THE 18 MOST COMMON TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

There are many types of discrimination, among the most common are racism, xenophobia, homophobia or different forms of machismo. Discrimination is the act of making a distinction between human beings or social groups, whether by action or omission with a derogatory, exclusive or negative meaning and that leads to inequality of opportunities. It is an act of abuse and injustice that violates the right to equality.

It is the behavioral expression of a prejudice and is mainly given by the intolerance and rejection of certain people of diversity. We are all different, but we are all human beings who are born free and equal in dignity and rights and, therefore, with the same opportunities.

To safeguard this equality, freedom and dignity of people, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created, a historical document prepared and endorsed by all regions of the world, proclaimed in 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This document speaks of the "human family" and it is the duty of each nation to assert it and defend any individual who feels these rights are violated.

Man (understood as the entire human race) is a social being that requires interaction with other human beings to become a society; but at the same time it has an individuality that distinguishes it from others and makes it a unique and unrepeatable being. To define these individual characteristics as differences that put you above or below others is to discriminate.

Many times, the act of discriminating is given by an excessive ethnocentrism, which is the act of seeing and analyzing the world according to the parameters of one's own culture and, consequently, considering as inferior everything that is different from one's own.

The most common types of discrimination

There are many types of discrimination. Although some may seem similar, they have their differences. Many times various types of discrimination overlap when making a value judgment towards a person or group of people.

1- Racism

It considers some human groups inferior to others because of their ethnic origin. The most common case is racism against the black race, but it also extends to other races such as indigenous, Asian, etc.

Example:

Apartheid is probably one of the most shocking cases of racism in history. The word "Apartheid" means separation in the African language, and constituted the racial separation of people in residential areas, schools or recreation areas.

This phenomenon of discrimination went so far as to empower only people of color, prohibiting them from having sex with a person of color.

2- Discrimination based on nationality or ethnic origin

More commonly called xenophobia, it is nothing other than rejection or hostility towards the foreigner for the simple fact of being it, regardless of race or skin color.

This hostility tends to cause generalized value judgments against a person such as: “all Galicians are brutes”, “all Colombians are drug traffickers”, etc. This also applies to ethnic groups, indigenous communities and / or indigenous peoples.

3- Discrimination based on sexual orientation

Homophobia is a term that explains aversion towards homosexuals, whether they are men or women, and lately it also includes transsexuals, bisexuals, metrosexuals and anyone who has attitudes or ways that, according to the discriminator, are not according to their gender.

Example:

An exemplary case of xenophobia was the one experienced during the Second World War, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. This one defended the purity of the “Germanic race” or “superior Aryan”.

For Hitler, the Aryan race should be the only one to take over the world, thus subjecting ethnic groups such as Roma (gypsies), Afro-German children, and Jews, the latter being the most affected.

4- Gender discrimination

It is the rejection of a person, for the simple fact of being a man or a woman, although this attitude is mostly associated with the rejection of women for considering them weak or inferior to men.

This hostility stems mainly from the patriarchal and macho culture of most Western societies that for centuries have placed women in a secondary and basically reproductive role.

It is one of the discriminations that is being fought tirelessly around the world with very subtle but encouraging changes.

Example:

One of the most shocking stories related to discrimination based on sexual orientation is that of Harvey Milk, the first officer of the state of California, United States.

Milk was murdered by a Vietnam veteran named Dan White, who considered Milk's behavior unscrupulous. White argued that Milk represented a break in the traditional values ​​of American society.

5- Discrimination against women at work

Women have been discriminated against for the simple fact of being a woman for centuries. But since the last decades, when the female sex began to leave their homes to enter the formal labor field, it brought with it another more particular type of discrimination.

In other words, the already widespread exclusion of women was transferred to the workplace, granting them positions of a lower category than men or, in any case, the same positions with lower salaries.

Women have fewer opportunities to get jobs, especially in middle and high positions.

