Stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudices against others are unfair and harmful, benefiting no one. Hence, it is increasingly important to find a way to put a stop to these actions. 

 

Three ways to do so are: attending and listening to seminars about the impact of discrimination and bullying; creating cross-cultural days and ethnicity days to spread awareness and understanding; and discuss discrimination - where it stems from and ways to prevent it - in order to end it. 

 

At an individual level, you can attend seminars and lectures about the impact of stereotypes and discrimination. Gwendolyn Keita asserts, “when people take a course on prejudice and are exposed to positively viewed examples of the target group, their levels of automatic negativity are reduced.”

 

Clearly, taking courses can help establish a common ground and diminish the pre-conceived notions that one may have. Moreover, by taking courses that discuss “race, civil rights, [and] discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation,” Vanderbilt University believes we can gain a greater understanding of one another and reduce the negative mindset and attitude we develop towards one another; instead, we determine how to properly assess one another. 

 

At a school level to help reduce discrimination, we can create a more representative curriculum and establish cross-cultural days to spread awareness and promote understanding of one another. According to Margot Toppen, a visionary educator,  creating cross-cultural days within a community is extremely valuable because it is “an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that exists within your community. It also offers a great opportunity to deepen social awareness and understanding by celebrating the cultural richness of the world beyond your immediate community.”

 

Clearly, developing cross-cultural days are significant as they can help develop a more welcoming and understanding community. In addition, they can “be a great way to foster a climate of inclusion and respect,” Toppen adds. As well as establishing cross-cultural days, it is important to develop a curriculum that fosters “cooperative learning; discussion and peer influence; instruction; and multicultural [awareness] … to reduce prejudice,” The Scottish Government reports. By ensuring that the curriculum within schools reduces prejudice and maintains representation, discimination can be reduced at the ground level, helping create a brighter future. 

 

At a community level, you can discuss discrimination within your community and determine ways to put and end to it. While discrimination is inevitable due to the innate human desire to categorize and sort, it is important to prevent stereotyping as it creates a lack of diversity and understanding. Keita states, “productive, meaningful dialogues [about discrimination] can help contribute significantly to awareness of these important truths.” In other words, discussing prejudices and discrimination can help uncover the truth and prevent the generalization of one person from another. 

 

By discussing present discriminations, your community can reduce the prejudices that occur frequently and help promote a sense of understanding. Furthermore, according to The Scottish Government’s article, “What Works to Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination?,”  “peer discussion between different groups” can reduce future conflict and stereotyping. Undoubtedly, peer discussion plays an integral role in ending discrimination. 

 

Ending discrimination and prejudice will always be of upmost importance. Some of the most effective ways to end discrimination are by attending lecutres/seminars about discrimination, creating more balanced, representative, and multi-cultural curriculum, and by discussing discrimination within your community. In doing these actions, we can create a more accepting and peaceful society. 

 

Works Cited

 

Keita, Gwendolyn. “Discussing Discrimination.” Apa.org, 2021, www.apa.org/topics/racism-bias-discrimination/keita 

 

The Scottish Government. “What Works to Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination? - A Review of the Evidence.” Gov.scot, The Scottish Government, 14 Oct. 2015, www.gov.scot/publications/works-reduce-prejudice-discrimination-review-evidence/pages/5/ 

 

Toppen, Margot. SEL Journeys. “How to Plan a School Cultural Celebration.” CATCH, EduMotion, 10 Feb. 2020, https://edumotion.com/school-cultural-event/ 

 

Vanderbilt University. “Dean’s Lecture Series on Race and Discrimination | Diversity, Equity and Community | Law School | Vanderbilt University.” Law.vanderbilt.edu, 2022, https://law.vanderbilt.edu/diversity-equity-community/deans-lecture-series.php