Experience of Racial Discrimination - Assignment Example

Racial Discrimination Name Course name and code Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Part A 3 Introduction 3 Racial discrimination 3 Psychological distress 4 Social Biases 5 Methodologies 6 Overall Results 9 Conclusion 11 Part B 12 Introduction 12 Description of Different characters and their various behaviours 13 Bruno 13 Shmuel 14 Lieutenant Kotler 15 Pavel 15 Herr Liszt 15 Who do I know that behaves with racism? 16 How best to approach these personalities in real life 16 Critical reflection and lessons learnt 16 References 17 Appendix 1 18 Guided Reflection 18 Part A Introduction Racial discrimination is a vice that is incarnated in the today society; the four articles selected for this report clearly give a comprehensive understanding as to how this social evil is affecting the global society. For this matter, each article is a critique of how different race pose themselves as superior while regarding others as inferior. Different contexts have been exhibited and displayed through these articles. The different methodologies used in these articles will be reviewed in order to provide a clear picture of racism and its negativity with regard to the findings of these studies and how these findings criticize the latter, and recommending for various techniques to address this social ill. Racial discrimination These articles are related in all manner of thoughts; the comparison between the chosen articles substantially gives evidence of the existence of racial discrimination in the current times. Each of these articles findings and discussion points to vast scenarios of racial discrimination across their specific contexts. For example, Stevens, Hussein and Manthorpe (2012) talk about experiences of racism and discrimination among migrant care workers in England, Lee and Ahn (2012) gives an extensive analysis with regard to how Latinos’ are racially discriminated. In addition, Torres, Yznaga and Moore (2011) provide an inherent analysis with regard to Discrimination and Latino Psychological distress, and Bonazzo and Wong (2007) discuss how Japanese International female students’ experience of discrimination prejudices and stereotypes. Ethnicity Ethnicity is strongly evidenced in Stevens et al (2012) article; for instance the visible and social markers are the main basis of discrimination among the health care migrant workers in the UK. Accordingly, migrant workers strongly believed that their ethnicity particularly their skin colour was the cause of them being bullied and mistreated. Like Stevens and others, Lee and Ahn (2012), using their Meta analysis, they investigated how Latina/os in the United States are discriminated in various different ways due to their ethnicity. The bottom line of their research is that Latinos were virtually discriminated because of their ethnic identity. In the same line of discussion, Torres, Yznaga and Moore (2011) observed that the continued Latino discrimination in the US is due the heightened ethnic identity. Above all, Bonazzo and Wong (2007) research on the other hand, established that Japanese female students’ in the US experienced discrimination, prejudices, and stereotype behaviour due to their Asian origin. Psychological distress The article done by Stevens, Hussein and Manthorpe (2012), provides and exhibits scenarios where migrants working in the UK, suffered from psychological distress due to racial discrimination. For instance, UK-born managers who were mainly men treated migrant workers crudely due to their poor English accent as well as their skin colour. Similarly, when they broke cultural rules without their knowledge, they were treated poorly due to their skin colour and/or accent. Psychological distress concept is also strongly emphasized by Lee and Ahn (2012) in their research; they established that Latina/os who were racially discriminated suffered extended levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression. Another strong contribution that racial discrimination caused victims to suffer from psychological distress comes from Torres, Yznaga and Moore (2011) article; he found out that regardless of low levels of perceived discrimination reported among Latinos, there was vast evidence of negative psychological consequences given the strong relationship between discrimination and mental health. The Migrant Latinos exhibited psychological distress through somatic symptoms. These ideas are also discussed in Bonazzo and Wong (2007) article; through his research he established that female Japanese students studying in the US experienced overt discrimination and prejudice as well as stereotypic behaviour. This was extremely psychologically distressing to these students. Social Biases Stevens, Hussein and Manthorpe (2012) through their study they concluded that interaction with personalities and relationships seemed very difficult for migrants working in the UK. For instance, potential problems could arise due to misunderstanding with regard to cultural and racial differences. These issues are also propagated by Lee and Ahn (2012) who observed that there existed social bias against Latinos in the US particularly in schools, workplaces, and in hospitals. In the same line of argument, Torres, Yznaga and Moore (2011) in their research about discrimination and Latino psychological distress, established that the increased psychological problems