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#Post#: 49--------------------------------------------------
Subtler areas of discrimination
DIR By: Slavka
Date: May 22, 2018, 7:57 am
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I thought about this...
I think it could be something like not giving a job to a woman
that may be pregnant (illegal but still happens); I have seen
this in the past. Employers may perceive pregnant women/women of
child bearing age as a risk as they may go off on a maternity
leave and they'll have to find someone else; it's a simple cost
cutting exercise. Far more common in the private sector than in
the public sector though.
Years ago I worked with a lady who actually got fired when she
had the baby and went off on a maternity leave. She was fired
via a phone call. She was foreign and perhaps the employer
thought they could get away with it but they must have known it
was illegal. She sued the company.
Another subtler form could be ageism.
We live in a society that does not see wisdom in old age, like
they do in the other cultures. Being old is to be perceived as
ill, a burden, a has been.
It's very difficult to change a career once you are in your 30's
and onwards; people aren't fresh faced straight from uni and
'young bright things' that are just starting out and who can be
easily 'moulded' into the employer's requirements - employers
don't want to risk employing someone who may have a lot of
transferable skills but zero experience in the area. There was a
brilliant movie with Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway exactly on
this topic - The Intern. A great movie with a powerful message.
I think this is pretty rife actually. It's sad because the
retirement age has been increased and people even in their late
30's, 40's, 50's have many years of work ahead of them before
they can actually retire.
I went to do psychology as a mature student aged 24 and then did
my occupational post grad. I was thinking of joining a
graduation scheme and went to a few assessment centres - at this
point I've had over 11years of work experience behind me and was
looking at things slightly differently. As for the graduation
schemes, to me it felt it was the loudest, the most competitive
and 'me me me' people who got in - it was amazing to watch the
group exercises. I liked to observe and not 'jump in'. An
interesting experience indeed. When I applied for other jobs, my
transferable skills did not seem to matter much either. But it
all ended up well, I eventually found my own path and here I am
:-)
#Post#: 58--------------------------------------------------
Re: Subtler areas of discrimination
DIR By: VicTS
Date: May 23, 2018, 7:10 am
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Subtler way to discriminate; clothes, what we decide to dress in
plays can make others discriminate. Indeed, it gives us vital
information about others, what they are doing, or where they are
going, who they worship or what there political allegiances are.
Uniforms also give us information, but they also cause
discrimination. I often consider what I am wearing and how it
looks to the client, do I appear professional to them,
respectful, kind, intelligent etc. I have often heard others
dismiss people because of what they wear, for example, wearing
traditional Indian dress for a woman gives a traditional sense
and therefore may be discriminated against in a job interview.
I have witnessed people being turned away from night clubs
because they are in trainers and this indicated that they would
start being aggressive once inside the club, discrimination on
the type of footwear they have.
People who wear glasses may face discrimination and stereotypes,
I worked with a lady who had very poor eyesight, she had a guide
dog and large computer screen to work with. Colleagues often
approached her speaking loudly, they wrongly assumed she was
deaf and she was always discriminated against with social
events.
Food; if you eat takeaways you are a type of person, if you cook
fresh you are another type!
Hair colour and tattoos, body piercings and jewelry. People
face daily discrimination, especially with tattoos, they have a
fear factor with them.
What type of car you drive or motorbike.
I guess what could be stereo types can also lead to
discrimination in subtle way, however people face real problems
with their lives because of it.
I was at a networking meeting by the BACP last week and saw a
lady who had previously turned up with Gothic jewelry, dramatic
makeup and tattoos prominent. When I saw her this time she had
totally toned down her look and I understood why, as a therapist
she could have faced discrimination because of her appearance.
I realise that we all feel we have to tone down who we are, but
does this mean that her therapy is toned down?
It may be easier for people to deny their subtle discrimination
because it is not recognised as discrimination.
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