Discrimination and Prejudice to Control and Protect Interest - Assignment Example

Discrimination and Prejudice to Control and Protect InterestDiscrimination and prejudice have been present throughout the history of human kind. Prejudice is irrational and inflexible opinions and attitudes held by some members of the society or members of a certain group about another. Discrimination refers to certain behaviours directed against a person or a group by another person or group. Group or persons with prejudice have preconceived beliefs about an additional person or crowd of people or their cultural practices.

People practice prejudice and discrimination to control and protect their interest and opportunities for themselves by way of denying other people access. Social difference and socialization exists, these are passed from parents to children. Fear and ignorance are the two greatest concepts of prejudice. Some are concerned with loss of power and control and therefore prejudice and discriminate certain group of people (Whitley & Kite, 2010). I encountered racial discrimination when I was young adult.

This was at a time when I went to an office to enquire about a license to hold a convention in a communal place. This was during political campaigns and I was campaigning for a local office. I wanted to hold a small rally on the local ground but I had to have a license for the same. The local police told me that I had to pay more money for the license because I was not white skin. They added that they would offer me the license at their mercy but not because I needed it. I felt so embarrassed but I did not give up with holding the rally.

The police officers told me that I could not hold the rally at the ground because I was not supposed to hold a public rally at the ground. They told me that that place was a reserve for the right members but not me. This was pure prejudice and discrimination. They discriminated me because I was not white and showed prejudice to me because I did not belong to their social class. They thought that I was competing with them for the support of the local people to be elected as a local office holder.

This was very hurtful and offensive as well. While it is true I offered my candidature for the local office, my aim was not to offer competition but to improve the life of the local people by bringing services to them. This was discrimination and prejudice. The police used their power and control to prejudice and discriminate me. They are the department and office bestowed with the giving out licenses for holding public rallies and therefore they used the power to discriminate against me by indicating that I was not white and it is only white people only allowed to hold public rally at the specific place.

As such, they used their power to control my call for a rally. They had the power and control over the issuance of the license to me and they used in bad light by prejudice and discrimination. Importantly, they issued me with the license but it is after prejudice and discrimination. ReferencesWhitley Jr, B. E., & Kite, M. E. (2010). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Cengage Learning.