among Latinos, strongly associated with social biases that they experienced in work-academic or public settings. Bonazzo and Wong (2007) through his research concluded that Japanese female students studying in US experienced extreme social biases in a range of manner including harassment by border patrol officers and prejudice from other students. Methodologies Stevens, Hussein and Manthorpe (2012) used a mixed method exploratory approach to conduct their research; in this regard, reanalysis of national data sets as well as qualitative methods were used across all the six research sites. The total sample population used was 254 including: 20 recruitment agency managers, 15 other stakeholders, 26 employers, 12 HR UK-born managers, 96 migrant care workers, 27 UK-born care workers, 35 care service users, 18 refugee and asylum seekers, and 5 representatives from organizations supporting refugees. The research sites were selected through the maximum variation sampling thus ensuring that all the research areas are covered comprising of high and low levels of immigration in order to include inner city areas, mixed locations as well as cities that are more rural. The researcher also conducted semi-structured interviews with employers, human resource (HR) UK-born managers, migrant workers, as well as UK-born care workers. Accordingly, the researchers performed semi-structured interviews with a sample of national refugees and asylum seekers and representatives of organizations supporting refugees. This research took into consideration all ethical considerations required during any research involving human beings as subjects. The main ethical issue observed here was, the distress experienced by fieldworkers arising from interviews with migrant care workers and refugees and asylum seekers on hearing their histories. Lee and Ahn (2012) use a meta-analysis approach in conducting their research; the literature search procedure, first, they extracted a larger meta-analytic study that examined how to cope with all forms of discriminations. Meta-analysis approach refers to the combining and contrasting results from different research studies with a singular objective of identifying patterns among the study results, the sources of disagreement, as well as other interesting relationships with regard to the context of multiple studies. The main reason for using the Meta-Analysis approach was to identify individual level resources and outcomes that most strongly relate to discrimination based on 60 independent samples. For instance, they used EBSCOhost that comprised of both PsychINFO and ERIC as the databases. These literature procedures were conducted twice: in February 2009, and in June 2010. Computerization of the results was done in January 2011. Consequently, the researchers developed a coding system that was essential in identifying study features that were salient to the study. In this regard, studies were coded for samples including, sex, race ethnicity, education, social status, average length of residence in the US, and migration status. The study design characteristics such as the total sample size, geographic region from which the data was collected, ethnicity of participants, publication year and type, study setting type, age of data source were also largely taken into consideration by the researchers. More importantly, the coding procedure also involved the study variables characteristics. Subcategories were also created in order to make comparisons across the different studies and have a better and extended understanding of the different variables that are linked with discrimination. Torres, Yznaga and Moore (2011), used a questionnaire to conduct their research; they recruited their participants through a local university and different community centres. The study used a total sample population of 367 of Latino adults comprising of 101 men and 266 women. 95.5% of the participants identified the cultural heritage to be Mexican, Mexican-American, and/or Chicano. The remaining 4.5% comprised of Puerto-Rican, Cuban, Central American, South American, and/or other. The recruited individuals participated in the study through either online or by paper and pencil questionnaires. Student participants who were recruited at the university were directed or referred to a secure online survey website that comprised of confidentiality procedures. The participants were required to provide consent before taking part in the study; for instance, they were provided access to attend to and complete questionnaires online. Participants recruited at different community centres were a mixture of students and nonstudents were informed of the confidentiality issues and were then allowed to give verbal consent prior to them completing the questionnaires in paper and pencil format. The questionnaire required participants to provide their background information, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R), the Perceived Racism Scale for Latinos (PRSL), and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). The questionnaire required approximately 30-45 minutes to be completed. After completing the questionnaire, each participant was given $10 gift card. This research was approved by the institution’s Institutional Review Board before data collection was commenced. Bonazzo and Wong (2007) used interviews in their research where four undergraduate Japanese international female students at