Discrimination Part #1 Pgs 80-96

Understanding Discrimination Discrimination: – The denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons Individual vs. Institutional – A large shift in focus to institutional discrimination by social scientists – The invisibility of institutional discrimination and color blindness

Discrimination and Relative Deprivation Relative deprivation – The conscious experience of a negative discrepancy between one’s expectations and reality – Although many minorities may have high incomes, good jobs, and homes in nice areas, a minority group’s position as a whole relative to other groups in society offer evidence of discrimination Discrimination may be evident, but it is the job of the social scientist to understand where it is occurring, which is not always an easy task

Discrimination and Absolute Poverty Absolute deprivation – A fixed standard on a minimum level of subsistence below which a individual or family should not be expected to live – Relative poverty vs. absolute poverty – Racial minorities and rates of absolute poverty/deprivation What is the poverty line for a family of four in America? An Individual?

Total Discrimination The combination of current discrimination and past discrimination has a cumulative effect on individuals and groups of minority status – An understanding of a individuals position in society must take into account discrimination that one suffers from now and in the past Chart on page 84 of text

Manifestations of Individual Discrimination Measurement is nearly impossible – How many times a day are people denied access to opportunities and equal treatment by individuals in the course of their daily lives simply because of their race? Hate crimes – Offenders are motivated to choose a victim because of some characteristic The concept of hate violence/crime is relatively new in national vocabulary-1980’s 1990-The Department of Justice and the Hate Crimes Statistics Act

Individual Discrimination: Hate Crimes reported hates crimes-Many more unreported – 47% race motivated – 13% Ethnicity motivated – 20% Religion – 19% Sexual Orientation Common: Vandalism against property and intimidation – I.e.: Burning of Mosques; Death threats and harassment Of the 4800 hate crimes against people-48% involved assault, murder, or sexual violence – Common in many environments Most commonly targeted groups? – Gays, Jews, African Americans, and more recently, Arab Americans African Americans still most commonly targeted racial group

Watchdog Orgs Many grassroots groups who fight against hate crimes and discrimination and play an important role assisting law enforcement and drawing attention to hate crimes as serious social problem that needs to be combated. – I.e.: Anti–defamation league; NIAPV; SPLC; NGLT

Hate Groups 2009 SPLC Study-888 active hate groups in U.S. With an estimated 50,000 active members. – Recent increases in numbers-Internet KKK membership has quadrupled in the last 30 years – What makes combating hate groups and their messages difficult? Majority defined as white nationalist groups – Believe in supremacy of “white race” and vie for a separate, exclusive, white America

Hate Group Membership Who joins hate groups? All classes-Both genders-Educated and uneducated alike – Most prominent in states with large, non-white populations where there is segregation between whites and non-whites and groups recruit with message that whites are the new minority and victims Groups actively use internet to recruit youth and offer games, music, and alternative “history” lessons about slavery, the Holocaust, MLK, and affirmative action. Many websites do not at first glance appear to be white supremacist Built on foundation of lies and propaganda