THE DAILY OBSERVER Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Page D> wwwjamaicaobserver.com JOL LECTURE SERIES jamaica observer Limited A CARIBBEAN it AYTG FUG AND DEVELOPMENT ‘Today we will focus on the concept of social justice ‘We will examine the approaches to understanding and defining social justice, issues of discrimination and the indicators of development affected by social justice DEFINING SOCIAL JUSTICE Social Justice: The concept that all humans in society are entitled to certain basic (inalienable) rights and freedoms regardless of race, class or creed and which are guaranteed. The objective of social justice is to promote harmony in society by ensuring the protection of rights and treating all people equally and equitably. Pees i APPROACHES TO SOCIAL JUSTICE NATURAL RIGHTS svorai caries AAAS CUA basic rights individuals receive at birth woman IM Jeccrene,, Val VIONROPNE ADVANTAGE well-being provided by the government Includes rights to life, liberty, protection of property and privacy, fag howls Emphasis on disadvantaged groups tc. Typically enshrined Inthe constitution through the Bil of Rights disabled, eldery, poor) and helping them to Improve their quality of life ‘Asystem where all parties (state and citizenry) in the country contribute to and benefit from the opportunities avaiable ‘Based on the notion that the ‘governments provide ‘opportunities from which all should benefit, regardless of status AND that governments protect the rights of citizens who in retum obey lawsTHE DAILY OBSERVER Tuesday, February 21,2017 Page @D Sate ese (TB yea Discrimination is the main way by which social injustice is manifested. This section will assess some concepts and forms of discrimination, *A preconceived negative judgement or opinion formed without reason, knowledge or facts STEREOTYPE °A rigid and oversimplified standarised image or idea about an individual or group, influenced by experience and socialization The practice of treating certain groups of people unjustly or differently, based on existing prejudices 7THE DAILY OBSERVER Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Page ED AGEISM ‘+ This is prejudice against an individual based on their age. Ideas and opinions held about the abilities of individuals are influenced by their age. These prejudices may lead to stereotypes and discrimination, ‘+ Some stereotypes about age are based on socialisation and are evident in proverbs. Examples’ “The older the wiser” or “young and foolish”. Tt is often said that “all old people are miserable” and “If yuh grow wid yuh granny, yuh will un granny to.” + Discrimination may be manifested by acting upon the prejudices and stereotypes held. Examples: - elderly people who are mentally and physically incompetent are easy targets for scams; - some persons over 40 years old have difficulty obtaining jobs as employers believe that they will lack enthusiasm and energy to be productive; young persons who have special skills and academic qualifications may not obtain employment in their field as employers prefer to hire individuals with experience SEXISM i, Prejudice against an individual based on their gender/sex. These prejudices are based on gender socialisation within cultures. Stereotypes include: - Men are strong, brave, breadwinners, heads of households, leaders of businesses and. governments. Men who ery are weak, = Women are weak, emotional and quarrelsome; they should submit to their husbands and raise the children, Their place is in the home and governments led by women are ineffective. Women who are strong are misandrists or lesbians. iii, Gender/sex discrimination is evident where: - women are paid less than men for the same job; ~ men are less likely to be accepted to work in fields such as nursing, cosmetology and dressmaking: = males receive promotions over females although the females may be as qualified or more qualified or experienced in the field; ~ sexual harassment CLASSISM FORMS OF PREJUDICE & DISCRIMINATION Prejudice based on social class. In the Caribbean it is rooted in the colonial past and the evolution of the system of stratification which was closely tied to race. Y Stereotypes seen in references to ‘uptown people’ or ‘downtown people” or ‘country come to town” or “buttu’. Purported traits of the upper class include respectability and decency while those of the lower class include vulgarity and wantonness. Y Discrimination based on class involves ridiculing of the ‘have-nots’ by the ‘haves? Hindering accessibility to certain educational, health, financial and other institutions (usually by charging high fees or acting based on recommendations/references) 78THE DAILY OBSERVER Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Page (ED FORMS OF PREJUDICE & DISCRIMINATION ACISM, + Racism is prejudice that occurs because of racial attributes, which are considered to be superior or inferior. These are also socially formed ideas that exist within and between cultures. In the Caribbean, ‘shadeism’ (discrimination based on skin colour) and pigmentocracy seem to be more prominent than racism. + Stereotypes about race in the Caribbean include: black people are dishonest and are best utilised doing manual labour or menial jobs. + Racial discrimination may be direct or indirect; for example, barring entrance of an individual toa club based on their race. 2 DISCRIMINATION ‘+ Discrimination based on ethnicity is influenced by ethnocentrism; that is, using standards of one’s own culture to judge another culture, ‘+ Ethnic discrimination is usually experienced by minority groups within the region. Examples are: the Garifuna, Maya Mopan and Maya Kekchi of Belize; the Caribs in Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and St. Vincent; the Maroons of Jamaica; and Bush Negroes of Suriname have been subject to discrimination in terms of participation in government, access to land and resources as well as aspects of culture including language and customs, ‘+ Another example is the arbitrary deportation of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. Although some of the persons in the deportation policy were actually born in the Dominican Republic (DR), the policy stated that they had to have relatives who were citizens of DR before 1929, ABLEISM i. This is discrimination against people with disabilities; in essence, a preference for individuals who are not physically or mentally challenged. ii, Prejudice against the mentally challenged or intellectually disabled — they are perceived and/or stereotyped as ‘mad’ or ‘idiot’, Citizens ridicule the mentally challenged/intellectually disabled ii, The physically disabled are discriminated against where there is limited (and in some cases none) access for them to public facilities and employment. SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION Y Sexual orientation refers to the gender that an individual is sexually attracted to, which forms part of their sexual identity. Y Discrimination based on sexual orientation is usually directed at homosexuals in the form of verbal and physical abuse. + This is cruel, harsh, extreme or severe treatment of individuals or groups by the police. Tt includes arbitrary arrest, intimidation, racial profiling, ethnic discrimination, police corruption, abuse and politicism. ‘+ Discrimination is usually meted out to those who are perceived to be of low socio-economic status, especially males who are unemployed. 79