Discrimination and Anti-oppressive Practice - Essay Example

Discrimination and Anti-Oppressive Practice Part Discrimination and LGBT Youth Discrimination refers the different or unequal or harassment of individual that results in harm or misery. Thus, it entails the act of unequal treatment of a person or people based on real or assumed features. Individuals have the right to equal or uneven treatment as well as opportunities devoid of discrimination or harassment. The grounds of discrimination witnessed in society include disability, race ethnic, religion, ancestry, age, sexual orientation among others. Consequently, there are four types of discrimination and these include direct, indirect, victimization and harassment. Direct discrimination is witnessed whereby an individual is treated less favorably based on gender, disability, sexual orientation age or even belief. Indirect discrimination applies whereby certain policies, as well as practices, have an adverse effect on a particular group compared to another. The groups protected by the regulations entail those defined by gender, race, sexual orientation, or belief and the protection or condition is unjustifiable. For instance, legislation on dress codes or height often constitutes indirect discrimination. Discrimination is a vice that causes misery thereby affecting the lives of people negatively. This makes the affected individuals uncomfortable and depressed thereby making them not lead a normal life. Further, victimization entails a form of unlawful discrimination whereby an individual gets treated less favorably because of doing a legally protected act contained in the relevant discrimination legislation. For instance, a person can be victimized for providing evidence for a legal proceeding or even supported someone who had sued another for wrongful doing. Finally, harassment refers to unwanted or redundant conduct that leads to the violation of a person’s dignity or even establishing an uncomfortable environment affecting someone’s life due to the intimidation, hostility, or humiliation attributed to the act. The LGBT refers to lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender who have who lead a distinct lifestyle from that of many people in society. Because of their unique lifestyle, these people are prone to discrimination. Their small number complicates the condition thus enhancing the level of misery. The LGBT youth is no exception to the discrimination faced by other LGBT in society. The lives of LBGT youths are different from that of other members of society. For instance, instead of embracing the normal sexual life entailing a male and a female, these individuals support the reverse. Therefore, these groups of youths encourage male – male, female – female or a blend leading to the establishment of a new form of relationship in society. For instance, a gay youth does marry and live as husband and wife and the same applies to females. This contradicts the normal kind of relationship whereby a young male youth courts and later enters into marriage with thereby forming families. The LGBT youths support their way of life by arguing that such lifestyle is natural thereby lack power to change or abandon it. In most societies, the woman – man relationship are considered normal and adored by various individuals including several religious groups and denominations. Since they have a unique sexual life, the LGBT youth feels unwanted and unappreciated in the society based on the different treatment they receive from other members of society. For example, the LGBT youth often receives various insults, abuses or scorns from non-LGBT individuals. Receive public attention and constitutes the greatest part of the discussion of people in a society where it is considered immoral. Therefore, the youths might be called with weird names such as animals, incomplete individuals while also considered outcasts by members of their family. LGBT youths face discrimination since in most cases; they are denied the opportunity to voice their concerns on issues affecting their life. This is because individuals in the group are deemed immoral; therefore, require rectification or abandoning of such lifestyle. Moreover, the LGBT youths do not have the right to assembly or displaying their life in public places such as in open parks, galleries, and other public places. In case they do so, they are considered spoilt and, therefore, misleading the society. Moreover, the young LGBT who live under the care of their parents are prone to parental neglect as well as open condemnation. Since most conservative parents have rigid views on LGBT, their kids leading such form of lifestyle are disowned thus live alone and lack parental care and advice. According to conservative parents, this kind of relationship is weird since it does not adhere to the conventional or morals of life where a man and woman live together. However, since LGBT youths argue that they lack the authority to change this kind of life, it is necessary for the world to accept and acknowledge the presence of the LGBT in life since they are just common to other people in society. Consequently, since every person has a right to lead a happy and joyful life whereby one’s decision are respected and recognized, there is need to Part 2 Anti-Oppressive Practice & Challenging Discrimination Oppression refers to a social act of enforcing severe precincts or restrictions on an individual, institution, or group of people. In most cases, such restrictions are placed on the oppressed groups by a political organization or government in power that exploits the groups thereby ensuring that such groups are unable to compete with other groups in society. This action leaves the person or groups or institutions, exploited, devalued and derived of some privileges. Anti –Oppressive Practice(AOP) refers to the method of tackling discrimination by putting more emphasis on the wider problems associated in the society and how it is supported by social structures as well as systems. The approach deals with the implementation of social justice by challenging the structure of society as well as the use of power where it is applied to maintain certain groups of people in disadvantaged positions. The AOP seeks to improve the quality of life and the well-being of people, communities, and groups in addition to the intrinsic value of a diverse society. With regard to discrimination of the LGBT youth, the anti – oppressive practice will resolve the issues of oppression of this particular group thereby improving the quality of life and the well being of the youths. Since oppression occurs as due to the concepts and misuse of power to achieve certain targets or goals, there is the need to redistribute such powers through reorganization and restructuring of those systems in addition to championing of rights. Since the source of oppression in this case is structural thereby based on the manner systems in conjunction with the process operate, there is need for change in the systems. First, there is the need to recognize potentials and capabilities of the LGBT youths in order to identify skills as well as knowledge that can be used t develop and progress society. In case there are a number of youths who can server in various positions, in the society, such individuals should be absorbed into the leadership of the society. With LGBT youths in various positions, in the society, the use