Example:

The history of humanity is full of examples of gender discrimination. Probably one of the most striking is the ban that existed until 2005, when Kuwait became the last country in the world to give women the right to vote.

Example:

The best example of discrimination against women at work is the difference in salary that still prevails between men and women.

In countries like Colombia, women earn 25% less than men for doing exactly the same job.

It can also be observed how women are promoted in their jobs to a lesser extent than men, despite the fact that they have been holding the same positions for longer than these.

6- Maternity discrimination

The main reason why some companies avoid hiring women and prefer to occupy those positions with men is because of the wonderful ability that women have to bring life into the world.

It is considered that this can lead to greater absenteeism and a decrease in work capacity, which leads to a reduction in production.

In addition, most countries have laws that give mothers leave after childbirth, causing absenteeism that must be covered, causing higher salary expenses.

7- Age discrimination

The individual is discriminated against or stereotypes based on their age, whether they are older adults, children or adolescents.

In Western societies there is an exacerbated cult of youth, despising or minimizing the elderly, without considering that the experience of the years is an invaluable capital.

In most cases of discrimination against older adults, there is usually another type of discrimination that is quite common, which is employment discrimination.

Example:

One of the most common cases of age discrimination is the one that doctors must suffer from patients when they consider that they do not have enough experience due to their “young age”.

In Spain, it is estimated that almost 50% of doctors annually suffer some type of discrimination, harassment or mistreatment by their patients and colleagues because of their age. This phenomenon is more common against young women.

8- Labor discrimination

Even in those societies that regularly advocate and practice equal opportunities, members of discriminated groups are far from enjoying equal conditions in the workplace.

Within this area many types of discrimination are practiced, making a kind of representation at the scale of the general situation of society.

Thus, discrimination can be found by race, by sex (see Discrimination of women at work) and by age: those over 50 are considered old and reduce their chances of getting a job.

The current trend is to hire young people who can be "molded" to the taste and requirement of companies.

However, there is also discrimination against young people who, having no experience, find themselves at a dead end: they request previous experience, but how can they acquire it if they are not hired?

Example:

Factors such as race, age, gender or physical appearance are some of the clearest examples of employment discrimination that most people in the world suffer at least once in their lives.

9- Wage discrimination

Companies believe that one person should not earn the same as another doing the same job, because of their womanhood, their race, etc. although both have the same physical or intellectual capacity to perform it and for this reason two people with the same position can receive different salaries.

Example:

As mentioned in number five, one of the most frequent cases of wage discrimination is related to people's gender status.

In most countries of the world, women receive significantly lower wages than men for performing the same tasks.

10- Discrimination based on physical appearance

Obese, albinos, people with marks or scars, tattoos or piercings on the skin, etc. they are usually rejected a priori.

Example:

People with visible tattoos are often the most discriminated against in the workplace due to their physical appearance.

Some examples of this type of discrimination are evident when an individual is asked to cover their tattoos in order to carry out some type of work, as they are considered indecent.

11- Discrimination due to disability or illness

The 20th century brought with it a modern form of disease discrimination: HIV / AIDS has relegated people with this disease to a corner. At first it was due to misinformation and ignorance, then due to simple mistrust.

People with other types of diseases such as Down syndrome, autism, Asperger's syndrome, cerebral palsy or the physically disabled, continue to be marginalized.

Example:

According to the World Health Organization, one of the most marginalized groups in the world is the disabled. The disabled are considered to be primarily limited by society and not by their bodies.

This can be clearly seen in the statistics released by the WHO in September 2013, where disabled people register the highest unemployment and poverty figures.

12- religious discrimination

Throughout history it has been seen how, in the name of some God, the bloodiest battles have been fought.

This is happening today with as much or more vigor than in the past, where a person can be rejected and even stigmatized for their religious beliefs and the customs that derive from them.

Example:

One of the best examples of discrimination on religious grounds is the prohibition of marriage between people of different religions.

This situation can be seen overwhelmingly among the Jewish, Muslim and Hindu religions.

