TEFI TCA – id. code 3919 Final report INDEX INTRODUCTION I ...

TEFI TCA – id. code 3919giving a general image of a complex web of practices involvingdifferent agents and organization related to a particular area(work, housing, etc.)Michel Wieworka is therefore right to draw theattention to the risks involved in using the word system because of itsvariable meaning. (« Discriminations raciales à l’emploi », F. Dhume,N. Sagnard-Haddaoui, avril 2006)DiskriminierungDiscriminate against (lat.: diskriminare) stands for “to separate”, for“to distinguish between” or for “to select”.By social discrimination the disadvantage is understood of humansdue to group-specific characteristics like ethnical or national origin,skin colour, language, political or religious convictions, sexualorientation, sex, age or handicap.Starting point of any discrimination is the construction of difference.Each form of social discrimination is based on a distinction and anestimation by a majority, how people should be and/ or what isconsidered as social norm or standard (light-skinned, German, male,heterosexually, healthy, efficiently, Christian etc.). Thereby groupswhich do not meet the dominant norms and standards are affected bydiscrimination. Discriminated minorities are mostly numericalminorities, too. As the example of the discrimination of womenshows, this does not have to be limited to a quantitative minorityhowever.Social discrimination can assume completely different forms: It variesfrom the thoughtless, but insulting comment, conscious ignoranceand arbitrariness to violent encroachments. It comprises bothindividuals’ behaviour and forms of subpopulations’ disadvantageFinal report 166