufficient. There needs to be a societal shift in attitudes and behaviors. This can be facilitated through education, promoting diversity and inclusion, and challenging harmful stereotypes and biases.

Discrimination, in its many forms, remains a significant challenge in contemporary society. It is a multifaceted issue that requires comprehensive solutions. While legal measures provide a basis for addressing discrimination, they must be complemented by efforts to change societal attitudes and behaviors. Only through a combination of these approaches can we hope to build a society where every individual is treated with fairness and respect, regardless of their identity or background.

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Discrimination Essay In A Nutshell

Table of Contents

The history of mankind is sodden with discrimination. It takes different forms and shapes, and modern society is not an exception. It is at stake of cultural history and has influenced many social, cultural, and economic occurrences that we see today.

Thus, any student will face a writing assignment dedicated to this subject matter sooner or later.

It is not that difficult when you know the principles of proper academic writing. Yet, when you have no time or decided to write it without an outline, you may end up in a deadlock.

Here we cover the basics of the writing of the essay on discrimination. Weaponize yourself with the tips from pro writers!

What is a discrimination essay?

There are several types of discrimination based on:

• Sexual orientation
• Disability, etc.

Each and every type of discrimination implicates the superiority of a certain group of people over another group of people. One of the main problems here is that many people mess up the notion of discrimination with the notion of prejudice and stereotypes. It is necessary to understand that, as a rule, stereotype and prejudice cause discrimination, but, these notions are not exactly the same.

This theme is controversial, multifaceted, and can be approached from different points of view. Thus, the list of disciplines that can cover issues connected to discrimination includes Psychology, Social Sciences, Political Science, Anthropology, Religion Studies, History, etc.

Racial discrimination essay essentials

The issue of racism is a hot button for American society. Naturally, this issue is widely depicted in the literary works, works of art, movies, etc., so you will definitely find enough research material. The problem here is of another kind. It is essential to make up your mind on the topic.

We have gathered some interesting ideas that you can use for your papers.

Essay on racism and discrimination

First and foremost, it is necessary to set these two notions apart: racism and racial discrimination are not the same. In fact, you will write a cause-and-effect essay where racism will be a cause, and racial discrimination will be the effect. Or, vice versa, you can approach this topic another way. Indicate that discrimination is a much broader notion than racism.

Consequently, racism is one of the manifestations of discrimination. Both approaches are correct, so the choice is yours. Select the one that seems more interesting to you and start working!

Racial discrimination in the workplace essay

A workplace is a place where all types of discrimination appear from time to time, so it provides a fertile field for the research. For example, you can dedicate the essay on racial discrimination to the issue of prejudice in this sphere.

Thus, as a rule, employers tend to hire white people to do intellectual labor and black people to do physical work. A heavy accent or poor knowledge of English can also become a stumbling block on the way to a good job.

The best sources to search for information are the laws and social programs aimed to protect workers from unfair treatment.

So you can make an insight into the current situation with labor legislation, what steps are taken to eliminate the racial discrimination at work and evaluate their efficiency. Another idea for the essay dedicated to the work issues is your solutions to them with solid argumentation.

Anti-racism paper

As the issue of racism is old as the hills, the search for the sound solution also takes different shapes and forms. There are many policies, movements, activists, and even scientific investigations aimed to prove that all people have similar physiology and development despite the race.

Here you can discuss the activities of the anti-apartheid movements (and, obviously, explain what apartheid is), or to discuss the influence of a particular anti-racist activist on the certain movement or event.

Racial discrimination in media

If you are an attentive TV viewer, this topic won’t need any further explanation. All you need is a thorough analysis of a cast of characters of any TV show or movie.

Thanks to racial prejudice, African Americans are typically criminals or hip hop musicians (often both), and Asian Americans are nerds with no communicational skills. All main roles are played by white people almost without exception.

Even Disney cartoons are not an exception!

If to compare Aladdin and Jafar, for example, it becomes clear that positive hero has whiter and more regular features, and the main villain has a more exotic appearance, though both characters are supposed to be of Arabic appearance.

Another idea for a thematic prejudice and discrimination essay is the negative effects of racial discrimination in media. Or, if you want a challenging task, try to search for some positive effects of racism in media.

Racial discrimination in literary works

The first one that comes to mind is, obviously, Othello. It is a brilliant example of the consequences of intolerance and the belief that one race is superior to others.

Another great discussion point is the aptitude of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in the school program. The text of this novel is filled with offensive, racist words and may seem abusive, so can the cultural values overweight the offense?

Or you may discuss the issues connected with Uncle Tom’s Cabin. On the one hand, this novel had a great influence on the start of the American Civil War. On the other, the novel is filled with racial stereotypes.

Gender discrimination essay ideas

Unequal treatment of men and women is evidenced in the Bible, let alone less famous sources. The situation started to change only in the 20th century with the development of the women’s rights movement. Still, in many countries, women’s rights are often neglected or abused.

The main types of gender discrimination are:

• Remuneration

Educational gender discrimination

Perhaps, it is the most popular topic for a college discrimination essay. Here you can talk about the preference to male students in the scholarship programs or admissions.

Do not forget to find enough statistics!

