Associate Program Material

Discrimination Worksheet

Write a 100- to 200-word response to each of the following questions. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

What is discrimination? How is discrimination different from prejudice and stereotyping?
Discrimination is a negative attitude or the unjust or unequal treatment of persons or people based on certain characteristics such as race, gender, religion or ethnicity. Prejudice is defined more as affecting more groups than individuals. Discrimination is different from prejudice and stereotyping because it denies certain rights and opportunities to both individuals and groups based upon the reason for prejudice, such as race, religion or sexual preference. Discrimination also has a residual ever-lasting effect in that the same people who were discriminated on in the past, unfortunately still have to face the same discrimination today. Such discriminations tend to hinder those affected by not being able to successfully and freely advance throughout their life, and attain human happiness or personal and financial goals they have set for themselves.

What are the causes of discrimination?
Discrimination starts internally within every individual for no specific reason at all. Individuals look at others in a way that they find a flaw with them to begin the basis for initial discrimination. This can begin with the color of their skin, their nation of origin, ethnicity, or even their sexual preference. Discrimination begins in the mind and it unfortunately is very difficult to eradicate. Discrimination is unfortunate and unjust and happens in the workplace, church and