of power to harm or oppress them will reduce and eventually end. This is because such leaders will never allow the victimization and discrimination of their members based on the sexual life. The leaders will strive to protect the rights of vulnerable group and ensure that they are not prone to such kinds of discrimination resulting into misery and problems. Therefore, composition and enactment of oppressive laws and regulations affecting the LGBT youths will face challenges and, therefore, halted or opposed by the leaders who will always seek to protect themselves and their welfare from exploitation. Secondly, recognizing and allocating various positions of power to the LGBT youths will rectify and correct earlier misconceptions and beliefs concerning this group of people. For instance, since the society considers the LGBT as abnormal individuals, they should not just be brushed aside on the untested assumptions. The society needs to test these youths. For instance, this can be done by appointing them to various powerful positions and giving them a mandate to exercise their power. In case they fail, then such assumption can be held. However, in case the youths excel in their new positions, then the assumption that they are abnormal is misleading and thus should be abandoned. However, I do believe that the LGBT youths have the potential to prove the soberness of their mind through performing various management tasks, which the society believes they cannot achieve. As a believer in the soberness of the LGBT youths, I am sure that they will prosper in any role or position they are assigned since their lifestyle has nothing to do with their mental capacity. This will remove the misconceptions and belief in the incapability and abnormality of the LGBT group caused by their sexual lifestyle or orientation. Third, rectification or restructuring and balancing of the power system will ensure that power is not concentrated on a certain group or people that use it to harm or undermine other groups or individuals. When in power or control, the LGBT youths will promote education as well as promoting societal awareness of the need to respect as well as appreciate rights and practices of the LGBT. This will be enhanced by the use of power and resources available to educate and champion for the rights of these vulnerable individuals. With an informed society on the rights of the LGBT, discrimination against these groups will reduce since the society will have a positive perception and notion concerning their lifestyle and practices. With the power distributed equally between various groups in the society devoid of biasness based on size, there will be a reduction in abuse of power and this will lead to an improved standard of living since misery related to discrimination will be on the decline. Anti discriminatory works entail activities that ensure equal treatment of individuals, or groups of people thereby ensuring there is no harassment and misery associated with such acts in society. Such activities recognize and respect the rights as well as the lifestyle of various groups in the society regardless of their views, beliefs or even behaviors or actions. A good example of an ant discriminatory practice entails the organization of a sports event whereby all teams or parties are invited to participate irrespective of race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, or even religion. Through sports, various teams have the opportunity to interact and thus share ideas concerning many issues affecting their lifestyle. Another anti discriminatory work entails organization of meetings and seminars whereby every section or group in the society is accorded an opportunity to participate and voice their concerns. Through such seminars and conferences, the LGBT will find the chance to explain their lifestyle as well as reasons for adopting it. This will promote understanding, therefore, ensuring peaceful coexistence between various groups or factions in the society. Part 3 Anti-Oppressive Practice: Reflective Discrimination is a vice that contributes to the misery among groups or individuals in the society. It leads to loss of trust as well as reduces self esteem of the affected people thereby lowering standards of living in a given community. For instance, denial of the LGBT youths the right to lead their preferred lifestyle constitutes abuse of human rights. Since the LGBT cannot control their way of life, abusing or discriminating them is wrong and makes them look lesser beings. Thus, mocking and scorning witnessed among the LGBT youths especially in public places interfere with their normal life and should therefore stop. It causes misery and discomfort on this group and this makes their life miserable. Consequently, discrimination lowers self-esteem and lowers confidence among the youths. Since they feel inferior, and thus lack confidence, the LGT youths will never perform to their actual potential and this affects their goals and dreams in life. Moreover, some will lose focus in various actions or duties they perform and thereby lower their performance in such roles. I believe this could be a factor or reason as to the perception of LGTB as abnormal as they in some cases do not perform to full potential. Anti oppressive practice is essential to our understanding of self since it puts into consideration the rights of every person in society. It helps us to an identification and recognizes the human rights irrespective of race, religion, ethnic background. Through learning and practice of anti- oppressive practice, human develops a proper understanding of other persons and groups of people who are different from them. Understanding and appreciating the existence of divergent ethnic, sexual, racial, and religious groups among others is essential for peaceful coexistence. Therefore, anti- oppressive practice needs to emulated and promoted by everyone in society since discrimination has negative effects among various groups of people in the society. I believe the anti – oppressive practice will have a positive effect in my life since will minimize exposure to various forms of discrimination in society. By lowering or curbing incidences as well as the prevalence to discrimination, I will lead a comfortable life with no fear of victimization or discrimination based on my religion, beliefs, ethnic background, culture, or even sexual orientation. I, therefore, strongly support anti – oppressive practice since it will improve my living standard as well as that of other members of the society thereby making life bearable, simple, comfortable, and enjoyable. References Gerard Lemos &Crane. The search for tolerance: Challenging and changing racist attitudes and Behavior among young people. 2005. Retrieved May 2, 2014 from http://www.academia-research.com/filecache/instr/j/r/1070199_jrf_challenging_racism_report_2005.pdf Gok.uk. Discrimination: your rights. Retrieved May 2, 2014 from https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights Legislation. Gov. uk. Equality Act 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2014 from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents National youth Agency. National Youth Agency to Provide Evidence at Inquiry in to Youth Work. Retrieved May 2, 2014 from http://www.nya.org.uk/news/inquiry-into-youth-work Veronica Mason .Youth Work & Youth in Society SW4004. London Metropolitan University. 2013. Read More