Understanding and Combating Discrimination: A Comprehensive Look
1. Discrimination
Racism (an artist’s perspective): Understanding the belief in the existence of different human races and subject classification.
- Biological Racism: Believing in the existence of pure races, each with immutable physical and mental characteristics that determine superiority or inferiority.
- Cultural Racism: Establishing division and hierarchy between races based on social issues such as customs, laws, or way of life.
Xenophobia (a black player’s perspective): An attitude of fear or rejection of anyone perceived as foreign. It is a sentiment considered alien to cultural identity and allegedly threatening. Racism is a particular kind of xenophobia that only discriminates against foreigners when they belong to a race considered inferior.
Sexism (a Chilean writer’s perspective): Discrimination against people because of their gender.
Homophobia (a gay singer’s perspective): Attitudes of rejection towards gay people.
Anti-Semitism (a Jewish actor’s perspective): Hostility to practitioners of Judaism and the entire Jewish people.
Ableism (a disabled scientist’s perspective): General refusal of those who are different (all others are part of this).
2. Prejudice
Generalization: Any attitude of xenophobia always generalizes. It is a way of thinking that applies the same characteristics to all individuals, based on the fact that some of these individuals possess them. Generalizations are unfair because they ignore each human being’s individuality.
Stereotype: A kind of label put on a group to identify and relate to it. Stereotypes do not respond to reality; they simplify it and make us more comfortable, even at the price of deformation.
Prejudice: A preliminary judgment we make about a person or group before meeting them, without sufficient information. Prejudice is based on negative stereotypes and prepares the ground for discrimination.
Schedule
- Generalization (application to an entire group of… e.g., the Maghreb)
- Stereotypes (unjustified beliefs or ideas that generate… e.g., not reliable)
- Prejudices (negative feelings and emotions that cause… e.g., fear)
- Discrimination (conduct contrary to the interests of this group… e.g., let’s stay away!)
3. The Bases of Racial Prejudice: The Puzzle of Identity
Is ethnic mixing really a threat to indigenous culture? Those who say yes seem to forget that every culture is an amalgam. On the other hand, we are all composed of multiple identities.
Sharing Difference is Obvious: We are all one species divided into different populations and cultures that cross over between them. Diversity is not between populations but within each individual. There is no one like another.
From Biological Racism to Cultural Racism: Cultural racism asserts that there are irreconcilable differences between different cultures that make coexistence impossible. Cultural racism believes there are more civilized and more primitive cultures. There is always a racist element that allows for differences between cultures.
4. Leaving Without Immigrants, We Work?
When resources are scarce, xenophobic discourses emerge strongly, blaming foreigners for the country’s economic problems. The accusation is unfair. Immigrants come to fill vacancies in workplaces that natives reject. It is hard work, temporary, poorly paid, etc. It makes no sense to say that foreigners take away our jobs. Their work contributes to increased wealth and welfare.
Myth and Reality on Immigration
- Myth: Most immigrants are poor and are engaged in crime or the economy.
- Fact: Most immigrants have legal occupations and are listed in Social Security.
Aporophobia: Rejection of the poor. Almost all racists and xenophobes are aporophobes.
5. Fight Against Exclusion: Education
We are taking a first step to eradicate attitudes such as racism and xenophobia. But it is not enough to be aware of it. Attitudes can be taught. We need to have values that sustain us: equality, solidarity, respect, and tolerance.
Coexistence Between Cultures
- Assimilation: Argues that minority groups adopt the customs, norms, and social values of the majority. It sees diversity as a problem and tries to minimize it, leading to monoculturalism. But what happens if some do not want to assimilate?
- Aggregation: Advocates for the coexistence of different communities in a society with equal rights and duties, but each with its own space while maintaining its own identity. It leads to multiculturalism. But there is a risk of ending up producing total isolation between communities.
- Integration: A commitment to respect for difference without that meaning administration on behalf of any idea or behavior. It shuns assimilation and aggregation. You can have equality in difference: multiculturalism. It would respect the peculiarities of each.
Segregation: Total separation of different communities, each free to develop its own culture.
Democracy: Coexistence occurs by respecting the basic rules we have given ourselves: democracy and its laws.
Fundamentals of Coexistence: Equal opportunity, education, intercultural values, and respect for democratic rules of the game.