#2: Race, discrimination, bias

Race

-Not a Biological Construct

-refers to socially significant physical differences, such as skin color, rather than biological differences.

Systemic racism

-Encompasses the entire system of society, including cultural norms, beliefs, and behaviors.

-broader than structural racism—it includes both institutional practices and societal attitudes that perpetuate inequality.

-network of racism that runs through everything: laws, media, traditions, and even unconscious bias.

Structural racism

-Focuses on institutions like education, housing, healthcare, and criminal justice.

-Refers to how these institutions are built and maintained in ways that disadvantage certain racial groups.

-Rooted in historical injustices—think slavery, segregation, redlining—that created long-term disparities.

Health disparity

difference in health outcome that impacts populations experiencing social disadvantage that is systemic, probably avoidable, and unjust

Social disadvantage or inequality

result of groups being treated differently at various levels of our society

Intersectionality

-The ways that class, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, status and other markers of difference intersect to inform individual realities and lived experiences

-Brings attention to the ways that power operates in society to create marginalization of multiple groups, while maintaining power of other groups

Prejudice

-Beliefs about groups of people based on specific characteristics or identities that make one group better than another

-The groups have hierarchical differences that are measured or judged

Discrimination

-Actions taken (either implicitly or explicitly) based on prejudiced beliefs that result in treating groups of people differently or creating systems that advantage certain groups over others

-Individual (micro)

-Institutional (macro)

Macro level discrimination

-oppression and discrimination that happens in the larger society.

-Includes social institutions, systems, structures, media, organized religion, government, education, political system, economic

Micro level discrimination

-describes connections among people and issues as seen from a personal or individual perspective.

-Family, peers, friends, neighbors – an intimate or daily interaction

-Individual level racism is an example of micro level discrimination

-Can also be internalized oppression

Internalized oppression

-attitude and behaviors internalized among people who are oppressed themselves by others

-ideas turn inward and reflect thoughts about oneself that reflect the negative stereotypical beliefs and ideologies that the dominant culture has directed at them

Microaggressions

-unintentional, daily, quick statements or actions of a discriminatory nature, based on dominant culture ideology

-Racial microaggressions: daily commonplace insults and racial slights that cumulatively affect the psychological well-being of people of color

-Can be directed at any marginalized group and be multi layered

Bias

Subjective preference toward a particular viewpoint or belief that prevents a person from maintaining objectivity

Implicit/unconscious bias

-Attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner

-Both favorable and unfavorable

-Activated without awareness or intentional control (subconscious)

Self reflection

not judging ourselves, but observing our thoughts, feelings, actions, speech