36. What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination?
Answer: D
Prejudice is an attitude whereas discrimination is an action.
Prejudice refers to preconceived opinions or feelings about individuals based on their group membership, often without just grounds. Discrimination, on the other hand, involves actions taken against individuals or groups based on those prejudiced beliefs.
A) Prejudice deals with race whereas discrimination deals with ethnicity.
This option incorrectly specifies that prejudice and discrimination are limited to race and ethnicity respectively. Prejudice can pertain to various social categories beyond race, such as gender or religion, and discrimination encompasses actions based on any prejudicial beliefs, not just those related to ethnicity.
B) Prejudice deals with ethnicity whereas discrimination deals with race.
Similar to option A, this choice inaccurately confines prejudice and discrimination to specific categories. Prejudice can apply to a wide range of characteristics, including but not limited to ethnicity and race, making this statement overly simplistic and misleading.
C) Prejudice is an action whereas discrimination is an attitude.
This statement reverses the definitions of prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice is fundamentally an attitude or belief, while discrimination is the behavior that results from those prejudiced views. Therefore, this option misrepresents the core concepts under discussion.
D) Prejudice is an attitude whereas discrimination is an action.
This option accurately captures the essence of both terms. Prejudice is indeed an attitude characterized by biased thoughts or feelings about a group, whereas discrimination reflects the actions taken based on those prejudiced beliefs, making this the correct distinction.
Conclusion
The correct answer clarifies the fundamental distinction between prejudice as an attitude and discrimination as an action. Options A, B, and C fail to accurately define these concepts, limiting their scope or reversing their meanings. Understanding this difference is crucial for addressing social issues related to bias and inequality.