a predominantly white south-western university were used as participants in the study. The participants were recruited from a large student organization that comprised of mainly students with Asian origin. After recruitment of the participants, the research used a biracial male to conduct an extensive and in-depth, semi-structured interviews of approximately 30 – 45minutes with each participant. The interviews were carried out in either in the researcher’s office on the university campus or in the study rooms at the library. The interviews were audiotaped only after the participants gave their informed consent. The recorded interviews were then transcribed after which the transcripts were carefully ready repeatedly in order to discover themes related to the research topic. Overall Results The contexts of these articles though different, they have a common theme; racial discrimination is the main issue that all authors have come up with different studies to bring it to light. In the same line of discussion, authors of these articles have identified various means and ways through which some individuals and communities are racially discriminated due to their skin colour, nationality, and/or place of origin. Following this critical observation, they unanimously agree that although those individuals have developed means of coping up with kind of discrimination: ways and means for addressing racial discrimination must be developed. Stevens, Hussein and Manthorpe (2012) through their study they found out that, care workers in the UK are socially discriminated with regard to their visible and social makers, cultural differences, ameliorating effects of time and the importance of support from managers. For example, a substantial number of care workers gave evidence that they were racially discriminated by their employers, colleagues, and service users. Most of those who were racially identified their ethnicity as Asian, African, Latinos as well as their skin colour to be the source of their discrimination. Similarly, working with people from different cultures also heightened racism; working with older people who were culturally sensitive was one of the contributors to racism. In the same line of discussion, breaking cultural rules was another factor that vastly contributed to migrant care workers being racially discriminated. Accordingly, working with personalities and relationships was also found to a contributor to racial discrimination. The researchers also found out that the care workers had come up with their own of coping with discrimination. The Meta-Analysis was used by Lee and Ahn (2012) to determine the relationship between personal experiences of discrimination, individual resources, and outcomes for Latinos in the US. The meta-analysis in this research used a total of eighteen studies: eight in the first meta-analysis and ten in the second round. Through their research they observed that individual resources were strongly related to racial discrimination; the outcomes with regard to individual resources were anxiety, depression, psychological distress, education and employment as well as unhealthy behaviour. The individual resources that resulted from the meta-analysis include: personal constructs and strengths, social support, acculturation, enculturation, acculturative, stress, and active coping skills. With regard to the second research question, it was established that personal constructs and strengths were the main contributors. Personal constructs in this essence were self esteem, self-efficacy, just world beliefs, self-acceptance, procedural justice and academic motivation. It was also concluded by this research that clients without positive self-accepts or beliefs of the world were vulnerable to experience the negative effects of discrimination. According to Torres, Yznaga and Moore (2011) research, the main goal was to determine the perceived discrimination against Latino mental health and to identify which situations served as ethnic identity served to buffer Latinos from these negative experiences. In essence, ethnic identity acted as a buffer between covert discrimination and mental health. Through this research, it was established that ethnic identity was strongly linked to increased psychological problems within racial discrimination parameters among the Latinos. Bonazzo and Wong (2007) research concluded that Japanese female students experienced discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes. The four main themes in this research were: the overt forms of prejudices and discrimination and stereotype, stereotype common to Asians, stereotype unique to Japanese, and coping up with discrimination through avoidance. For instance, overt forms of prejudice and discrimination and stereotypes; one participant identified that her chemistry professor treated her differently than the other students in the class. Stereotype common to Asian, the researchers found out that all respondents indicated that they experienced stereotypes similar to those experienced by Asian Americans. Accordingly, stereotype unique to the Japanese was also observed; the participants also reported that they experienced a unique kind of stereotypes of Americans’ perception about the Japanese. Bonazzo and Wong (2007) also found that the participants had come up with measures to cope up with discrimination through avoidance. The limitation of this research was that the