Gender discrimination in the workplace

There are at least three main issues that any woman can face with the attempt to find a job. First and foremost, when there are two candidates for a position, a man and a woman, an employer is more likely to choose a man. The next issue is sexual harassment.

According to the statistics, almost half of employed American women faced sexual , verbal, or physical harassment at work. Also, the very possibility to become pregnant and then take a maternity leave drives away employers.

Remuneration issues

It is a well-known fact that women get 25% less money than men for an equal amount of work. You can offer a solution to this issue or pay more attention to the statistics.

Essay on discrimination outline

As any other academic paper, this essay calls for proper planning and clear and logical structure. You will have to divide the paper into three parts: the intro, body, and conclusion.

As a result, the sample outline for gender discrimination in the workplace essay will look like this:

• Definition of discrimination
• Gender discrimination as a part of the discrimination
• Historical review + examples
• Labor legislation and its inefficiency + examples
• Current situation + possible solutions
• Restatement of the main idea
• Call to action

Starting discrimination essay introduction

The best way to start the intro, in this case, is to find some impressive statistics that highlight the scale of the issue. For example, 77% of women and 34% of men faced verbal sexual harassment at work according to the online survey by Stop Street Harassment.

Then you have to provide the background for your work. And the intro should be finished by the thesis statement on discrimination, aka the main idea of the text.

For example, inefficient labor legislation fails to protect women’s rights in the workplace.

Writing the body of the essay

The first paragraph s dedicated to the historical aspect of the problem. Thus, you show that the issue is not new, yet, still has no proper solution.

The second paragraph contains all your research about the legislation that should protect women’s equal rights with men and shows the void of laws. You will have to support this thought with real-life examples taken from trustworthy sources.

The last body paragraph provides your point of view on the solution to the problem.

Writing the discrimination essay conclusion

Usually, this section summarizes all the main ideas expressed in the paper. Then you restate the thesis statement and make a call-to-action aimed to leave an aftertaste after reading it.

The list of the most interesting discrimination essay topics

• LGBT discrimination essay: homophobia.
• Are there any racist ideas in Charles Darwin’s works?
• The differences in racism against men and women.
• Will racism ever disappear?
• Can religion cause racism?
• The problem of reverse discrimination.
• Is feminism relevant today?
• The concept of cultural racism.
• The problem of racism in the “Shape of Water” by Guillermo Del Toro.
• The issue of racism in “Green Mile” by Steven King.

Check out well-written discrimination essay examples

The theory is always helpful, but it’s always better to see the visual example. You can search for top-notch essay samples at a reliable custom writing service and use them as a source of inspiration.

On balance…

The issue of discrimination is one of the front burner issues for any society. The range of topics is huge, so as the problem itself, so you have plenty of variants to choose from. Search for relevant info, pay attention to planning and formatting and create a writing masterpiece!

And if you cannot complete this task on your own, feel free to ask professionals for help! Sometimes it is the wisest solution that helps to save tons of time and energy.

No inspiration to write the essay? Well, our professional writers are always inspired to offer you a helping hand! Click the button to learn more.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Discrimination — Discrimination in the Workplace

Discrimination in The Workplace

• Categories: Discrimination Social Justice Women's Rights

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Words: 653 |

Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 653 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Racial discrimination, gender discrimination, other forms of discrimination.

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30 In Conclusion: Workplace Discrimination in Context

Eden B. King, Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA

Adrienne J. Colella, Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA

Hannah Markell Department of Psychology George Mason University Fairfax, VA, USA

• Published: 05 April 2017
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The chapters in this book address the factors that give rise to discrimination, its manifestations and consequences, and strategies for its reduction. In so doing, evidence is synthesized and future directions encouraged. Yet it is critical that these pages be interpreted in light of the context in which they were written. This concluding chapter identifies themes that emerge across chapters within the context of the particular time of their publication and in relation to a highly visible discrimination case. In so doing, it considers dual signs of social progress and retreat that relate to workplace discrimination and envision continuing uneven improvements in the future.

This book will be published, and must be interpreted, in the context of a dynamic social environment. This context is characterized simultaneously by both barriers to and progress toward equality in a number of domains. For example, the Supreme Court struck down a key aspect of the Defense of Marriage Act, granting same-sex couples the same benefits as opposite-sex couples ( United States v. Windsor , 2013 ), yet federal protection for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in employment settings does not yet exist. As another example, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg urged women to take ownership of their advancement opportunities by “leaning in” to their careers ( Sandberg, 2013 ), while New America Foundation President Ann Marie Slaughter cautioned that women still can’t have it all ( Slaughter, 2012 ). And, most recently, Ellen Pao unsuccessfully sued her former employer for sex discrimination in a case (2012) that has remarkable parallels to Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins (1989).

These examples represent ambiguous signals of change that co-occur with continuing challenges in employment discrimination. We use the most recent case as a backdrop for describing three themes that emerge across chapters in this book. First, more than 50 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, workplace discrimination persists toward a number of targets. Second, this contemporary experience manifests in mostly subtle forms that are difficult to identify. Third, although organizations have a moral—if not legal—obligation to enact procedures that reduce discrimination and its consequences, the most effective ways of achieving this goal have not yet been discovered.

