CULTURAL DISCRIMINATION: CAUSES, TYPES AND CONSEQUENCES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The discrimination culture is the consideration that certain customs, beliefs or habits are inferior to others. This entails treating unequally, from a negative point of view, those who possess these differentiated traits. In today's society, cultural discrimination is closely associated with ethnicity or racism.

On many occasions, the majority part of a population looks with suspicion at those minorities who represent what is different. According to experts, there are several causes of discrimination, being common that they occur simultaneously. One of the aspects that usually triggers this behavior is the socioeconomic situation.

Indigenous mexicans

In times of crisis it is common to look for a culprit, who is none other than the different one. Indigenous people in Latin America, gypsies or Muslims in Europe and other minority groups with cultures different from that of the majority of the population, are examples of discrimination. The consequences are very negative, both personally and for society.

Causes

Anthropologists point out that cultural discrimination, defining it in a broad sense, has been present in the human being since its appearance. Thus, it is considered that in prehistoric times the rejection of those outside the tribal group was a kind of form of defense against what they considered a danger to their existence.

However, the passage of time has not succeeded in eliminating this aversion to different people. Laws have become a way of trying to mitigate their consequences by establishing equality among human beings.

The root causes of the continued existence of such discrimination are a matter of permanent debate, although there are some points on which the experts agree.

Economic or social situation

In times of economic crisis, episodes of rejection of other cultures always increase. It is a way of looking for someone to blame for each individual's personal situation, being easier to blame the problem on those who are weaker than on the powerful.

The same occurs in areas of social exclusion where, paradoxically, people who are different are often rejected even if they are in the same situation. There are theorists who link this phenomenon with lower educational rates than in other areas.

Ideology

Certain ideologies are characterized by the rejection of other cultures. When it occurs towards groups with different customs within the same country, it is very frequent that it has an identity base, which advocates the homogenization of the population both racially and culturally.

In certain cases these ideologies go even further, and establish a hierarchical scale of cultures according to their supposed superiority.

Finally, within cultural discrimination there is also that produced directly for ideological reasons. That is, when it is considered that those who have minority ideas should be persecuted or annulled.

Fear

The fear, whether conscious or unconscious, of the existence of any kind of discrimination should not be underestimated. The fear of those who act differently is very common among those who discriminate.

As an important factor, it should be noted that the media (including the cinema) have established cultural stereotypes that end up feeding that fear.

Personality

Those with weak personalities are more likely to exercise cultural discrimination. Given their way of being, they tend to get carried away by the actions of others with greater leadership capacity, without considering whether they are behaving negatively or not.

Types

Since culture is a concept that encompasses all human behavior as a social being, almost all types of discrimination have a cultural component. In this way, it could be affirmed that it is a type of transversal abuse.

For example, gender discrimination could not be sustained without a cultural construction that considers that the role of women is inferior in society.

Religious discrimination

As stated before, in most cases various types of discrimination converge. In the religious one - the one that affects minority groups that practice a different religion than the majority - in many occasions the racial one is united. It is common for other ethnic groups to practice these beliefs.

Discrimination based on customs

Again it is usually presented together with the racial or religious. Certain communities can see how their customs are discriminated against by the majority of the population, as is the case in many Latin American indigenous peoples.

This may mean that, due to social pressure, their habits end up disappearing, with the consequent loss of cultural wealth.

Ideological discrimination

This type of discrimination can even be covered by the laws of a country. It is important to clarify that, when speaking of those who suffer this discrimination, reference is not made to those potentially dangerous such as Nazism; freedom of ideology is one of the bases of democratic society.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation

Despite having its own characteristics, discrimination based on sexual orientation has a great cultural content. It is much more frequent in closed companies, which do not accept that there is a variety of options in this field.

Consequences

For the discriminated

Obviously, they are the ones who suffer discrimination most directly. The consequences for them can come in multiple ways.

Psychologically it is devastating to feel isolated and condemned for your beliefs or ideas. This can lead to severe depression, or even suicide.

On the other hand, they are also going to be limited when it comes to getting a job. It is not uncommon for them to suffer rejection to be able to place themselves in the job market.

This has led to the fact that, in more and more places, the laws choose to promote blind curricula, without personal data that lead to an early elimination of the process.

Although more infrequent, there are also cases of physical aggression. In some countries, far-right groups have been the protagonists of several beatings of people from other cultures.

For social groups that suffer from it

One of the most common reactions among those who suffer discrimination is that they abandon their culture. By doing this, they try to assimilate into the way of life of the majority and avoid problems.

It also causes the appearance of ghettos in which they can continue to maintain their customs. In the end, coupled with less hope of finding work and low wealth, troubled neighborhoods are created.

For society

Society also suffers its own negative consequences. Generally, this translates into a loss of cultural wealth, without any favorable exchange taking place.

Similarly, discriminatory practices impoverish by limiting the access of highly talented individuals to important positions.

References

1. Eraso, Santiago. Culture as a racist argument. Obtained from diagonalperiodico.net
2. Educational Equality Wiki. Cultural and racial discrimination. Obtained from wikiigualdadeducativa.wikispaces.com
3. Pérez García, Concepción. Causes of discrimination. Obtained from recursostic.educacion.es
4. Kennedy, Angus. Cultural Discrimination. Retrieved from oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk
5. UNESCO. Discrimination. Retrieved from unesco.org
6. Suleri, JI Cultural Differences or Discrimination ?. Recovered from books.google.es
7. Kids Helpline. Cultural differences and conflict. Retrieved from kidshelpline.com.au