To what extent does the strong sense of belonging turn into discrimination?

Discrimination, in all its forms and expressions, is one of the most common forms of abuse and violations of human rights. It affects millions of people every day and is one of the most difficult to recognize. Discrimination and intolerance are closely related concepts. Intolerance is a lack of respect for practices or beliefs other than one's own. It also implies the rejection of people whom we consider different, for example, members of a social or ethnic group different from our own, or people who are different in their political or sexual orientation. Intolerance can manifest itself in a wide range of actions through hate speech, causing physical injury or even murder.

Discrimination occurs when people are treated less favorably than others in a comparable situation simply because they are part of, or are considered to belong to, a particular group or category of people. People can be discriminated against because of their age, disability, ethnicity, origin, beliefs, race, religion, sex or gender, sexual orientation, language, culture and many other factors. Discrimination, which is often the result of people's prejudices, makes people feel powerless, prevents them from becoming active citizens and from participating in the development of their skills and, in many cases, from accessing work, health services, education or housing.

Discrimination has direct consequences on the people and groups discriminated against, but it also has profound indirect consequences on society as a whole. A society where discrimination is allowed or tolerated is a community where people are deprived of freely exercising their potential for themselves and for society.

The principles of equality and non-discrimination are established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” (article 1). This concept of equality is embedded in contemporary democracy, such that states are obliged to protect various minorities and vulnerable groups from unequal treatment. Article 2 enshrines non-discrimination: “everyone has all the rights and freedoms proclaimed in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind.”

Direct and indirect discrimination

Discrimination can be practiced directly or indirectly. The direct one is characterized by the intention to discriminate against a person or a group, for example, when an employment office rejects Roma candidates for a job or an apartment company does not rent them to immigrants. Indirect discrimination occurs when an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice represents a disadvantage for a certain group compared to others. Examples range from a minimum height criterion for being a firefighter (which may exclude many more women than men among applicants) to a department store that does not hire people who cover their heads. These rules, seemingly neutral in their own logic, may in fact disproportionately disadvantage members of certain social groups. Direct and indirect discrimination is prohibited under human rights instruments; Indirect discrimination is often more widespread and more difficult to prove than direct discrimination.

Structural discrimination

The key element in structural discrimination is not the intention but the effect of keeping minority groups in a subordinate position. (Fred Pincus)

Structural discrimination is based on the way our society is organized. The system itself disadvantages certain groups of people. Structural discrimination works through norms, routines, behavioral patterns and attitudes that create obstacles to achieving true equal opportunities. Structural discrimination often manifests itself as institutional prejudice, mechanisms that constantly operate in favor of one group and discriminate against others. These are the cases in which the resulting discrimination is not clearly based on the conviction of a person or a group of people, but on institutional structures, whether legal, organizational, and so on. The problem with structural discrimination is to make it visible, as we often grow up with it, it is self-evident and indisputable.

The existence of structural discrimination leaves states with the challenge of adopting policies that not only look at the legal framework, but also at other incentives, taking into account behavioral patterns and how different institutions function. Human rights education can be one of the answers to this problem.

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