A Case Study: Ellen Pao v. Kleiner Perkins

In 2012 Ellen Pao, a junior partner at the Silicon Valley venture capital (VC) firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer, filed a gender discrimination suit against her employer for $16 million. Pao further claimed she was let go later in 2012 in retaliation for her gender discrimination suit. Though VC is a “clubby male dominated world” ( McBride, 2012 ), Kleiner is one of the best-known venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. It is also known for being one of the most female-friendly of the Silicon Valley VC firms ( Streitfield, 2012 ), thus rendering Pao’s claims even more profound and disheartening. As some of her supporters say, “If even Kleiner can have discrimination charges brought against it Silicon Valley is a grim place indeed” ( Streitfield, 2012 , p. 1).

Pao’s case contained claims of sexual harassment and a discriminatory culture making it nearly impossible for women to advance ( Marcotte, 2015 ). There were e-mails and Pao’s recollection of a particular fight with several male partners, that appeared to depict a “male locker-room” type culture at the company, in which women were not viewed as equals. For example, Pao recalls one male partner stating that “women kill the buzz,” and another saying that they should hire Marissa Mayer “because she is hot” as well as Pao’s own mentor saying that she had a “female chip on her shoulder,” and the exclusion of Pao and other women from “sitting at the table” ( Weise, 2015 ). However, the point on which the verdict hinged was the concept of subtle discrimination. Pao has said in an interview post-trial, “Women get criticized on both ends, and you have this needle that you have to thread, and sometimes it feels like there’s no hole in the needle. From what I’ve heard from women, they do feel like there’s no way to win. They can’t be aggressive and get those opportunities without being treated like they’ve done something wrong” ( Elder, 2015 ).

At Kleiner, male job applicants and employees were valued for their “cockiness” while Pao’s performance reviews called her “arrogant” and “brash” ( Tiku, 2015 ). Pao was given contradictory feedback in that she needed to be more of a “thought leader” but it appeared that in order to embody that role one needed to be male. The defense depicted Pao, now interim CEO at Reddit, as “cold, territorial, untrustworthy, entitled and either passive-aggressive to colleagues or maybe just aggressive—the sort of person who an office that depends on relationships would be crazy to promote to a senior role” ( Streitfield, 2015 ). Ultimately, Pao lost the suit, although the jury was just one vote short on the claim of her termination resulting from retaliation. However, the coverage of the case has brought this issue to the foreground of discussions of women in the workplace, much as Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In did in 2012 ( Streitfield, 2015 ). Pao has maintained, “[If] I’ve helped to level the playing field for women and minorities in venture capital, then the battle was worth it” ( Streitfield, 2015 ).

Pao has followed through, quite literally, with this statement in her role as interim CEO at Reddit. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on April 6, 2015, she explained a new policy at the company: Job candidates will not be able to negotiate their salaries. This is because, as Pao described, “Men negotiate harder than women do and sometimes women get penalized when they do negotiate. So as part of our recruiting process we don’t negotiate with candidates. We come up with an offer that we think is fair” ( Elder, 2015 ).

Theme 1: Persistent Discrimination Toward Numerous Targets

In the year 2015, the leading contender for the democratic nominee for president of the United States was a woman (Hillary Clinton). It is for reasons such as this that journalists sometimes opine that the United States has entered a “post-sexism/racism” era in which Americans are “color blind” ( Tesler & Sears, 2010 ).

Yet, Pao’s complaint—and the cases of thousands of other female targets of discrimination—were received by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in this same year. Indeed, Heilman and Caleo (chapter 6 this volume) convincingly convey the body of evidence demonstrating continuing barriers to women’s success in achieving and maintaining favorable positions in organizations. And, despite the two-time election of African American President Barack Obama, gender discrimination claims are exceeded by those of racial minorities (see Avery, Volpone, & Holmes, chapter 7 , this volume).

Claims that discrimination has been curbed further ignore the less-studied but large segments of the adult population who continue to report discrimination. For example, Truxillo, Finkelstein, Pytlovany, and Jenkins (chapter 11 , this volume) review evidence of the negative stereotypes and perceptual biases that apply to workers across age groups; in some contexts, bias can influence the employment experiences of not only “older” workers, but also those who fall into “younger” and “middle-aged” categories. As another example, according to Ghumman and Ryan (chapter 10 , this volume), interpersonal tensions arise in religiously diverse workplaces, and discrimination can be directed toward even majority group members (i.e., Christians). Manchester and Leslie (chapter 13 , this volume) further consider family roles—such as simply being a parent—as drivers of discriminatory workplace treatment.

Segments of the workforce that may be smaller are no less important for organizational outcomes and may be even more vulnerable to discrimination. For example, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender workers (Pichler & Ruggs, chapter 12 , this volume) continue to be disadvantaged in workplace contexts. As another example, immigrants (who represent 16.1% of the US workforce) encounter complex attitudes and beliefs of their (potential) employers and coworkers (Bradley-Geist & Schmidtke, chapter 12 , this volume).