participants could not express them effectively because they were uncomfortable with the interviewer who was a by-racial male. The findings of this research go hand in hand with the Torres et al, findings, for example, individuals were basically discriminated on their ethnic lines in both studies. Conclusion The four articles discussed in this report comprehensively discuss how individuals are racially discriminated across the world. Similarly, the articles display how racial discrimination can tarnish humanity; it is a social ill that must be addressed. The main themes that are strongly articulated in these articles as discussed from the above are ethnicity, psychological distress for the victims, social biases, and how the victims cope with discrimination. As evidenced by these four articles, racial discrimination is still prevalent in our current world and thus the need to address it together with its effects. Part B Introduction In order to have a clear analysis and reflection of racial discrimination and how it negatively affects the society, I chose the movie ‘The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas’ that on John Boyne’s novel of the same name. This movie is a holocaust drama exploring the inhumane and horrific incidences of a World War II Nazi extermination camp by using two eight-year-old boys: the son of the camp’s commandant and the son of a Jewish inmate. The movie reveals how the Jews were racially discriminated and excessively abused, mistreated, and executed during the World War II by the Nazi. Throughout the story you are kept anxiously waiting to see what happens to the Jews; what cause of action is likely to be taken by a Nazi soldier. When Shmuel reveals to Bruno about why they are held in the camp and given the fact that they come from different ethnicities you are left to wonder what is will happen to him. This triggers Bruno to recall what he has been taught about the Jews, however, he realizes that Jewish people are not evil as he had been taught and becomes sceptical about the Nazi propaganda. Particularly after discovering, that the character of his friend Shmuel as well as their family’s savant is not in line with what he was being taught. Accordingly, the burning of Jews, Pavel beatings, the gas chamber, the disappearance of Bruno together with his search, in the gas facility and the inmates, and the final yelling and banging of the door by the inmates. These events are extremely thrilling showing how some people can go an extra mile to discriminate racially people who belong to other races. Description of Different characters and their various behaviours I have dedicated this section to compare various characters with my chosen articles in relation to racial discrimination with a singular objective of explaining the similarities and reasoning with regard to the different character behaviours. In this regard, I will focus mainly on Bruno as he helps expose racial discrimination issues within the movie. Bruno He is a nine-year-old boy who relocates from Berlin to Poland with his family because his father was a Military Commandant to live in a concentration camp where Jews were being held captive. He was confused not knowing what his family was staying in that camp. Through his curiosity, he found a boy of his age Shmuel who revealed to him why they being held captive in that concentration. Through this he helps expose how Jews were being racially discriminated as well as showing us that Nazi’s from a childhood age they are taught how to discriminate the Jews. For instance, his disappearance from home to go and assist Shmuel in the search of his missing father, leads us to know what really happens in concentration particularly in the gas chambers. The way SS soldier pours Zyklon B pellet into the chamber to punish the Jews. Similarly, helps us know that all people are equal and require the same kind of treatment including loving them, sharing food with them, and recognizing that they are also human beings; all human beings are equal and so they should be treated. Bruno, after discovering that he was being lied to that Jews were bad and unwanted race, he was psychologically distressed given the fact that Shmuel behaved kindly with him and was a true friend (Stevens et al, 2012). For example he was very distressed that, Shmuel’s father together with fellow Jews were being mistreated, tortured, and even killed by the Nazi regime. Shmuel Is a nine year old Jewish boy from Poland, he is confused as to where he was and what he was doing in the concentration camp particularly on the other side of the fence. He is one of the several Jewish families living in the concentration camp who live in dire poverty having nothing. He finds Bruno and befriends because they had several things in common like sharing the same birth day. Through their friendship, they help to reveal the social injustices that existed in the camp; including extreme racial discrimination, poverty, as well poor health. Like Bruno, Shmuel was always psychologically distressed with to the way being racially treated due to their ethnicity. The social biases that were directed to them were a thorn in the flesh. He isolates himself from the camp to a lone ground particularly when he is distressed (Torres, et al, 2012). When his father is taken to the gassing chamber he is overwhelmed with this situation becomes psychologically distressed and isolates himself to his usual