Racial discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of individuals considering their ethnic and racial backgrounds. The ongoing racial disparities in employment, housing, and other spheres of society have reignited discussion about the potential impact of prejudice. Although discrimination is less evident today than in the pre-civil era, when it was overt and pervasive, it presents challenges for social science conceptualization. This work reviews bias, focusing on instances of racial discrimination in workplaces. This paper also explores an individual’s dilemma toward the whole matter based on the ethnic notions surrounding racism.
Many academics and legal advocates distinguish between differential treatment and imbalanced impact when defining racial discrimination. This creates a two-part definition: Individuals receive differential treatment when treated differently based on race. When individuals are treated equally following a set of rules and procedures, but the latter is set up in a way that favors members of one group over another, this may result in biased outcomes (Dovidio 79). The second part of this definition widens its application to decisions and procedures that might not have a clear racial argument but have the effect of creating or sustaining racial disadvantage. Institutional practices like these and more traditional forms of personal discrimination are crucial when analyzing how valued employment opportunities are constructed based on race.
Any definition of discrimination must focus on behavior as a component. Racial attitudes, beliefs, and ideologies, which may also be connected to racial disadvantage, are distinct from discrimination. However, the definition of discrimination does not imply any particular underlying cause (Kim 857). Prejudice, stereotypes, or racism may equally fuel discrimination. Numerous methods to identify and record discrimination’s prevalence have developed through a social scientific interest. Although each strategy has its drawbacks, they offer several viewpoints that can help us better understand whether, how, and to what extent prejudice affects the lives of modern American ethnic minorities.
Studies have inquired about African Americans’ and other racial minorities’ encounters with prejudice in their workplaces and other social contexts. However, the frequency with which discrimination is reported in this research is disappointing. For instance, a 2001 survey revealed that almost 20% of Hispanic and Asian respondents and more than 35% of Black respondents said they faced personal ignorance for a job or promotion due to race or ethnicity (Kim 890). Additionally, the frequency of discrimination cases does not decrease as one ascends the social ladder; black middle-class people are just as likely as black working-class people to feel discrimination, if not worse.
Research indicates that individuals facing high levels of discrimination are more likely to experience anxiety and other detrimental health outcomes. In addition, perceived prejudice may result in less effort or success in the job market, negatively impacting the job (Dipboye 460). However, the extent to which discrimination correlates to accurately representing reality is unknown in this research. Perceptions of discrimination, however, may overestimate or underestimate discrimination cases because incidents may be misinterpreted or disregarded.
On personal accounts, racial seclusion is a setback towards equality in economic entities, which can cause an imbalance in a country’s economic nourishment. To support my ideology is the theory, Economic Justice. Economic Justice is a set of moral and ethical guidelines for creating financial institutions, aiming to allow each individual to construct a solid material basis for a respectable existence. It is believed that when most of a country’s population can maintain stable incomes, they can buy goods and services more, resulting in steady economic development (Hahnel 96).
Resolving wage disparities in individual incomes may be necessary to achieve exemplary economic justice. For instance, racially discriminated workers are in positions that do not fully utilize their abilities. As a result, workers frequently earn below what their abilities are truly worth. They consequently make less money than they are capable of. A country’s overall economy becomes inefficient due to these workers’ inability to spend to their maximum potential.
Second, in support of my stand that racial discrimination is a NO is the notion argued by Clifford, Ethics of Belief. The British Mathematician and Philosopher firmly believed that we should not make assumptions or conclusions based on personal bias or relatively little evidence (Clifford 173). Clifford appears to be referring to experiences and logic that support a claim as “evidence”: Evidence, in this case, is information applicable in evaluating the validity of beliefs. Racially discriminated groups often face this seclusion due to an instilled ideology towards them that may have been brought by those who existed long before they did.
For instance, African Americans are portrayed as rebellious, creating a false belief that all African Americans are violent. These beliefs may have resulted from previous encounters with chaotic, racially secluded Americans, but this is never revisited since these individuals may have acted violently due to unfavorable work policies. If Clifford is correct, we are not free to believe whatever we want; it may be immoral to have particular views if there is insufficient support for them.
Racial differences in the US are not solely a result of discrimination. There is persisting inequality between racial and ethnic groupings due to many complex factors. However, the overwhelming body of research indicates that discrimination still impacts how opportunities are distributed today. Furthermore, given the frequent and indirect nature of these effects, our current approximations may understate the extent to which discrimination contributes to the ignored social and economic outcomes of minority groups.
Works Cited
Clifford, William K. “The ethics of belief.” Philosophy of Religion. Routledge, 2014. 171-176.
Dipboye, Robert L., and Adrienne Colella. “The dilemmas of workplace discrimination.” Discrimination at work. Psychology Press, 2013. 453-490.
Dovidio, John F., Peter Glick, and Laurie A. Rudman. “On the Nature of Prejudice.” (2008).
Hahnel, Robin. Economic justice and democracy: From competition to cooperation. Routledge, 2013.
Kim, Pauline T. “Data-driven discrimination at work.” Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 58 (2016): 857.
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