Introduction: Discrimination is the process of behaving differently to people because they belong to a particular social group or color. A person’s prejudice will determine, how he/she thinks and acts about another person. (Whitley & Kite, 2006)
Thesis question: How is racial segregation sustained in the post-Civil Rights era?
Thesis statement: People in our society behave differently to people with different skin color. This often occurs unintentional and thus, it would be correct to enforce policies that prevent discrimination.
Prior to taking the Implicit Association Test (IAT) , I considered myself to be color blind. However, my result for IAT test for colors was as follows: I have ‘an automatic preference for light skin’ when compared to dark skin. The results are quite contradictory to what I have thought about myself.
Discrimination could manifest through once behavior and words, even without making a conscious effort to do so. Very often it happens at a subtle level and not done blatantly. Probably my discrimination towards color was subtle that I failed to recognize it. Subtle discrimination could happen unintentionally. I could not think of a situation where I have discriminated someone based on their skin color. Subtle and blatant discrimination can be reflected in people’s interpersonal relationships. It can influence the way in which we treat people. Hostile stares, ignoring and demeaning comments, are examples of behavior that can arise from discrimination. (Whitley & Kite, 2006)
Conclusion: Discriminating people based on color can lead to unequal treatment like denial of social support, refusal of privileges and creates hurt feelings. The IAT test was based on the quickness with which the responder assigns good traits to people of light and dark color. According to this test, I have a tendency to prefer light over dark skinned people.
References
Whitley, B. & Kite, M. (2006). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
