May 4, 2012

Discrimination in the Workplace Discrimination is a term used to describe unequal or disparate treatment of others. In short, it is a way of thinking and involves an action that puts one or more individuals at a disadvantage at the cost of another. It does not have to be for personal gain or prestige but to hinder or gain dominance or control over another human being that does not have the same power or control in a situation. The reasoning may emanate from one or more biases, such as ethnic, religious, political, disabilities, gender or sexual preference. Discrimination is also prevalent in the business world. According to Max Weber, a sociologist, “In the 1960s, critics pointed out that big businesses and other organizations engaged in unfair hiring practices. Rather than hiring on the basis of competence, as [he] had proposed, organizations had excluded women and other minorities, especially from positions of power” (Macionis, 2010, p. 175).
To counteract this, Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 indicates that no person employed or seeking employment by a business with more than 15 employees may be discriminated against due to his or her race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. While there are federal laws concerning discrimination, most states have enacted laws that prohibit it. These laws may have different remedies than the federal laws and may, in certain circumstances be more favorable than the federal laws. There are four major types of employment discrimination, race, sex, age, and disability. Other types can usually be dealt with in regard to one of them. These four are the main areas of discrimination in the workplace today. Title VII also deals with harassment on the basis of race or color. Harassment includes the use of ethnic slurs, racial jokes, offensive or derogatory comments or other verbal or physical