Discrimination Does Not Discriminate!
“This workshop will
provide students the opportunity to examine discrimination at various
levels. We will discuss the many groups and individuals that are
discriminated against as well as what reactions are typical. In
addition, we will discuss how each of us has been touched by
discrimination and how we addressed the feelings of discrimination.”
Oct. 6th-3:30-4:45-*Images from Workplace Fairness website
-click
here for pp
The Facts:
- About 600 million people in the world experience disabilities of
various types and degrees.
- Only 24 states and D.C. include sexual orientation in their hate
crime legislation.
- African Americans are 79% more likely to live where industrial
pollution causes numerous health hazards…
- The large majority of racially motivated hate crimes are against
African Americans.
- Immigrants are an essential element in keeping the American
economy strong.
- 1/3 of American women and 1/4 of women worldwide will experience
domestic/dating violence in their lifetime…
- The overwhelming majority of religiously motivated hate crimes
are directed against Jews.
- Two-thirds of the world’s children who receive less than four
years of education are girls.
- While most drug offenders are white, black men are 11.8 times
more likely than white men to be imprisoned on drug charges....
- According to hate crime statistics published annually by the
FBI, anti-Latino hate crimes rose by almost 35% between 2003 and
2006, the latest year for which statistics are available.
*From
DoSomething.com
- ◊ Click
here for video.
 I.
What is Discrimination?
Activity-Discuss what it is
and what groups are discriminated against.
-to "discriminate" means to distinguish, single out, or make a
distinction. In everyday life, when faced with more than one option, we
discriminate in arriving at almost every decision we make. But in the
context of civil rights law, unlawful discrimination refers to
unfair or unequal treatment of an individual (or group) based on certain
characteristics, including:
Age
Disability
Ethnicity
Gender
Marital status
National origin
Race
Religion, and
Sexual orientation.
-There are the
not discriminated against and the
bad
discrimination-What does this mean?
-If the motive is bad that is where we have the problem-there are laws
to protect you
-Example 1: Applicant 1, an owner of two dogs, fills out an
application to lease an apartment from Landlord. Upon learning that
Applicant 1 is a dog owner, Landlord refuses to lease the apartment to
her, because he does not want dogs in his building. Here, Landlord has
not committed a civil rights violation by discriminating against
Applicant 1 based solely on her status as a pet owner. Landlord is free
to reject apartment applicants who own pets. OK
-Example 2: Applicant 2, an African-American man, fills out an
application to lease an apartment from Landlord. Upon learning that
Applicant 2 is an African-American, Landlord refuses to lease the
apartment to him, because he prefers to have Caucasian tenants in his
building. Here, Landlord has committed a civil rights violation by
discriminating against Applicant 2 based solely on his race. Under
federal and state fair housing and anti-discrimination laws, Landlord
may not reject apartment applicants because of their race.
Not OK
Activity-What
environments can discrimination occur? Write it
down.
Environments discrimination may occur:
Education
Employment
Housing
Government benefits and services
Health care services
Land use / zoning
Lending and credit
Public accommodations (Access to buildings and businesses)
Transportation
Voting
 II.
"Protected Classes"
Activities-What is this?
-Write down examples of what you think are protected classes
-Write down examples of how you have witnessed someone being
discriminated against
-Meaning-Discrimination
by virtue of being a member of a particular
group or "Protected
Class." You are discriminated against just
because you are a member of a particular group.
Click here for example groups
"Protected Class" Example Groups:
- Gay/Lesbian
- Minorities
- Physically Challenged
- Mentally Challenged
- Women
- Aged population
- Single parents
- heavy people
- not-so-pretty people
- short people
- tall people
- religious groups
- youth groups
- the poor
● Is any group of persons
explicitly protected by virtue of being a member of a particular class?
-Example 1-I am a member of the disabled class
-Example 2-I am a member of the older class
●
Examples of Discrimination by Virtue of being a Member of a "Protected
Class."
-Example 1-I am refused reasonable accommodations
-Example 2-I am not hired because the employer thinks I will miss too much
work
See list above for protected classes
 III. What do you do if you feel you
are a member of one of the "Protected Classes" and you have been
discriminated against at
Salisbury University?
Activity-give any examples of
discrimination at SU you have witnessed-do not name names
-If you think you may have
witnessed discrimination or been discriminated
against, I think you should always refer to what
we previously talked about-There are the
not discriminated against and the
bad
discrimination-Which one was it?
