Institutional Discrimination: Institutional Discrimination

Institutional Discrimination: Institutional Discrimination: Institutional discrimination is the unequal rights and opportunities for minority groups that have been built into the rules and norms of ...

Establishment of Subordinate Groups

If an individual accepts the stereotype that an ethnic Mexican or Latino is lazy this could lead to discrimination in hiring practices. Take this situation and magnify it by hundreds of thousands, if not million of individuals, and that leads to oppression.  This is one of the ways that institutional discrimination, and said oppression are perpetuated. 

As I encounter it, stereotypes are perpetuated not only by the dominant culture of white influence in America, but also by the subjects of the stereotype of itself.  However, the difference between stereotyping by white influence versus “self-stereotyping” is quite different. Self-stereotyping seems to stem out of a desire to use of tangible observations about a culture or race to gain acceptance into the dominant culture, usually through the use of humor.  Whenever white influence perpetuates stereotypes, there it is not necessary to gain acceptance.  I believe that this is an important distinction that it often overlooked.  

Oppression cannot be separated from the context of race, gender, class, or socioeconomic status.  The discussion about “welfare queens” has a personal impact on me because of my calling as a social worker.  I want to get anecdotal here, but I’ll just say this:  on a regular basis I encounter a minority female coming to my office seeking services.  Many of these individuals demonstrate what I would designate as racial etiquette.  Far to often to much deference is given, and they are shocked that they are treated in manner that doesn’t marginalize them.  I could continue on how I see this outcome directly influenced by the fact that I work for a private, non-profit agency, but I'm not going to get that anecdotal.  ;)