Final answer:
When people are treated unequally based on group characteristics, it is called discrimination. Discrimination involves actions that are unjust or biased, while terms like stereotypes, segregation, and minority groups have specific meanings related to unequal treatment and power dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
When people from different categories are treated unequally, it is considered to be discrimination. Discrimination is the unjust or unequal treatment based on specific characteristics such as race, gender, age, or religion. Definitions of key concepts relevant to this topic include:
- Prejudice: Biased thought based on flawed assumptions about a group of people.
- Stereotypes: Oversimplified generalizations about groups of people, which can be positive or negative and often do not take individual differences into account.
- Segregation: The physical separation of two groups in residence, workplace, or social functions.
- Minority groups: Groups of people who are singled out for differential and unequal treatment and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.
One defining feature of a minority group is their lack of power compared to the dominant group, as highlighted by Charles Wagley and Marvin Harris. Discrimination, as described, consists of biased actions against an individual or group and has a long history, including examples such as redlining or overt signs barring certain ethnicities from businesses.