-Example-Bad grades in class because you did not do the work-this
is justified-bad grades based on a student's life style is a problem
 SU
Resources
-SU Policies and Procedures
-Disability
Services Office
-Office of Diversity
-HR
-Student Affairs
-Code of Conduct - Student Handbook
-Click
here for SU policies
 IV. What do you do if you feel you
are a member of one of the "Protected Classes" and you have been
discriminated against
out there?
Activity-What would you do specifically if you had a
problem at your workplace? Write and discuss
◊ Click
here for a great website and different groups who are discriminated
against.
-What to do if you feel you have been discriminated against:
Before you file a claim for discrimination, you might want to consider
that most discrimination is not deliberate. In many cases, the
interviewer may simply be ignorant of the law. Even though the
interviewer may have ask an illegal question it doesn't necessarily mean
that the intent was to discriminate or that a crime has been committed.
If you believe you have been discriminated against by an employer, labor
union or employment agency when applying for a job or while on the job
because of your race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or
disability, or believe that you have been discriminated against because
of opposing a prohibited practice or participating in an equal
employment opportunity matter, you may file a charge of discrimination
with the EEOC-
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
-To file a charge, contact an attorney who handles labor issues or
contact your local EEOC office:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/howtofil.html
-Resources
-Click
here for resources and
here
and
here
-Get a lawyer-click
here-bottom of page
 V.
What are some possible problem areas in the
workplace
employers
should look for and what are your resources?
Activity-write down questions you think may be
illegal or questions you were asked in an
interview situation
-Click
here
for illegal questions
-Dealing with Discrimination in the
Workplace
(from the employer's
perspective)
√ Here are some general guidelines for managers to follow when confronted
by any type of discrimination:
Pay attention to what you don’t always see.
You can’t always see it, prove it, or stop it, but if you ignore even
the hint of discriminatory behavior, you and your company could suffer
in the long run. Low morale, employee conflicts, and even lawsuits are
just a few of the serious problems that could arise.
Don’t play favorites.
If you offer certain benefits to employees, make sure these perks are
available to everyone. For instance, if you want to provide a flexible
work arrangement for your older workers, avoid appearing discriminatory
by being sure to offer this option to everyone.
Keep your personal beliefs personal.
Your personal philosophy regarding race, religion, sexual
orientation, and other potentially contentious issues should not affect
your duty to monitor workplace discrimination, nor should it cloud your
views regarding what’s legal and just.
Be careful of what you say and to whom you say
it.
It’s easy for an off-the-cuff remark — said by either you or an employee
— to start an avalanche of bad feelings and even a charge of
discrimination. Think before you say something that might be
misconstrued, and teach your employees to conduct themselves similarly.
People should not be afraid to be themselves, but they do need to be
careful, sensitive, and knowledgeable about what’s okay to say and
what’s better left unsaid.
Respond quickly.
If an employee expresses concern about possible workplace
discrimination, do what you can in the shortest period of time to
resolve the issue. Allowing it to linger will only add to the employee’s
anxiety and allow whatever may be occurring to continue. Establish a
clear policy for yourself and others for dealing with the problem. Do
some intelligence gathering by having an honest conversation with the
person who has lodged the complaint. Who said what? What exactly
happened? Who else was involved? Along with the help and guidance of
your human resources manager, talk to the person who has been accused.
Make sure to take (and safeguard) copious notes of your discussions.
Educate yourself.
Stay informed about workplace discrimination. Talk with your peers in
similar and different industries, read your daily newspaper for
information about what’s happening locally, and conduct research on
discrimination and harassment law. Find out what it means for you as an
employer. Consider paying an attorney who specializes in this area a
one- or two-hour consulting fee, and ask as many questions as you can.
Think of your investment as part of the cost of doing business. In the
long run, a short meeting could save you a lot of money.
Formalize the policy and the consequence.
Create and post an antidiscrimination policy (or consider paying an
expert to create one). Keep in mind that no antidiscrimination policy
will be taken seriously unless you take concrete action against any
possible wrongdoing. After you’ve assessed the situation and consulted a
lawyer, determine how you’re going to proceed. If you discover that some
kind of discrimination has taken place, decide if you will start with a
warning, insist on counseling, or formally terminate the accused.
