Why is discrimination a problem

The World Values Surveys assess prejudicial attitudes through questions on whether respondents would object to having certain groups of people as neighbours as a measure of social distance between groups.

Attitudes towards migrants often become more negative in periods of economic insecurity or following large waves of immigration. The misperceptions that most often lead to negative attitudes include that migrants take away jobs from natives or they commit illegal acts, among others. Persistent exposure to discrimination can lead individuals to internalize the prejudice or stigma that is directed against them, manifesting in shame, low self-esteem, fear and stress, as well as poor health.

What is on this page? What is race discrimination? What the Equality Act says about race discrimination Different types of race discrimination Circumstances when being treated differently due to race is lawful. Who is this page for?

What the Equality Act says about race discrimination. The Equality Act says you must not be discriminated against because of your race. Different types of race discrimination. There are four main types of race discrimination. Direct discrimination This happens when someone treats you worse than another person in a similar situation because of your race. For example: if a letting agency would not let a flat to you because of your race, this would be direct race discrimination Indirect discrimination This happens when an organisation has a particular policy or way of working that puts people of your racial group at a disadvantage.

For example: a hairdresser refuses to employ stylists that cover their own hair, this would put any Muslim women or Sikh men who cover their hair at a disadvantage when applying for a position as a stylist Sometimes indirect race discrimination can be permitted if the organisation or employer is able to show to show that there is a good reason for the discrimination.

For example: a Somalian asylum seeker tries to open a bank account but the bank states that in order to be eligible you need to have been resident in the UK for 12 months and have a permanent address.

The Somalian man is not able to open a bank account. The bank would need to prove that its policy was necessary for business reasons such as to prevent fraud and that there was no practical alternative Harassment Harassment occurs when someone makes you feel humiliated, offended or degraded.

For example: a young British Asian man at work keeps being called a racist name by colleagues. His colleagues say it is just banter, but the employee is insulted and offended by it Harassment can never be justified.

Victimisation This is when you are treated badly because you have made a complaint of race related discrimination under the Equality Act. For more information, see the "What does the law say" factsheet.

You can also get support or advice to deal with a difficult situation from organisations like Kids Helpline and ReachOut.

Why is racism a problem? Home Our Work Education Why is racism a problem? Whereas if no one said anything bad about me, I would push myself harder into doing things and knowing that I can do it, no matter what happens I will do it … but I just can't.