Importantly, as Cortina and Kirkland in their commentary (chapter 28 , this volume) highlight, real people in organizations often represent more than just one of these social identity categories—people can be parents and gay at the same time, and such subgroups might encounter unique employment-related challenges. Indeed, Pao herself is an Asian American woman and thus may have faced a particular set of stereotypes and prejudices. Asian Americans are often viewed as the “model minority” and are expected to be intelligent, quiet, reserved, and willing to conform to the majority’s opinion ( Fairclough, 2001 ; Ramanathan, 2006 ). Consequently, when Asian Americans do not conform to these predefined roles, they are found to be peculiar and are subsequently avoided ( Delgado & Stefancic, 2001 ). When they did not conform to stereotypic expectations of compliance and passivity, Asian Americans receive criticism mirroring Pao’s—they are called “subversive” and “not team players.” Lin, Kwan, Cheung, and Fiske (2005) describe how this “model minority” conception of Asian Americans gives them the benefit of being viewed as highly competent, but the detriment of being seen as unsociable. This dichotomy can be used to validate a system in which competence is rewarded but that some competent groups are rejected for certain positions based on deficits in other areas, such as lacking sociability ( Glick & Fiske, 2001 ; Jost, Burgess, & Mosso, 2001 ). In Pao’s case having “sharp elbows” and not being a “thought leader” seemed to fuel others’ negative perceptions. Together, these arguments and evidence suggest that—despite social progress and genuine change—this is unlikely to be the last handbook on workplace discrimination.

Theme 2: Contemporary Discrimination Is (Mostly) Subtle

Pao’s case relied heavily on what might be understood as subtle discrimination. For example, one of Pao’s mentors, John Doerr, asserted that the kind of entrepreneurs that he most wanted to invest in were, “very clearly male nerds who had no social or sex lives” ( Marcotte, 2015 ). This can be contrasted with his attempts to help Pao become more likable by hiring social coaches and speech coaches. The subtle, implicit double standard is that a man may be most likely to be successful when he lacks the skills to conduct a social or sex life (i.e., “a male nerd”) while a woman is unable to progress professionally without honing her likability ( Marcotte, 2015 ). Rebecca Ruiz outlined another example of the subtle discrimination that characterized Pao’s experience, in which a general partner, Ted Schlein, testified that he felt Pao was better suited for operations, and was not cut out for venture capital investing ( Ruiz, 2015 ). This example illustrates the difficulty of the case—because of course it is possible that Pao was, in fact, not suited for venture capital investing and Schlein only spoke the truth. However venture capital investing has much more prestige and is associated with brilliance and intuition much more so than operations. Ruiz uses a poignant parallel example to depict this difference: If one substitutes surgeon versus nurse or scientist versus science teacher, it reveals the sexist perspective behind his “advice” on eschewing investing for operations. Ruiz also notes that, while Pao was reprimanded for her “sharp elbows,” Kleiner Perkins promoted a male colleague who had received that same feedback ( Ruiz, 2015 ).

The chapters presented here confirm that this nuanced, ambiguous, and subtly undermining behavior reflect the type of experience that is encountered by targets of discrimination. Shen and Dhanani (chapter 19 , this volume) confirm that simply defining discrimination is in and of itself a complex task. They consider behaviors that are formal and interpersonal, blatant and subtle—microaggressions, harassment, selective incivility—to be potentially discriminatory. Synthesizing these ideas, Marchiondo, Ran, and Cortina (chapter 14 , this volume) suggest, “modern discrimination is characterized by subtle, low-intensity behaviors that isolate or handicap others. It is often nonverbal in nature but can manifest through verbal and paraverbal (e.g., intonation, volume) behavior.”

In this case, subtle manifestations do not equate to subtle outcomes. Marchiondo and colleagues argued that, depending on attributions and comparisons, appraisals of these experiences trigger emotional reactions and coping responses that give rise to a range of negative outcomes. Moreover, Triana, Trzebiatowski, and Byun (chapter 20 , this volume) argue that the outcomes of subtle discrimination for the individuals who experience it can be even worse than those of overt discrimination. Perpetrators of discrimination (Madera, chapter 21 , this volume) and the organizations in which they work (Smith & Simms, chapter 22 , this volume) can also be impacted by this form of bias; perpetrators can experience negative affective and cognitive processes and organizational climate, performance, and reputation suffers. It follows that even the presumably legal, subtle kinds of experiences Pao claimed would likely have impacted her, her coworkers, and the organization as a whole.

Theme 3: Effective Strategies for Reducing Discrimination and Outcomes Are Elusive

Pao lost her case. That is, despite compelling evidence about differential experiences of men and women at Kleiner, the court did not rule in her favor. The key claims of Pao’s case were gender discrimination and that she faced various instances of retaliation against her after she called out the gender discrimination she experienced. The jury found against Pao on each of these accounts. Two jurors who spoke with the press explained that they felt Pao’s claims of gender discrimination were unfounded. Jurors noted that one reason behind this was that, over the years, the “areas to improve” in Pao’s performance reviews remained constant whereas those of her colleagues changed or dropped off over time ( Ruiz, 2015 ). This decision exemplifies the complex hurdles that must be overcome to successfully litigate discrimination cases, which are highlighted by Murphy (chapter, 15, this volume), and Dunleavy, Englested, and Morris (chapter 16 , this volume). These challenges exist in spite of evidence (Hirsch & Louie, chapter 17 , this volume) that claimants view litigation as a last resort in resolving discrimination disputes.

