Prejudice And Discrimination In Canada Essay

Canada is an inherently diverse country. With Canada having recently received 25,000 Syrian refugees and is committed to welcoming over 300,000 more immigrants by the end of 2016. There are bound to be some social psychological challenges with the introduction of people of varying races, and ethnic backgrounds when brought together. In this report I will highlight some of the possible ways that social psychological theories and concepts can be applied to help all people living in Canada coexist in a peaceful and mutually beneficial way.
These issues can be persistent, and not always at the surface. Racism can be described as prejudice and discrimination based on a person’s genetic background and cultural practices that promote the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another. To expand on the definition of racism, for the first part prejudice, is a preconceived judgment or opinion toward persons biased on their membership in certain groups (race, sex, religion, etc.), formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge is gained; a prejudiced person may not act on their attitude. For the second part of the racism definition is discrimination, the unfair treating a person or group of people because of their membership in a particular group, class, or category to which that …show more content…
Modern racism is a form of prejudice; it surfaces in understated ways, when socially acceptable, and easily justified. Implicit racism presents as an unconscious negative reaction, making judgments about someone of a different race or ethnicity than one’s own. The divide between racial and ethnic groups tends to be more extensive and may promote stronger feelings of hostility, fear, and distrust than the segmentation based on gender, or age ect. One aspect that keeps negative feelings strong is the relative lack of interaction between people of different racial or ethnic