-Click here
for illegal/discriminatory interviewing questions
Activities:
- Tell about a time you felt you were discriminated against
- List some jobs/careers that discriminate (advertising, models, athletes, etc.)
**Here's a fast-paced activity to highlight
different cultural variables. (activity)
Ask participants to complete this sentence:
I am a(n) _______________ .
After they have done this, ask them to complete the same sentence 10
different ways.
Ask each person to place his or her list (written side down) on a table
and pick up some else's.
Debrief by calling out various categories and asking for examples from
different lists.
Here are some suggested categories:
activity level (couch potato)
age (senior citizen)
association membership (Mensa member)
astrological sign (Aries)
belief (pro-life proponent)
birth order (first born)
ethnicity (hispanic)
family type (person from a large family)
gender (woman)
interests (mystery-story reader)
language (Spanish speaker)
marital status (divorced woman)
national origin (African)
national politics (Democrat)
organization (IBM employee)
personal characteristic (impatient person)
personality type (introvert)
physical characteristic (tall person)
political ideology (capitalist)
profession (trainer)
professional approach (behaviorist)
race (Caucasian)
region (Southerner)
religion (Roman Catholic)
socioeconomic status (yuppie)
thinking style (analytical)
tribe (Kpelle)
Stress the main learning point that there are
more dimensions of difference than race or
national origin
-No One is Immune to Discrimination!
The End
● African Americans -back
to top
Although discrimination against African Americans was the primary reason
for enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, African Americans have faced
the stiffest opposition in their attempts to obtain fair and
nondiscriminatory treatment in the workplace. Overt discrimination,
reliance on false and negative stereotypes, and subconscious bias
pervasively limit the ability of African Americans to obtain fair
treatment in hiring, evaluations, promotions, and other aspects of
employment. Members of other racial and national origin groups,
especially those identifiable by facial features or skin color, face
persistent discrimination similar to that faced by African Americans.
● Women
More progress has been made for women, but most women continue to work
in jobs stereotyped as female jobs, and women in nearly all job
categories receive less pay than males in those job categories. Women
face limits on promotion to high level management positions because of
conscious and subconscious sex bias, and continue to experience sexual
harassment on the job despite increased employer awareness of an
employer’s obligation to take preventive and corrective action. Pregnant
women suffer from discrimination in hiring, promotion, and job
performance evaluation because of false assumptions about their ability
to work, and women with family care giving responsibilities are
disadvantaged by employer insensitivity to the family responsibilities
of their employees. Women of color are particularly vulnerable to
discrimination in the workplace because they face a combination of
racial and gender barriers.
● Older Workers
Despite federal and state laws prohibiting employment discrimination
based upon age, older workers often are evaluated on the basis of false
and negative stereotypes, and suffer disproportionately when employers
lay off workers. Older workers who lose their jobs have difficulty
obtaining comparable employment, and often must accept new employment at
a much lower level of pay and responsibility.
● Religion, Disabled and Sexual Orientation
Groups
Workers still face persistent patterns of employment discrimination
based upon religion, disability, and sexual orientation. Federal and
state laws prohibit discrimination based upon religion, but religious
discrimination persists, and employers have a very limited obligation to
accommodate the religious observance needs of employees. Federal and
state laws protect persons from discrimination on the basis of
disability, but overt bias and false assumptions about the employment
ability of disabled persons result in the denial of jobs to fully
qualified disabled persons, and many employers resist their obligation
to provide a reasonable accommodation to the needs of disabled persons,
which seriously limits the ability of disabled persons to obtain
acceptance and fair treatment in the workplace. No federal statute
prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation,
but some state and local laws recently have provided some level of
protection from this type of discrimination. It remains true, however,
that most gay and lesbian workers have no legal protection from even the
most vicious forms of sexual orientation discrimination and harassment
in the workplace.
Can you come up with more????
◊ Click
here
for "Prejudice" activity
Forty years ago, the 1964 Civil Rights Act was enacted to
eliminate deeply entrenched patterns of employment discrimination
against persons because of their race, religion, sex, or national
origin. In 1967, Congress prohibited employment discrimination on the
basis of age and, in 1990, prohibited employment discrimination on the
basis of disability.
Following the lead of the federal government, states enacted laws
prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of race, religion,
sex, national origin, age, and disability, and some state and local
governments prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation.