Yet, organizations, allies, and even targets themselves can be empowered to make change. Organizations can take a role in reducing discrimination through a variety of policies and procedures (Ely & Feldberg, chapter 25 , this volume). In addition to formal organizational practices, allies, or “individuals who espouse egalitarian ideals and who are motivated not only to avoid responding with prejudice themselves but also to confront others’ prejudicial remarks and discriminatory behavior” (Ashburn-Nardo, chapter 24 , this volume) also have the power to make change. In fact, evidence suggests that allies can be particularly effective in confronting prejudice, alleviating a burden from and providing genuine support to targets of discrimination. Targets, who should not be responsible for changing the behaviors of others but who may nonetheless seek such opportunities, can also engage in specific interpersonal coping strategies that influence others’ behaviors (Hebl, Moreno, & King, chapter 23 , this volume). A range of behavioral responses—including acknowledgment, confronting, individuating, and normalizing—might reduce experiences of discrimination. It is important to note, however, that Pao both confronted and attempted to compensate unsuccessfully. She followed through with the various coaches Doerr hired to improve her “likability” ( Tiku, 2015 ). She also confronted Doerr in December 2011 regarding the gender discrimination she faced, prior to her filing suit ( Taylor, 2015 ).

Thus, the scholarly ideas are inspiring, yet leave substantial grounds of diversity management and its practical application uncharted. Large-scale, systematic assessments of integrated diversity programs and policies are virtually absent in the scholarly literature. As a result, there are more questions than answers regarding the types of programs, policies, and norms that promote inclusion in organizations.

Together, the chapters in this book clearly lay out the landscape of employment discrimination research and practice. In our view as social scientists, and consistent with the suggestions of Brief (chapter 29 , this volume), it is our obligation to conduct rigorous research to guide efforts to understand, identify, and resolve workplace discrimination. The persistence of discrimination, whatever its form and whoever its targets, must be met with tenacious scholarship to ensure its decline.

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Streitfield, D. ( 2015 , March 27). Ellen Pao loses Silicon Valley bias case against Kleiner Perkins.   New York Times . Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/technology/ellen-pao-kleiner-perkins-case-decision.html?_r=1

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Essay on Discrimination: Effects of Discrimination

During thousands years, every civilization on the planet had elements of discrimination. Obviously, modern society is no exception. Every time when European colonizers occupied somebody’s land, it led to formation of isolated social groups and peoples. Most extreme types of discrimination often developed into such horrible things as a genocide or slavery. In some countries, discrimination wasn’t enacted at the legislative level, while in other countries discrimination was legislated. This phenomenon was called Apartheid. Along with these extreme forms of discrimination, human civilization also invented other, relatively soft forms, which are often reflected in immigration laws, as well as in disenfranchisement. Often we can observe discrimination in hospitals and schools; discrimination is often presented in media and public opinions. Some ethnic groups suffer from discrimination more often, throughout the whole world’s history. Such groups are the Jews, and the Roma (also known as Gypsies).

The meaning of discrimination is often related to another term, which is “disturbing”. In the Oxford Dictionary, such a term is explained as anxiety, and distress, as well as other bad mental states caused by unfairness and irritation. Therefore, such a state is often caused by various types of discrimination, since it is nothing but an unfair treatment of somebody who belongs to a particular race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. Usually the reason for such an unfair treatment is prejudice. Most people who suffer from discrimination feel frustration, and anger. It may often cause anger addressed to people who caused such an unpleasant emotional state. However, there are many consequences of discrimination for both victims and victimizers, so in this essay, we decided to consider common effects of discrimination.

First of all, discrimination is not a new problem. Almost all human societies throughout world’s history suffered from different forms of discrimination. Now this issue is actively discussed, since in every country, there is some type of discrimination, which certain groups of people suffer from. Every kind of discrimination is based on opinion that certain groups of people don’t have equal rights and opportunities with others. These groups may be determined by race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. Sometimes people confuse discrimination with other social problems, such as stereotypes, or prejudice. As long as human society exists, people were struggling with these things, and until now, there are a lot of people and even governments, who support discrimination. First of all, such social tendencies are based on stereotypes – rigid representations of a certain race or ethnic group. Usually people don’t try to understand whether or not this representation is true. In turn, stereotypes form prejudice. Prejudice is our judgment of a person based on stereotypes about his or her race, gender, and so on. Generally, these two things form a strong basis for discrimination. The only particular feature of discrimination is that it also includes unfair treatment. Within discrimination, people support certain actions against victims of prejudices and stereotypes. Generally, attitude forms a certain type of prejudice, and actions form discrimination.

A lot of people note that discrimination grows and expands. Given latest right-wing political tendencies all over the world, discrimination develops. Even in 2017, people often receive hate messages, get ridiculed, or suffer from the direct violence just because they are somewhat different from the majority. Every time we don’t really know somebody, and yet give him or her names, or make certain conclusions based on stereotypes, we support discrimination.

