Discrimination and Its Impact

¶ … Discrimination and Prejudice Affects Families Discrimination is basically defined as the unfair or prejudicial treatment of various kinds of people or things, particularly on the basis of age, race, sex or ethnicity. In contrast, prejudice can be described as a preconceived opinion about a person or a group of people that is not based on experience or research. Discrimination and prejudice occur in various societies as various groups of people are wrong preconceived opinions and unfair treatment that is fueled by various factors.

Some of the most common factors that generate discrimination and prejudice include cultural differences, religious differences, socio-economic differences, racial differences, differences in sexual orientation and preferences, and differences in nationality. As a result of its spread, discrimination and prejudice continues to have considerable impacts on families and child rearing practices, which necessitate the development of measures to address it. How Discrimination Affects Families Generally, the effect of discrimination varies among different people and the reason for the unfair treatment.

However, discrimination continues to have tremendous impacts on families because of its prevalence in the society. One of the major impacts of discrimination on families is on family relationship qualities. According to the findings of research, individuals who experience discrimination risk developing poor psychological well-being (Riina & McHale, 2010, p.290). The poor psychological well-being affects the ability of these people to participate and function effectively in the family and other places in society.

This in turn affects family relationship qualities because of the link between discrimination and dimensions of family relationships and interactions. The second impact of discrimination on families is the emergence of a socio-cultural stressor that affects the kind of support that individual members give to the family. The emergence of a socio-cultural stressor is attributed to the fact that discrimination is a stressor beyond a person's control. This stressor affects the kind of support and affection family members give to one another by generating self-reliant and aggressive behaviors.

Moreover, the socio-cultural stressor due to discrimination generates increased frustrations and negative arousal that extends interactions among family members. The third impact of discrimination on families is social isolation since the unfair treatment creates a perception that family members have no voice and lack status in the society. Social isolation is also fueled by feelings of low self-esteem, lack of power and choices, stigmatization, and judgments from others (Davies, 2008).

Example of Discrimination and Impact on Parenting Despite numerous initiatives to promote diversity and address racial discrimination, discrimination on the basis of race is still prevalent in the society. African-Americans are the most vulnerable group of people that are subjected to discrimination because of the color of their skin. This discrimination not only has significant impacts on the individual being discriminated against but also affects his/her family and the society. One of the major ways it impacts families is by affecting parenting and child rearing practices.

An example of such discrimination is the situation of Tempest Shoemate, a 35-year-old African-American woman who is seeking for employment in order to provide for her two daughters. Shoemate is a widow who has unsuccessfully applied for various jobs positions in different companies in her county. She recently unsuccessfully applied for a job as a receptionist in one of the biggest hotels in this county.

When she telephones the human resources manager to inquire about the rejection of her application, she is informed that the hotel's manager does not want to employ an individual with an accent. It is quite evident that Shoemate is experiencing employment discrimination because of her race. This discrimination is affecting Shoemate's parenting and child rearing practices by impacting her ability to successfully socialize with her daughters.

Generally, parental support and sensitivity to their children tends to decrease when they are stressed by personal experiences of racial discrimination and other forms of prejudice (Sanders-Phillips, Settles-Reaves, Walker & Brownlow, 2009, p.S179). Shoemate is having difficulties in providing warm and caring environment for her daughters because she is stressed with her experiences of employment discrimination. This is evident in her aggressive behaviors and harsh discipline as well as explosive parenting practices.

Addressing the Issue It is increasingly important to address discrimination and prejudice in order to lessen its impact on individuals, families, and the society. The need to address discrimination and prejudice is fueled by the fact that such practices affect the well-being of an individual and the society. This process entails concerted efforts from individuals, family, and the community level because of the prevalence of discrimination and prejudice across the society.

The need for concerted efforts in dealing with the specific issue is also fueled by the fact that many people have deep respect for customs and strongly held beliefs that contribute to discrimination and prejudice in.