-Click here
for illegal/discriminatory interviewing questions
Activities:
- Write down the groups who are discriminated against
- Tell about a time you felt you were discriminated against
- Have philosophy students debate
- List some jobs/careers that discriminate (admissions,
advertising, models, athletes, etc)
The Employment
Interview:
Legal and illegal interview questions for all groups:
Employers should not ask about any of the following, because to
not hire a candidate because of any one of them is discriminatory:
Race
Color
Sex
Religion
National origin
Birthplace
Age
Disability
Marital/family status
Your Options
Click
here
for more and a link to legislation.
What should you say if you feel you have been asked a discriminatory
question?
Options:
- Answer the question.
- Answer the "intent" of the question. For example, if you are
asked whether you are a United States citizen (not legal to ask),
reply that you are authorized to work in the U.S., which is a
question the employer can ask you and which is appropriate to
answer.
- Try to change the topic of conversation and avoid the question.
- Refuse to answer the question which might cost you the job if
you are very uncomfortable with the question. However, consider
whether you really want to work somewhere where you are asked
questions that are not appropriate.
The Workplace:
-Click
here
for illegal questions
The Job Application:
When to say something if you feel you have been discriminated
against?
What to do if you feel you have been discriminated against:
Before You File a Claim
Before you file a claim for discrimination, you might want to consider
that most discrimination is not deliberate. In many cases, the
interviewer may simply be ignorant of the law. Even though the
interviewer may have ask an illegal question it doesn't necessarily mean
that the intent was to discriminate or that a crime has been committed.
If you believe you have been discriminated against by an employer, labor
union or employment agency when applying for a job or while on the job
because of your race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or
disability, or believe that you have been discriminated against because
of opposing a prohibited practice or participating in an equal
employment opportunity matter, you may file a charge of discrimination
with the
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
To file a charge, contact an attorney who handles labor issues or
contact your local EEOC office:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/howtofil.html
Example environments:
- Hiring for a job
- interviewing for a job
- in the workplace
- job application
LET’S CHALLENGE
DISCRIMINATION ! (activity)
Purpose: This activity aims to encourage young people to think of
ways of confronting
and challenging discrimination.
Age: 18 and upwards
Time Needed: Approx 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on the number of
participants.
How to Do It:
√ Ask participants to name two or
three groups who are discriminated against in society, for
example, gays and lesbians, ethnic minorities, refugees, women, disabled
people, or a
religious minority.
√ Divide participants into small
groups of 3 to 4 people. Each group chooses to represent a
different institution in society. The facilitator could make some
suggestions: for example
Family, Education, Media, Politicians, Police, Church, Unions, Youth
Clubs.
√ Ask each “institution” to list
ways in which they could discriminate against the groups
named, thus violating their rights.
√ Ask them to identify and note the
rights that are being violated with reference to the
UDHR. (Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
√ Allow 5 minutes for each group to
report back.
√ Working again in small groups or
in pairs, ask participants to take each example of
discrimination and suggest a way of resolving that type of
discrimination.
√ Allow 5 minutes for each
group/pair to report back.
Additional Suggestions
√ We are often unaware of our own
prejudices and how we can sometimes make people feel
excluded without realizing. Ask the group to think of and discuss ways
where their own
practices/actions might exclude others from full participation.
√ Invite a member of a group which
is discriminated against to speak to the participants about
their own experience, and how things could be changed.
ADVERTISING OUR DIFFERENCES
(activity)
Purpose: This activity encourages empathy with others who face
discrimination. It also encourages creativity and the development of
communication and teamwork skills.
Age: 16 and upwards
Time Needed: 2 hours
How to Do It:
-Ask participants to name some groups who are discriminated against in
their society. List these on a board or flipchart so that everyone can
see them.
-Discuss and list the ways in which each of these groups faces
discrimination.
-Working in pairs, ask participants to name the rights which are being
violated in each case with reference to the
UDHR.
-Allow 5 or 10 minutes for report back to the whole group.
-Divide into small groups of 3 or 4. Give each group the instructions
below asking them to prepare an advertising campaign for a group that
frequently experiences discrimination.
They may choose a group from the list they put together (see above) or a
different group. Alternatively, the facilitator could make some
suggestions: for example, street children, women, refugees, the elderly,
religious groups.
-Each group presents their advertising campaign. Discuss which campaigns
would be successful in presenting a positive image of the group. How did
they do this?
.
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