Causes and Effects of Discrimination

There are relatively more familiar types of discrimination, such as discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, race, disability or religion. These all are forms of direct discrimination. Another form of direct discrimination is sexual harassment. All these types of discrimination are direct actions against certain groups of people, based on prejudices or stereotypes. At the same time, there is also indirect discrimination, which is usually discussed not so wide and actively. Indirect discrimination includes such situations, where neutral positions or actions cause effects of discrimination. Along with these two major types of discrimination, we must mention institutional discrimination, which involves discriminatory practices, laws, and procedures within a certain company, social institution, or even country. Here we are talking about procedures that cause discriminatory consequences. A striking example of institutional discrimination is the South African Apartheid.

Discrimination rarely causes a certain single effect. Usually effects of discrimination multiply and each effect leads to several new consequences. Discrimination is often related to such thing as social distance. It’s always easier for people to judge those who are not related to their social group. The more far some group of people stands from the majority, the easier for the majority is to discriminate them.

Talking about causes of discrimination, we must highlight one thing that often forms discriminatory behavior among adults. Discrimination can be learned. Most people who support discrimination were raised by parents who support the same ideas. Teachers also may form discriminatory behavior of their students. Media often support discriminatory processes, since every time we talk about discrimination without doing anything to stop it, we also give it a certain level of social legitimacy. Since contact between different groups doesn’t help to fight discrimination, modern society often pays attention to social institutions, and education, in particular. Of course, implementing multicultural principles in education, we support diversity, and weaken discrimination. At the same time, immigration policies, special attention to civil rights, as well as quote hiring, form a strong basis against discrimination. Another important thing is relations between individuals, since true love and friendship between people from different groups is the best way to kill discrimination at the very beginning.

There are different political, psychological, social, and economic effects of discrimination. Victims of discrimination lose their self-confidence, they feel like outsiders. Such effects often become stronger due to political and economic discrimination. Inequality, ignorance and prejudices cause a lot of negative effects on many levels. Not only affects discrimination peace within a particular country, but also a world peace as well. This is a reason why many international organizations provide new instruments and laws, in order to stop discrimination worldwide. However, despite the fact that such organizations introduce new incentives, these incentives rarely are something more than just papers and agreements. Many countries ignore international instances, or accept such incentives only on paper.

We can see effects that discrimination causes on religion, race, and other specific groups of people. In USA, race discrimination still remains a hot issue, due to a number of illegal actions of police against black people. Populistic rhetoric of conservative politicians pushes racists to express their hate in public, promoting racism. There is also discrimination of the aborigines in Australia, since their culture is quite different from European culture. White majority don’t understand native people of Australia, creating distance between social groups. Another common type of discrimination is religious discrimination. In USA, this issue became a common topic for discussions after the introduction of Trump’s so-called Muslim ban. Islamic terrorists formed a common image of Muslims as terrorists and danger for civilized world. It is a stereotype which can lead to discriminatory immigration policy. Religious discrimination is dangerous to the world’s peace, since every religion has a lot of believers, so every time when rights of this group are violated somewhere on the planet, it may cause large-scale conflicts and wars.

According to studies, discrimination causes a direct effect on victim’s behavior. Moreover, different types of discrimination have a direct impact on a particular group, and an additional effect on other groups. For example, racial discrimination affects people suffered from ethnic discrimination, leading to depression and anxiety.

It takes a lot of time for victims of discrimination to cope with consequences. All victims need to fight against their fear, depression, and low self-esteem, searching for ways to survive within a society. Every victim faces the need to develop his or her own strategy of behavior. Some victims even try to ignore discrimination, and deny it. They claim that a certain incident was caused by other reasons, or they try to justify such discrimination, searching for the reason in their own behavior, look, words, etc. Another common strategy of victims is avoidance. People try to avoid or ignore situations that can cause discriminatory incidents with the highest probability. Obviously, such a practice cannot decrease the level of discrimination, since these people intentionally increase distance between them and majority, thus making it harder to integrate discriminated groups in the society. Obviously, world peace is impossible within such conditions. Discrimination divides and dissolves the society, creating an auspicious environment for wars.

Discrimination is a biggest challenge for modern societies. First of all, discrimination represents a threat to democracy, since latter is based on principles of equality. Discrimination is widely supported in societies based on strict hierarchy. Usually such societies build hierarchies based on religion, gender, or origin. Most of such societies support discrimination and promote it. In turn, Democracy represents efforts to build equal society, where equality is a basis of human rights. Of course, any kinds of discrimination are threats for such an idea.

Not only is discrimination a threat to the civilized society, but for its direct victims as well. Discrimination directly violates rights of a person, leading to a number of bad consequences. Such consequences may vary depending on the type of violence against this victim, alienation, psychological problems, exclusion, and so on.

First of all, discrimination is selfish. Our point is that discrimination is wrong, doesn’t matter which kind of discrimination it is. Discrimination is everywhere, in every country, and in every part of our everyday lives. There are many different causes of discrimination, and one of the most common causes is parents that always teach their kids to think the way they do. Parents who support racism, sexism, homophobia, raise their children and spread these dangerous diseases. First of all, parents shouldn’t teach their children hate, since hate always produces only more hate, which leads to discriminatory actions, conflicts, and wars. We already mentioned a lot of problems caused by discrimination. The only way to stop discrimination is to implement proper laws and protect human rights at the government level. In turn, the society must support victims of discrimination, helping them to cope with consequences, as well as to integrate in the society.

