Final answer:
The Barnes & Noble example represents price discrimination as it offers different prices based on membership status. Market forces can deter discriminatory practices as businesses recognize the value in equity to retain customers, employees, and avoid legal issues. Predatory pricing is nuanced and must be assessed carefully against cost structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of price discrimination occurs when a company charges different prices to different buyers for the same product or service, when the price differences are not due to differences in cost.
The example given where Barnes & Noble bookstores give a 10 percent discount to shoppers who belong to the Barnes & Noble customer club is an instance of price discrimination because the discount is based on a customer's membership status and not the cost of the books.
Market forces can also encourage businesses to act in a less discriminatory fashion. For example, a flower delivery business noticing that a large portion of their clientele is of a particular racial background may realize that it's in their economic interest to treat all customers equally to sustain and grow their customer base.
Similarly, an assembly line struggling to find qualified workers has a strong incentive to hire without gender discrimination to fill its labor needs. Lastly, a home health care services provider may eventually offer equitable wages to all workers, regardless of ethnicity, in order to retain talent and avoid legal repercussions.
In the case of predatory pricing, like the American Airlines example, competitors may cut prices not necessarily with the predatory intent to drive others out of business, but rather as a competitive strategy in response to market entry . It's a nuanced area, where the price cut needs to be assessed against the costs to determine if it's a legitimate competition or predatory practice.