Prejudice is a preconceived opinion about a certain group or person, without any information or reason. Racism is the belief that there are races superior to others.
Discrimination is action based on prejudice or racism, in which the individual receives unfair treatment just because he belongs to a different group.
| Prejudice | Racism | Discrimination | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Prejudice is a superficially held opinion of a particular person or group that is not based on actual experience or reason. |
Racism is the belief that members of an ethnic group have characteristics, skills or qualities specific to that ethnic group and, therefore, would be a "race" superior to others. |
Discrimination refers to unfair or negative treatment of a person or group because they belong to a certain group (such as ethnicity, age or gender). It is prejudice or racism in the form of action. |
| Reason | Based on ignorance or stereotypes. | It is a result of prejudice, caused by antipathy and hatred towards people with different skin color, customs, traditions, language, place of birth, etc. |
It can be caused by racism or prejudice towards people of different age, gender, race, abilities, sexual orientation, education, marital status or family background. |
| Results | It may result in racism or discrimination against a certain group. | Typically, the result is discrimination or prejudice based on ethnicity, causing adverse effects such as slavery, wars and xenophobia. | It leads to the rejection and exclusion of a certain group of people, as well as causing the bullying, segregation and social exclusion, etc. |
| Manifestation | As a belief. | As a belief. | Action. |
| Nature | Not conscious. | Conscious and non-conscious. | Conscious and non-conscious. |
| Legal action in Brazil | It cannot be brought to justice, as it does not represent an action. | It can be taken to court, according to Law 7.716/89. | It can be taken to court, according to Law 7.716/89. |
| Example | A person thinks that someone with obesity does not lose weight just because he is lazy. | A person will be considered more violent just because of the color of their skin. | The fact that men and women are paid different wages for doing the same job. |
What is Prejudice?
The term prejudice refers to a preconceived opinion or feeling formed about a person or a group, without having experiences or relevant facts to prove it.
The term is usually used negatively, where members belonging to a group are seen as inferior.
It usually occurs with characteristics that some group considers unusual or undesirable in another person or group. This happens when you criticize aspects such as someone's ethnicity, gender, national origin, social status, sexual orientation or religious affiliation.
In addition to racism, major forms of prejudice include:
- Male chauvinism: the belief that women are less capable than men;
- Homophobia: antipathy, contempt, prejudice, aversion or hatred towards homosexuality or people identified or perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT);
- religious discrimination: Valuing or disparaging a person or group because of their beliefs.
What is racism?
Racism stems from the idea that the human species would be divided by races, hence the name.
However, the physical and genetic differences that humans have are not enough to characterize a race. The DNA of a white person and a black person, for example, varies by less than 0.1%.
So, racism is the idea that individuals of a certain ethnicity have characteristics, skills or qualities specific to that ethnicity. Therefore, they would be a superior "race", while others, inferior.
It can take the form of actions, practices, social beliefs or political systems that consider that different "races" should be ranked as superior or inferior. Racism can also judge that people of different ethnicities should be treated differently.
Classic forms of racism include:
- Racial discrimination: separation of people across a social divide;
- institutional racism: racial discrimination by large organizations with the power to influence the lives of individuals, such as governments, corporations, religions and educational institutions;
- racism in civil rights: include the historical, economic or social disparity caused by past racism, affecting the current generation, and in racist attitudes and unconscious actions of members of the general population.
What is Discrimination?
Discrimination is action based on prejudice. Occurs when members of a certain group are not treated with respect, but based on factors such as status, skin color or identity.
This distinction happens in a harmful way, and the fact that someone is treated worse than others for some arbitrary reason is already considered discrimination.
In addition to racism, other forms of discrimination include distinction by:
- Age;
- Language;
- Deficiency;
- Ethnicity;
- Gender identity;
- Height;
- Nationality;
- Religion;
- Sexual orientation;
- Weight.
As discrimination is the action itself, a person can be prejudiced and racist, but not act in accordance with his views. That is, it does not actually carry out discrimination actions.
See also the difference between:
- race and ethnicity
- Racism and racial slurs
- Black, brown and black
- types of violence
- types of bullying
- equality and equity
