Appendix C

Part I

Define the following terms:

Term Definition
Discrimination The denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons (Ch.3 p.61)
Institutional discrimination A denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals or groups, resulting from the normal operations of a society (Ch.3 p.65)
Political correctness Conforming to the belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated (merriam-webster.com)

Part II

Write a 150- to 250-word response to each of the following questions:

• How is discrimination different from prejudice and stereotyping?
According to our text discrimination is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons (Ch.3 p.61). Prejudice is a negative attitude toward an entire group of people but does not involve actions (Ch.2 p.35). Stereotypes are exaggerated and unreliable generalizations about an entire group without considering individual differences (Ch.2 p.40). Stereotyping causes people to view individuals in a bias light based on their categorization of the group said individual belongs to but does not always result in actions being taken(Ch.2 p.40-41). However stereotyping can involve some actions such as racial profiling (Ch.2 p.42).To me all of this information means discrimination is the ultimate action based on prejudices and stereotypes. Discrimination can come in many forms and in many places. You can find discrimination in employment opportunities, wages, club memberships, and even education (Ch.3 p. 61). You can also find prejudice and stereotyping in the same places but it is the action of discrimination that tends to cause the most problems or be the story headline when problems become national news. Prejudice and stereotyping are a lot easier to hide, in my opinion, because a lot of individuals know how to put up an accepting front or a misleading front. Outward discrimination can be seen by many (Ch.3).

• What are the causes of discrimination?
I think it is difficult to know what causes every type of discrimination as it can take many forms, in many places, for different reasons. I think a lot of present day discrimination stems from historical knowledge of discrimination in our country. People have learned experiences, outcomes and the types of prejudice, stereotyping & discrimination that our country has seen through informative family members or educational institutions. So what I mean is that some causes of discrimination is the fact that it is learned behavior. I personally think that a lot of discrimination is caused by prejudices against groups of people. You have people that group an entire race together based on the actions of a few and this type of prejudice can lead to racial, sexual orientation, cultural, religious and gender discrimination. I think discrimination can also be caused by misunderstandings or the lack of gaining understanding about groups of people or individuals. I think an example of this in our society could be discrimination against handicap persons. A lot of us that are not disable do not take the time in our everyday lives to understand the handicaps that plague many members of our society. This causes us to lack understanding and judge them when we are confronted with them first hand. I do think that there are types of discrimination that are unintentional and possibly not discrimination at all except in the eyes of the person who feels discriminated against. I do not believe that every person who