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Essay About Racial Discrimination

Racial discrimination has been ranked as one the most pervasive issue in the world around today. Anyone judged by the skin colour, nationality, religion rather than by the content of character can be very dehumanizing experience that can have lasting effects on an individual’s life (Fischer 2008). Racism disturbs both individual and the learning environment in schools. It generates tension that alter cultural understanding and narrow the educational experiences of all students. According to (Berlak 2009) discrimination occurs in any stage of education from preschool through college and can be practiced by teachers or students. Racism occur in various forms such as teasing, name calling, teasing, verbal abuse and bullying. Therefore this literature review, discusses the types, effects and solution to this unstoppable issue in education system.

Types of Racial Discrimination

Racism is frequently thought of as individual demonstrations of inclination. While discrimination is still particularly a reality, concentrating on individual demonstrations of prejudice can darken the substances that make and keep up racial disparity all the more comprehensively. According to De la luz, there are three types of racial discrimination which are individual racism, instituinal racism and systematic racism. To completely address the effects of racism it is essential to address all parts of racial disparity. Individual racism, likewise called personal racism, is the sort of prejudice that a great many people consider when they consider “racism.” Individual prejudice happens when a man’s convictions, states of mind, and activities depend on inclinations, generalizations, or preferences against another race. Institutional racism refers to an establishment settling on decisions that deliberately single out or hurt ethnic minorities. Systematic racism, is maybe the most upsetting and slightest examined type of racism. It systematizes individual, social, and different sorts of prejudice in ceaseless frameworks. Like institutional prejudice, basic racism centre around associations instead of individuals. However, while institutional racism may intentionally attempt to single out a specific gathering, auxiliary bigotry is unbiased all over. This impartiality makes basic prejudice hard to gauge and significantly more hard to end.

Effects of Racial Discrimination

It is believed that racism is one term that describes the whole issue, however it is a complex system that describes many types of biased behaviours and systems (Jonnes 2018).According to the Human Rights Commission (2017), racism as an act that humiliates human behaviour and affects the life of an individual physically, mentally and socially. It takes various forms such as name calling, comments, jokes, verbal abuse, harassment, bullying or commentary in the media that inflames hostility towards certain groups. In serious case, it results in physical abuse and violence. Racial discrimination is a deadly virus that affects all, individual, families, communities and the learning and working environment. Racism can unpleasantly affect the educational outcomes, individual happiness and self-confidence, cultural identity, school and community relations and most commonly is the student’s behaviour and academic achievements (Kohli, 2017). Hence if it is unaddressed than racism can generate tensions within the school communities and these will affect the educational experiences of all students. It can demoralise students self -confidence and can result in students displaying a range of negative behaviours Students who are disaffected with school are less likely to attend school regularly and more likely to drop out of school earlier than other groups of students. The increase rate of the incidence of absenteeism and stress is due to racism been link to diminished morale and lower productivity (Fields 2014),The presence of racism in schools affects the educational outcomes due to lower participation rates, behavioural problems and feelings of alienation. Hence the educational success depends on the regular sustained attendance of each students and the ability to participate in the classroom. With racism in the learning environment, the balance is disrupted and educational outcomes maybe limited as a result (Triaki 2017).

Moreover, racism could be minimised even though it will decade to erase it from our beautiful world. Advancing positive ethnic and racial character decreases sentiments of detachment or prohibition and enhance students capacity to focus in the classroom. Teachers can enable students to create positive opinions about their ethnic and racial personality by presenting them to assorted good examples, and making a sheltered space for them to commend their disparities. A definitive answer for this issue is diminishing understudy introduction to racial separation and enhancing race relations in the U.S. In the interim, there are ways minding and concerned grown-ups can enable understudies to manage the pressure be minimised even though it will take time to prevent it from being practiced in schools. (Collins 2015).Racism has been around everlastingly however it can be diminished, just with a lot of exertion. Education is the key for some muddled issues we look in this world. Education can change the manner in which people think and lead us to a superior world. We can battle racism with education (Hwang 2008). On the off chance that we instruct and show sympathy, at that point there will be less need to discuss how we can stop racism. It will be difficult to stop racism if racist considerations are still with us. It is dependent upon us to get ready for the future by teaching our family and others on the difficulties of racial discrimination. At exactly that point will we overcome racial discrimination in our societies and schools.

Racial discrimination could be described as a weapon that destroys the society and the education system as whole. It affects the students in various ways that hinder their academic achievement and also affects them mentally, physically and socially. It was also stated that racial discrimination can occur at any stage either preschool, high schools or even tertiary institution. Hence there are possible ways where racism could be minimized even though it will take time to be erased. Therefore education is an important tool in everyone’s life since it can change the world and every individual.        

A Personal Experience of Discrimination Essay

Introduction, my personal experience.

We live in an integrated society where various elements color our view and understanding of what goes on around us. One of the defining characteristics about me is my optimistic outlook towards life. Always looking at the bright side of people and situations has been my mantra and despite how bad things get, I do not let any situation tear me down. I am always open to the possibilities that people have the inborn ability to love, care and understand each other with very little inhibitions. This is a virtue that is especially useful to me in a world constantly battered by the winds of uncertainty.

