Striving for Equality
Today’s society is changing in so many ways it is almost impossible to keep up. It is the expectation that the general population be accepting of these changes regardless of personal opinion or belief. While this is not always the case, it is, however, a requirement of people in management and power to be accepting of differences unless they want to be subjected to punishment. Punishment can include termination and possible lawsuit. Despite this fact, discrimination still occurs in our workforce today.
Discrimination is defined as “the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people” (Merriam-Webster). In 1964, Congress passed a civil rights act that prohibited …show more content…
One way to experience discrimination is to allow oneself to be discriminated against. For example, right- versus left-handed individuals. One experiment has participants completely eliminating use of the dominant hand, in this case the right hand. From technology (i.e. mouse) to schools (pencil sharpeners), discrimination occurs in very small but noticeable ways when those who are discriminated against experience them. Having to switch dominant hands is very frustrating and almost discouraging. While some have learned to adapt to this discrimination, it may be difficult for others to do. Though this example is just a small, “simple” example of discrimination, it definitely sheds light on the fact that discrimination occurs. Some people have taken it a step further and lived a day in the life of a minority.
In 1994, University of Maryland student Joshua Solomon disguised himself as a black man, going so far as to take medication to alter the color of his skin. His experiences as a black man were not what he had anticipated. People he interacted with on a daily basis treated him with disrespect and intolerance. He had a run-in with police, even though he was simply walking down the street. It only took two days for him to realize he had enough and decided to end the experiment. He was tired of being treated differently solely based on the color of his skin (Solomon,
Today’s society is changing in so many ways it is almost impossible to keep up. It is the expectation that the general population be accepting of these changes regardless of personal opinion or belief. While this is not always the case, it is, however, a requirement of people in management and power to be accepting of differences unless they want to be subjected to punishment. Punishment can include termination and possible lawsuit. Despite this fact, discrimination still occurs in our workforce today.
Discrimination is defined as “the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people” (Merriam-Webster). In 1964, Congress passed a civil rights act that prohibited …show more content…
One way to experience discrimination is to allow oneself to be discriminated against. For example, right- versus left-handed individuals. One experiment has participants completely eliminating use of the dominant hand, in this case the right hand. From technology (i.e. mouse) to schools (pencil sharpeners), discrimination occurs in very small but noticeable ways when those who are discriminated against experience them. Having to switch dominant hands is very frustrating and almost discouraging. While some have learned to adapt to this discrimination, it may be difficult for others to do. Though this example is just a small, “simple” example of discrimination, it definitely sheds light on the fact that discrimination occurs. Some people have taken it a step further and lived a day in the life of a minority.
In 1994, University of Maryland student Joshua Solomon disguised himself as a black man, going so far as to take medication to alter the color of his skin. His experiences as a black man were not what he had anticipated. People he interacted with on a daily basis treated him with disrespect and intolerance. He had a run-in with police, even though he was simply walking down the street. It only took two days for him to realize he had enough and decided to end the experiment. He was tired of being treated differently solely based on the color of his skin (Solomon,