What is the Difference Between Discrimination and Racism?

The main difference between discrimination and racism lies in the underlying beliefs and actions associated with each term.

Discrimination refers to the differential treatment of members of different ethnic, religious, national, or other groups. It often involves negative, hostile, and injurious treatment of members of rejected groups and can manifest in various ways, such as unequal treatment based on group membership. Discrimination can be overt or covert, including microaggressions or indirect behaviors that reflect negative attitudes or beliefs about a non-majority group.

Racism, on the other hand, is a form of prejudice that assumes members of racial categories have distinctive characteristics and is based on beliefs about one's own racial superiority or the belief that race reflects inherent differences in attributes and capabilities. Racism can take several forms, including:

• Personal racism, which may be considered the same as prejudice.
• Institutional racism, involving a set of environmental conditions that favor one group over another.
• Cultural racism, referring to shared beliefs about the superiority of one group over another.

While racism is a broader concept that encompasses negative attitudes and beliefs about race, discrimination is the behavioral manifestation of prejudice, which can include racism. In other words, discrimination is the actual act of treating someone differently or unfairly based on their group membership, while racism is the belief system that justifies or promotes such treatment.

Comparative Table: Discrimination vs Racism

Here is a table distinguishing between discrimination and racism:

In summary, discrimination refers to the unequal treatment of individuals or groups based on certain characteristics, while racism is a specific form of prejudice that involves the belief in distinctive characteristics of racial categories and often results in systematic discrimination and negative emotional reactions.