Due to this positive perception on life and humanity, I have never really thought about the existing problems of racism and its associated vices such as discrimination or stereotyping. This is mainly because I have never really encountered them on a personal level even though people around me always shared their experiences as to how they witnessed them at some point in their lives. I think that my long term belief that people exercised equality was biased and as a result, blinded me from seeing the truth. Evidently, people in their varied capacities have the potential to be unjust, cruel and discriminatory depending on their culture and environment that they dwell in. Incidentally, reality finally dawned on me as I experienced the most horrific event in my life.

I am a well travelled youth who believes in living life to the fullest and making the most out of it. Two years ago, I embarked on a trip to France in a bid to further fulfill my life principle. It was then that I experience ostracism and discrimination in the hands of the joyous Parisians. My friends had always praised the shopping district in Paris and I finally had a chance to witness the marvels. I always had a fetish for designer handbags and France was home to one of the famous designers dealing with these bags. I wanted to experience entering the Louis Vioutton boutique on Champ Ellyses and purchase my first LV designer handbag. I could have easily purchased one in the states but the thrill of knowing that I would be the owner of a designer handbag purchased directly from the source in Paris was overwhelming.

I was totally exited as I approached the store. I imagined the looks on my friends’ faces as I narrate this enduring event to them. I expected to be received with a warm welcome by the sales personnel but that was not the case. The minute I walked into the store, I was ignored by the sales people. I figured that maybe they identified me as an American so I decided to speak in Spanish. Funny enough, they responded in English but only to one question then turned away to assist other people that had just walked into the store. I was beyond myself with anger as I contemplated on what I could have done to receive such a cold response.

I lingered in the boutique for about twenty minutes trying to get someone’s attention but to no avail. It was like I didn’t matter. I was ignored and as I looked at them I saw them laughing at me a fact that made me feel totally alienated and looked down upon. Needless to say, I felt humiliated and belittled. I finally gathered enough courage and walked out of the boutique feeling blue and undeserving.

This stereotyping and discrimination exerted a prime jolt to my ego which made me realize the horrible and uncalled-for situations that many Americans experience in their day to day interactions. I finally understood that racism and its associated vices are territorial concepts that people employ to feel empowered and for self gratification. I also realized that such incidences affect people irrespective of their age, race and religion. It pained me as I imagined how difficult it is to encounter these situations on a daily basis.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "A Personal Experience of Discrimination." March 18, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-personal-experience-of-discrimination/.

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Gender Discrimination Essay

500 words gender discrimination essay.

Gender discrimination is when there are unfair rights between male and female. It differs because of their gender roles which ultimately leads to unequal treatment in life. Gender discrimination has been around for many centuries. However, as we are evolving, it is time to do away with such notions of gender roles. Thus, gender discrimination essay will take us through it in detail.

Causes of Gender Discrimination

There are many causes of gender discrimination. The first one has to be illiteracy . When people do not educate themselves, they continue to live in the old times. Thus, they follow the old-age sexist traditions and norms.

Education can bring about a change in this mindset because educated people will less likely partake in gender discrimination. Further, poverty is also another reason which is interlinked in a way.

It is the root cause in many places because the economic dependence remains on the male counterparts mostly. Thus, women suffer a lot from it because of the same reason. They never get out of this and stay financially dependent on men.

Furthermore, the patriarchal setup in our society plays a big role. In this setup, the male dominates almost every aspect of life. Thus, they consider themselves to be superior to others.

This way, a lot of violence and injustice is meted out against females. Thus, when there is a gender considering themselves to be superior, it becomes difficult for everyone to avail equal opportunities.

Impact of Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination has a deep impact on society as a whole. It does not just impact a specific section of the society but every part of it. First of all, it impacts children as they fall prey to gender stereotypes from a young age.

Further, it impacts young people because it impacts their behaviour, study choices, ambitions, attitudes and more. Thus, many girls do not participate in many sports and women experience physical violence more than men.

Next up, we have gender discrimination affecting adults because there is a gender pay gap between the working class. Men earn more for doing the same work as women. In addition, older women have more risk of becoming homeless than men.

It also impacts the aboriginal women because they have it a lot worse. It is more likely to happen that they can die from family violence, 11 times more than men. Even for men, it is not beneficial as it sets difficult standards for men to follow.

It draws a line on men being emotional. Thus, they can never showcase their emotions truly without being judged. Similarly, men do not parental leave in many places. Ultimately, all this results in more suicide in men. Thus, it impacts everyone.

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Conclusion of Gender Discrimination Essay

Gender discrimination must be checked at every stage so that no person should be denied a chance to learn and grow. Thus, everyone, no matter male or female, must get a start in life in terms of educations and other opportunities. We must come together as a society to do this.

FAQ on Gender Discrimination Essay

Question 1: Who is affected by gender inequality?

Answer 1: Gender inequality affects everyone, which includes men as well. Stereotypes about how women and men, girls and boys should be, start from their childhood and follow us to adulthood. Thus, it does not affect just one but all.

Question 2: Give an example of gender discrimination.

Answer 2: There are many examples of gender discrimination. For instance, restriction on clothing. If a man wears shorts, no one will bat an eye. However, if a woman wears shorts, she will be seen in a bad light and be called names. Similar is the case for housework.

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