Coping with Prejudice

Prejudice is judging people based on race, sex, age, appearance, religion or sexual preference without learning what they are really like. Prejudice is a natural human tendency because it makes it easier to deal with human diversity. However, prejudice robs its victims of their individuality, boxing them into categories and generates bad feelings and resentment. The less intelligent, broad-minded and curious people are, the more prejudiced they are likely to be. Prejudice breeds itself. Victims of prejudice are likely to respond in kind.

Prejudice in the workplace is problematic. If a co-worker makes a prejudiced comment about a group to which you belong, you will be offended. So, if you make a prejudiced statement to others, there is likely to be someone you will offend. You can usually overcome prejudices in the workplace because, in time, workers learn to deal with each other as individuals. But, if you work with the public, you must be constantly on guard against your prejudices and theirs. You will lose customers if you cannot cope with prejudice.

You may be prejudiced without realising it. Many people follow a double-standard, considering other people's prejudices offensive, but their own to be humorous. The first step, therefore, is to learn how to identify your own prejudices. If you realise you are prejudiced, you will not mount a high horse and condemn those prejudiced against you. Also, if you know what comments or actions others may find offensive, you will be less likely to make them.

By asking the following questions, you can determine where your prejudices lie:

• Have you every ridiculed or dismissed someone based on the way they looked, spoke or acted?
• Have you ever judged someone based on age, clothing, walk, hairstyle or general appearance?
• Have you ever categorised people on the area they come from or the part of town where they live?
• Have you ever made blanket statements about people belonging to an ethnic, religious, economic, political, social or occupational group?
• Have you ever dismissed or condemned people based on their lifestyles or beliefs?
• Have you ever refused to do some task or activity even though you do not know what it involved?
• Have you avoided certain places or areas without really knowing anything about them?

Almost everyone can respond "yes" to some of the preceding questions. However, if the examples which come to mind are recent and numerous, you have a problem with prejudice. You need to follow this advice:

Monitor Yourself: You will not be able to rid yourself of prejudice overnight. However, if you keep reflecting on how you view and treat other people, you will eventually root out your prejudiced thoughts and actions.

Avoid Generalisation: Do not make general statements about any group of people. You never can tell when a member of that group is present. Avoid flippant comments and jokes about minority groups even if they are appreciated by your listeners.

Do Not use Offensive Labels: Words, such as whitey, fag, Spic, Dutchie, Chink, grey-hair, Jap, Nip, Kraut, Frog and Hebe, have no place in your vocabulary. Even if people representing these minorities use the same labels, their use by an outsider may offend. Try to avoid referring to people by the minority they belong to. Avoid saying that black man, that white man or that Jewish person.

Challenge Prejudice in Others: If someone else makes prejudiced comments, ask questions to expose their prejudice. For instance, if someone says that all fundamentalists are fascists, ask them how many fundamentalists they know.

Deal Calmly with Prejudice: Do not lose your temper or engage in an argument. Do not argue with or make a prejudiced person angry because that will usually harden his or her prejudice. If you wish to make a point, calmly ask if they know anyone in the group they are defaming. If they say yes, ask how well they know them. Get them to see that there are many examples of people who do not fit their prejudiced stereotypes.

Click here to view a video on coping with prejudice.