lonely and deserted location in the camp. Lieutenant Kotler Is a mean military soldier aged eighteen years who wanders around Bruno’s house thinking that he is in control whenever Bruno’s father was a way. He also helps in revealing how Jews were brutally racially discriminated during World War II by the Nazi regime. He is one of the many soldiers who racially discriminated the Jews because of their ethnicity (Wong, 2007). For example, he ruthlessly beat Pavel for accidentally breaking the glass during dinner. Pavel He is the Butler of the house and he had been placed there because he was a Jew; this exemplifies how social bias was prevalent. He is also dragged, kicked and beaten by Kotler when he accidentally breaks his glass trying to fill it up. This explains how Jews were considered value-less and a not wanted kind of race in the Nazi’s perspective. He is also psychologically distressed due to the work he does, the way he and the larger Jew community are treated. Herr Liszt He is Bruno’s teacher who helps him with his education and never wants the boy to be adventurous. Through his character, we are shown how the Nazi regime used to teach children at a very young age to discriminate racially certain specific races. Who do I know that behaves with racism? Upon the reflection of this movie, I believe that racial discrimination and racism was strongly incarnated in the Nazi regime; Lieutenant Kotler is strongly depicted in this movie as a racist. Upon hearing and observing how the Jews were being mistreated through the movie I came to understand how some people could go beyond humanity and treat others like savages and unwanted entities. The actions of the Nazi soldiers at the camp were mainly propagated and spearheaded by Kotler. How best to approach these personalities in real life In any humane sense, racial discrimination is extremely outdated, bad, and above all a derail to development. Given this fact, it is important for human being to realize that everyone is equal and so they should be treated. Emphasizing equality in all aspects of life across all races is the only way that racial discrimination and racism can be effectively addressed. Critical reflection and lessons learnt The characters in ‘The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas’ help to illustrate how the Nazi regime was crude and uncouth in their military operations. They maimed, beat, kicked, killed and even burnt Jews because of their race. Accordingly, the regimes administration enacted education policies that fostered racism. Children were taught to racially discriminate Jews when they were still young and hence grow up knowing that discriminating them was the right way of life. Comparing this movie with the four articles discussed in the above report, racial discrimination and its effects have been broadly exhibited. Discrimination of individuals based on their ethnicity is a common theme (Stevens et al 2012). In both cases, individuals suffer from social biases, and psychological discrimination. References Bonazzo, C., and Wong, Y. 2007. Japanese International Female Students’ Experience of Discrimination, Prejudice, and Stereotypes. College Student Journal, vol. 41, pp. 631- 639 Lee, D., and Ahn, S. 2012. Discrimination against Latina/os: A Meta-Analysis of Individual-Level Resources and Outcomes. The Counselling Psychologist, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 28-65 Stevens, M., Hussein, S., and Manthorpe, J. 2012. Experiences of racism and discrimination The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity Exploration and Commitment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, vol. 81, no. 4, pp. 526-534 Torres, L., Yznaga, S., and Moore, K. 2011. Discrimination and Latino Psychological Distress: among migrant care workers in England: Findings from a mixed-methods research project. Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 259-280 Appendix 1 Guided Reflection Prejudice is defined as unfavourable attitude towards a social group and its members such as prejudice towards the Jews. The behaviours displayed by different characters in this movie ‘The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas’ corresponds to different theories and models covered in class. For example Jews in the movie are stigmatized; in the concentration camp suffer from social stigma. The Nazi regime has subjected the Jews to poverty and extreme humiliation; they have nothing to live for. Their self worth, self esteem and psychological wellbeing were infringed on by the Nazi’s. Specifically, Pavel works as a butler because at Bruno father’s house; a lowly remunerated job, he is also beaten and kicked by Lieutenant Kotler for only breaking a glass of water. Accordingly, Shmuel father together with other inmates at the camp are continuously subjected to suffering; for example they are taken to the gas chamber where they are exposed to toxic gases. There is instance in the movie that is contrary to what I have learnt; Bruno’s actions, he behaves contrary to what he is expected to. When he discovers that what he was being taught was not true, he extends his friendship and befriends Shmuel against the Nazi ideals. This Movie has been instrumental in expanding my understanding with regard to racial discrimination. The actions of Lieutenant Kotler together with Nazi soldiers against the Jews wholly gives a clear picture of how racism in the real world. Read More