Discrimination is the disadvantage, exclusion or humiliation of people because of their belonging to a group or because of the assumption that they belong to this group.
Some examples
- People are being denied access to certain places such as clubs, gyms or job positions
- personal insults
- boycotting goods of certain groups
- exclusionary, stereotyping images in the media or in education
- the interests of a certain group are not heard in politics or people from one’s own group are not represented in politics
There are different manifestations of discrimination:
- structural discrimination
– by laws and regulations
- institutional discrimination in everyday life
– like visits to the authorities
- non-state institutional discrimination
– on the housing and labour market
- Access to services and goods
- Everyday racism
– in the interaction with individuals
– by informally and formally organised groups in civil society
- cultural discrimination
– e.g. in books, media
- racist attacks and assaults
OTHERING according to Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
When we talk about discrimination, we always have to think about so-called power, standardisation and othering processes.
Othering processes are processes in which people are seen as “different” or categorised as “the others”.
A distinction is often made between US and THEM.
US is constructed as NORM and THEM as the OTHER or STRANGER.
People are assigned to categories that can supposedly be separated from each other. More prejudices are added to THEM and these categories are used to justify the (social) exclusion.
US
THEM
In standardisation processes, characteristics that are counted as “one’s own” are categorised as “the normal”. Everything that is not seen as “normal” is seen as worse.
The already mentioned US is then the NORM and thus has “deserved” PRIVILEGES in contrast to the OTHERS or the STRANGERS.
US
THEM
DISCRIMINATION IS A FUNCTION OF POWER ASYMMETRIES
People have to be in a socially recognised position in relation to a certain characteristic in order to enforce discrimination against other people.
DISCRIMINATORY FEATURES
When we talk about discrimination, we are not talking about worse treatment in general but on the basis of social characteristics that have been accepted as a justification for worse treatment for a very long time in history and therefore have had the time to establish themselves in different levels of our society (see different manifestations above). Some of these characteristics are:
DISCRIMINATION COMES IN VARIOUS FORMS
INTERSECTIONALITY
Only few forms of discrimination are mentioned here. If these forms of discrimination intersect in a person’s experience, we speak of multiple discrimination and intersectionality.
What are the consequences of discrimination for society and for people who experience it?
Discrimination can have serious consequences for people who experience it. It also interferes with shared interaction, whether in everyday life or in the world of work.
sleeplessness
migraine
stomach ache
inability to work
lack of concentrations
loss of self-confidence
sense of inferiority
anxiety
relationship difficulties
panic attacks
sleeping disorder
depression
frustration
aggression
General Equal Treatment Act (Germany)
HOW IS DISCRIMINATION DEFINED UNDER THE GENERAL EQUAL TREATMENT ACT?
In the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) in Germany, there is a specific definition of discrimination which is not exhaustive, but which is intended to provide protection against discrimination for certain groups. The AGG is primarily concerned with protection in the private sector. Discrimination in interaction with state institutions can only be punished with the help of the AGG if it concerns discrimination in the employee-employer relationship. It is assumed that other laws such as the Social Code, police laws, state laws, school laws and higher education laws already sufficiently protect citizens from state discrimination.
According to the AGG, discrimination is defined as follows:
Discrimination is the disadvantaging of people on the basis of group-specific characteristics such as skin colour and ethnic origin, gender, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity. Discrimination occurs through statements, actions, regulations and institutional structures.
Discrimination occurs through unequal treatment and through equal treatment without taking into account different preconditions for equal effects of regulations or actions (e.g. women are more likely to be affected if a company only fires the part-time worker).
How can I defend myself if I experience discrimination?
A FEW IDEAS….
- Write a memory protocol about the situation (important questions: Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Who else was there?)
- Who else has noticed or seen it? Contacting people who also noticed the discrimination
- If possible, report and register ( the police, the personnel office, the registration offices, etc.).
- Seek advice and engage in exchange
- try to identify and formulate the discrimination situation
- read about the topic, educate yourself further and perhaps also actively engage against discrimination
Many independent counselling centres offer anti-discrimination counselling as well as spaces (saferspaces) for exchange.
The content of this learning field was developed by BDB e.V - Bund für Anti-Diskriminierungs- und Bildungsarbeit
WORKING 24 YEARS TO OVERCOME DISCRIMINATION!
Since 1996 BDB e.V. has set itself the goal of overcoming the exclusion and discrimination of so-called “minorities” in society. The focus here is on working against racism / ethnic discrimination. We would like to promote consciousness and awareness for the topics of discrimination and racism in society and advocate equality in different places. We want to support those people most affected by racism to become empowered in dealing the racism they deal with day-to-day and to overcome the hurdles for equal participation in society and politics.
We see our work for a just and respectful coexistence as a contribution to a peaceful and enriched society. We work to prevent racism and other forms of discrimination in response to specific cases of discrimination, but also to prevent discrimination more generally, for example through awareness-building and demands for greater equality in legislation and institutional structures.
We see our work for a just and respectful coexistence as a contribution to a peaceful and enriched society.
Our work focuses include anti-discrimination consultation, training and workshops as well as networking and lobbying work. Our aim is to harmonise the different work areas with each other so as to generate learning effects and synergies between them. We do not only focus our attention on the individual, but also on the political and institutional levels of discrimination.
This learning field was created with the kind support of:
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The positions presented here do not reflect the views of the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises.
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Sponsored by the North-South Bridges Foundation with financial support from the BMZ.