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Dierence Between Prejudice and Discrimination

July28,2016BySurbhiS 2Comments

Inspiteofthestepstakentoreduceprejudiceanddiscriminationfromthesociety,
theyarestillprevalentthroughouttheworld.Itmaycausemuchpainandsuffering
toanindividualorentiregroup,whichresultsinthelimitingopportunitiesforthe
peoplebelongingtothatgroupandevenviolence.
Duetoanumberofsimilaritiesbetweenthesetwo,peopleoftenmisinterpret
prejudicefordiscrimination,buttheyretwoverydifferentconcepts.Inthepurest
sense,prejudiceisapreconceivedopinion,withoutanyinformationorreason,
whereasdiscriminationreferstotheunfairtreatmentofthedifferentcategoryof
people,onvariousgroundslikeage,raceorgender.So,takeaglanceatthisarticle
tobrushupyourknowledgeregardingthedifferencebetweenprejudiceand
discrimination.

Content: Prejudice Vs Discrimination

1.ComparisonChart
2.Definition
3.KeyDifferences
4.Conclusion

Comparison Chart

BASISFOR
PREJUDICE DISCRIMINATION
COMPARISON

Meaning Prejudiceisaunjustified Discriminationreferstounjustor

andbaselessattitude negativetreatmentofapersonor
towardsanindividual agroupfromotherpeople
onlybecauseofhis becausehe/shebelongstoa
membershipofasocial particularclass,groupor
group. category.
 BASISFOR
PREJUDICE DISCRIMINATION
COMPARISON

Whatisit? Abstract Expressionofprejudice.

misapprehension,onlyin
themind.

Represents Belief Action

Nature Nonconscious ConsciousandNonconscious

Causedby Stereotyping Prejudice

Involves Negativeattitude Unfairbehaviortowardsan

towardsanindividualor individualorgroup.
group.

Component CognitiveandAffective Behavioral

Legalaction Cannotbetakenagainst Canbetakenagainstit.

it.

Denition of Prejudice
Thetermprejudicemeansprejudgement,i.e.anirrationalopinion,thoughtor
feelingformedaboutapersonoragroupbeforehandandthattoowithoutenough
knowledge,factorreason.Itimpliestopreconception,typicallyunfavorable
attitudeorjudgmentheldbythemembersofonegrouptowardsanotherbasedon
inadequateandinaccurateinformationaboutthegroup.

Prejudicecanbepositiveornegative.However,thetermismainlyusedfor
negativeprejudgementswhereinthemembersbelongingtoaparticulargroupare
believedasinferiorbasedonrace,gender,nationality,ethnicity,class,religion
ratherthanpersonalexperience.

Denition of Discrimination
Asthenamesuggests,discriminationmeanstosingleoutortomakeadistinction
betweenanindividualandtheother,fororagainstonthebasisvariousfactors
suchasgroup,category,statusinspiteoftheirownmerit.Itistheunequal
treatmenttowardsapersonduetohismembershipinagrouporpossessionof
somedifferenttrait.Itisanunfairbehaviordirectedagainstsomeonewhichshows
theattitudeofprejudice.

Inotherwords,discriminationiswhenwetreatthemembersofaparticulargroup
differentlyespeciallyinapoormannerduetotheirgroupaffiliation.Most
commonlypeoplearediscriminatedonthegroundsofage,sex,height,weight,skin
color,disease,disability,maritalstatus,education,speech,clothing,socio
economicstatus,andsoforth.

Key Dierences Between Prejudice and

Discrimination
Thefollowingpointsaresignificant,sofarasthedifferencebetween
prejudiceanddiscriminationisconcerned:

1.Prejudiceisanunjustifiedandbaselessattitudetowardsanindividual
onlybecauseofhismembershipinasocialgroup.Theunjustor
negativetreatmentofapersonoragroupfromotherpeoplebecause
he/shebelongstoaparticularclass,grouporcategoryiscalled
discrimination.

2.Whileprejudiceisanegativeattitudetowardsanindividualora
particulargroup.Asopposedtodiscrimination,unfairbehavior
towardsanindividualorgroup.

3.Prejudiceistheabstractmisapprehension,onlyinthemind.
Conversely,whentheprejudiceareputintoaction,itiscalled
 discrimination.

4.Prejudiceisabeliefwhichinvolvestheformationofopinionand
interpretationaboutsomeoneorsomethinginadvance.Ontheother
hand,discriminationencompassestranslationoftheseopinionsand
interpretationandputtingthemintoactions.

5.Prejudiceisaresultoflackofknowledge,information,ignoranceand
stereotyping.Asagainstthis,prejudiceleadstodiscrimination.

6.Prejudiceisalwaysnonconsciousandautomaticwhereas
discriminationcanbeconsciousandnonconscious.

7.Thecognitiveandaffectivecomponentsofattitudeareappliedto
prejudice.Onthecontrary,thebehaviortowardsotherpeople,i.e.the
behavioralcomponentisapplicabletodiscrimination.

8.Onecantakelegalactionsagainstdiscriminationbutnotagainst
prejudice.

Conclusion
Inanutshell,prejudicemeansholdinganopinionaboutsomeoneorsomething
withoutknowingthefactsorevidence.Itisapersonsinnerthoughtsandfeelings
whichdonotalwaysresultinaction.Unlikediscrimination,whichmeansunequal
treatmentortreatingpeopledifferentlyonthebasisofindividualsfeelingsand
preferences,whichisveryapparent.Theseareantisocialbehavior,presentin
almostallthecountries,thatmaycausestressandtensionamongvariousgroup
andmayalsoresultinharmtothegrouptowhomitisdirected.