Racism: What It Is and How to Deal with It - Uned

Glossary and Bibliographic References | 149
Discrimination
Discrimination involves different treatment for people or groups, normally negative or
unfair treatment. Discriminatory behavior tends to be based on preconceived,
stereotyped ideas that we have of different groups; based on the membership a person
is assumed to have in a certain group, we treat him or her in one way or another and
we offer greater or lesser chances of access to or development of social goods and
rights. Continued discrimination ends up generating inequality on the social level (see
glossary: inequality).
From this point of view, discrimination is based on preconceived ideas that we have
and valuations that we make of different groups (see glossary: prejudices and
stereotypes). The opposite relation does not always hold, that is, we can have
stereotyped images of people and groups and not maintain a negative or unfair
behavior toward them.
Discrimination has both a behavioral and individual character and an ideological
character. Many of the discriminatory practices that are maintained on the social and
institutional level are based on specific beliefs about different groups. Discriminatory
practices are maintained on the institutional level without our being wholly conscious of
them and without the intention of discriminating. This is why it is so necessary to keep a
watchful eye on established practices and the rules and norms that uphold them.
We can also talk about affirmative discrimination. With affirmative discrimination
measures, we attempt to minimize the consequences and the permanent inequality that
a group has suffered systematically throughout history, with the intention of managing
to make the rights of the discriminated groups equivalent to those of group that have
not suffered discrimination.
Diversity
Dictionaries define the term diversity as “variety, dissimilarity, difference.” Also as
“abundance, large quantity of several different things.” Variation and plurality make us
diverse. We are diverse according to our previous experiences, our skin color, the
place we are from, the way we talk, dress, think, or feel. Diversity has its origin in
social, geographic, economic, ethnic, religious, and gender factors. This diversity is
present in society, although it is not always accepted. The teaching staff knows it has a
diverse student body in the classrooms, and there are multiple aspects of variety
among the teachers, too.
Diversity is defined, sometimes, as difference, when these terms are actually
contradictory. Starting with the differences implies starting from a different situation,
from different positionings, which implicitly includes a distance, a dichotomy between
good and bad, between positive and negative, between what is valid and what is not.
Difference has been approached as opposed to equality in order to vindicate the
concrete values of a certain group (Aranguren and Sáez, 1998; Espín, 2002; Pilcher