13- Ideological discrimination

It is perhaps, along with religious discrimination, the most widespread and harmful form of discrimination today.

It has to do with the rejection of people or groups of people for the simple fact of thinking differently, of having political positions or philosophical convictions different or adverse to those of the other.

Example:

Nazism is probably one of the best examples of ideological discrimination that has taken place throughout the history of mankind.

All institutions were subjected to a single set of beliefs, which was taught uniformly to children and students. Any other ideological model was annulled, even through violence.

14- Linguistic discrimination

An individual or social group is rejected because of their language, accent, or dialect. It is common for a foreigner to be mocked for his pronunciation.

In the workplace, an employer cannot base his decision not to hire a person on his foreign accent, unless it interferes with the performance of his position.

Example:

Some workplaces, where people of multiple nationalities converge, prohibit the use of languages ​​other than those of the organization.

This discrimination is usually applied by companies that want to get rid of employees of different nationalities, such as Latinos, Chinese or Indians.

15- Cultural discrimination

It usually occurs in conjunction with racial or ethnic discrimination, caused by ethnocentrism.

Its most common expression is the rejection of indigenous communities, which become minority groups. Their clothing, language and their ancestral practices that fail to be understood or respected as part of their ancestral culture.

Example:

One of the most culturally rich and discriminated communities in the world is the Roma or Gypsies. In countries like Spain, numerous cases of discrimination against Roma are reported annually.

It is estimated that of the reported cases, 35% take place on social networks and the media.

On the other hand, it is estimated that 75% of Roma in Spain live below the poverty line and have fewer opportunities than the other inhabitants of the country.

16- Economic discrimination

It makes a differentiation between people by the amount of money or property they have. This generally results in discrimination based on social class.

Example:

In Mexico, economic discrimination is an obvious factor of social division. 60% of Mexicans believe that the economic difference is the main cause of discrimination in the country.

17- Discrimination by social class

It marginalizes certain individuals from the benefits they could have within society. Both economic and social discrimination are caused by inequality in income or educational opportunities. The most degrading form of discrimination for these reasons is slavery.

Example:

An example of segregation by social class can be seen in Catalonia, where the higher classes are victims of the phenomenon of economic segregation in a stronger way than the lower classes.

In this sense, access to certain neighborhoods is prohibited and certain rights such as access to schools are limited.

18- Discrimination in school socialization

As the school is the seedbed for the adults of the future, it is worrying that in recent times education is not able to contribute to overcoming inequalities or to reduce the social gap.

Discrimination in educational centers is on the rise, something that lately has been called “Bullying” and has to do with the physical or psychological abuse of which some boys are victims at school by their peers for the fact of being “Different” from what the school society considers accepted, interesting or fun.

Example:

There are countless cases and examples of bullying in the world. Probably one of the most representative was that of Anne D., a 15-year-old girl from Ohio who committed suicide after being a victim of harassment by her peers.

19- Discrimination by laterality

It is the discrimination that exists between right-handed and left-handed. Left-handers have been viewed with rarity for centuries and given demonic characteristics.

Example:

An example of discrimination by laterality is when the teacher forces students to write with their right hand.

This is seen today in countries like Mexico, where multiple people advocate for reforms to the constitution that sanction discrimination by laterality.

References

1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Recovered from un.org.
2. Tenjo Jaime and Herrera Paula (2009) Two Essays on Discrimination: Wage discrimination and discrimination in access to employment by ethnic origin and gender. Department of Economics, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogota Colombia.
3. Tomei Manuela (2003). Analysis of the concepts of discrimination and equality at work. International Labor Review Vol 122. Recovered from onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
4. Actis Eugenio and Atucha Ana J (2003). Wage gaps: Discrimination or productivity differences. Recovered from nulan.mdp.edu.ar.
5. Blanco G. Rosa (2006). Equity and social inclusion: one of the challenges of today's education and school. Ibero-American Network for Research on School Change and Efficacy (RINACE). Recovered from repository.uam.es.