Modern Examples of Discrimination and Possible Solutions

Although discrimination is a large social problem that needs to be eradicated, one can still find examples, both discrete and overt, in daily life. In society, there is still discrimination that is going on today. There are multiple forms of discrimination, such as race, age, and gender/sexual orientation. As a society, many try to make the appearance of discrimination hidden, but it remainsa legitimate issue occurring within society. Lawmakers have enacted laws such as the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to attempt to alleviate such issues (Federal). Despite the actions that have been taken by lawmakers, discrimination is still prevalent in today’s society.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is a United States labor law amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex. Although there is the Equal Pay Act, there are problems with women in the workplace, such as not being paid the same salary for an equitable job, being fired when they are pregnant or injured and need time off to heal. Some of these issues were addressed in the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, which guarantees job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. Harassment and catcalling on the street are prime examples of how women’s right to walk freely around their environment is restricted. The normalization of harassment and inaction of bystanders and authorities perpetuate this form of discrimination and limit women’s freedom. Unfortunately, gender-based descrimination isn’t limited to women. As women begin to break through decades old glass ceilings, men are beginning to experience the sting and shame of harassment in the workplace. According to the attorneys at Eisenberg and Braum, LLP, in December 2017 the Kansas City Star reported a decade-old sexual harassment allegation against local Democratic Candidates for Congress, Andrea Ramsey. Ramsey was a vice president of human resources at the time of the alleged gender discrimination. She was said to have made ‘unwelcome and inappropriate sexual comments and innuendos’ toward a male coworker, Gary Funkhouser. When Funkhouser refused those advances, he was fired. When a woman boss approaches a male employee, connecting sexual requests to job performance, it is illegal male gender discrimination. Although there are laws to prevent this, it still happens. Some way to help this problem is to be transparent, implement gender-neutral recruitment processes, and review salaries and standardize pay (Eisenberg).

Another form of discrimination is treating a worker differently based solely on stereotypes predicated by age, or the use of language that creates a hostile work environment or when it results in an employment decisionFor example, the description of a young worker as “wet behind the ears” or a “young whippersnapper” doesnt meet the criterion, but suggesting someone may be “too feeble” to complete a task may result in a violationof the law. The Age Descrimination in Employment act of 1967 forbids employment descrimination against anyone at least 40 years of age. Critics argue that this creates a situation where younger workers are given less opportunities because no laws exist that prohibit age-based descrimination for younger workers. Ways to eliminate ageism discrimination can be to strive to maintain a diverse workforce, steer clear of stereotypes, and to watch your words (Fuhl).

The most common form of discrimination is race discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin by federal and state governments as well as some public places. Race discrimination is treating someone with prejudice because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race, such as skin color, or certain facial features. Racial discrimination can also be of ones own race, in cases where an individual dates or marries “outside the race.” Some examples of race discrimination are denying rental opportunities or career advancement opportunities based solely on race. Racial discrimination may occur because of environental factors, such as upbringing or prejudices formed from negative experience.

Stereotyping typically involves crediting the same characteristics to all members of a group, regardless of individual differences. It is often based on misconceptions, incomplete information or false generalizations. In most cases, stereotypes assume the characteristics of a group. Even those who are well-meaning and not overly biased can stereotype. Racial profiling has defined by Ontario Human Rights Commission as any action undertaken for reasons of safety, security or public protection that relies on stereotypes about race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion or place of origin to single out an individual for different treatment (Ontario). Race only needs to be a factor in the conduct alleged to constitute profiling. One of the most common is stopping a minority for “driving too slow” or driving too nice of a vehile Some ways to do away with racial discrimination is to learn to recognize and understand your own privilege, validate the experiences and feelings of people of color, and call out racist “jokes” or statements (National).

Even though actions that have been taken by lawmakers to make some discrimination illegal, there are many different forms of discrimination. Age and gender/sexual orientation are still big problems in today’s society. There are no laws against these different types of discrimination. Just because there are no laws against this, does not make this okay. Discrimination is not okay and it has become a social norm to think it is. Ways to prevent this and to eliminate is to call out racist “jokes” or statements, steer clear of stereotypes, and review salaries and standardize pay.  

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