In order to know the meaning of the term discrimination, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can establish that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly from “discriminatio”, which derives from the verb “discriminare”, which can be translated as “distinguish”.
Discrimination is the act and the result of discriminating. This verb (discriminate), meanwhile, refers to treating people unequally or excluding people for gender, religious, political, racial or other reasons.
For example: “A young Muslim was the victim of discrimination in a bar”, “The government will promote a new campaign against discrimination”, “It is outrageous that, in the 21st century, women continue to be victims of workplace discrimination”.
Discrimination means excluding or treating someone unequally.
Origins and consequences of discrimination
Someone discriminates when they do or fail to do something, generating inequality or injustice in access to an opportunity or a resource. Discrimination, therefore, supposes that an individual, a community or an institution is harmed by the decision of a third party.
For discrimination to occur, there has to be a sense of belonging which, in turn, causes prejudice. Whoever discriminates does not recognize the discriminated person as part of their group and pretends that the other does not integrate, move away and / or suffer negative consequences for belonging to another community, which is considered inferior or harmful.
Non-heterosexual people are often victims of discrimination.
Some examples
Suppose a nightclub prohibits people with dark complexions from entering. This act of discrimination aims to “protect” white individuals from contact with subjects who are considered inferior in terms of their social status, economic position, cultural level, etc. This is, of course, an arbitrary, unfair, irrational and even illegal measure.
Discrimination can occur based on age (when those over 40 years of age are not allowed to access a job, to cite one case), gender (a woman who, given the same job, receives less money than a man), orientation sexual (if a homosexual couple is expelled from a restaurant), and of ethnic origin (teasing a gypsy child for his way of speaking). According to Abbreviationfinder, RD stands for Racial Discrimination.
Other types of discrimination
However, other types of discrimination can occur and be identified, among which we can highlight the following:
-Religious discrimination which, as its name suggests, is produced by the religious ideas or beliefs that a person has. Thus, for example, one of the most relevant events produced by this issue occurred in Nazi Germany where millions of Jews were locked up in concentration camps, subjected to all kinds of torture and were even killed for their faith.
– Disability discrimination, which is what occurs when a person with a disability is rejected either in society in general or in a job because of that physical or mental limitation that they present. An example is that an individual is rejected for a job in a restaurant because, for example, he has Down Syndrome.
A benefit
We speak of positive discrimination, finally, when a benefit is granted or special protection is provided to a social group that is usually a victim of discrimination.
Currently, positive discrimination is used, above all, to achieve real equality between men and women in all areas of our society. In this case, it is considered that it allows achieving from real equity to improvements in the living conditions of women, passing because it is useful to equalize roles.