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Analysis Paper: Instances of Personal and Institutional Discrimination

SW 3110
September 24, 2013
Oliviah Marshall

Can a noun actually be a verb, or maybe even used as an adjective? I ask this after
debating to myself what I believe the word discrimination to be. According to Websters
dictionary, it is labeled a noun and is defined as, the practice of unfairly treating a person or
group of people differently from other people or groups of people. To me, the description
sounds like that of a verb, and when I think about situations that displayed discrimination, I
visualize acts of rudeness, unfair circumstances, and prejudice for those victimized by the word.
Many think that discrimination is purely an act of racism, when in fact that is not
always the case. It happens much more subconsciously than many of us may believe. I want to
share an instance in my life where I allowed, or had power of discrimination and did not even
realize it. I work a Potbelly, a high paced, multitasked sandwich shop where most employees
range in ages of 18 thru mid twenties. One time after the brutal lunch peak, an older man, maybe
in his fifties, came into our shop asking for an application for employment. A coworker of mine
went to our cupboard and ripped of a form for application, gave it to the man to fill out and
immediately came to the back of house to laugh and describe how he is searching for a job at his
age. I giggled, and joined in on conversation, not really even realizing at that point that I was
displaying a cruel form of discrimination. I had the power to explain to my coworker that no
matter his (or any applicants) age, they are entitled to a job just as much as we were, but I abused
my power and talked down on the man with her. Looking back, I think, Who am I to
discriminate on an individual just because of their age, look or (possible) quality of work?
Aside from that, I perpetrated an act of discrimination as well. In this situation, I
was in desperate need of a new car. New to the area, I asked around as to where I should search
for a great running, stylish looking, and low price vehicle. A few friends suggested I search on
the (infamous) 8 mile. They ranted and raved how there were car lots for miles and I would drive

off with a new car that day if I wanted. Thinking to myself, 8 mile?, really? and do you
know why I thought this? The Marshall Mather, Eminem hit movie, 8 Mile, of course. All I
could picture were trailer homes, dirty streets, cold weather and violence. A vehicle from an area
like this couldnt possibly be stylish, and dont even get me started on how great it runs. Well,
push come to shove, a friend and I drove around and shopped for the day. I test drove a number
of cars, talked about engines, gas mileage, factory warranties, cloth vs. leather seats all day and
actually, to my surprise, drove off with a new pearly white Impala. My pre-conceived thoughts
put me at a disadvantage where I let a stupid movie allow me to think badly about a certain area
in town. The stereotypes and discrimination I showed towards 8 mile dissipated after pushing
myself to get past mental barriers.
I have not yet had the opportunity to work in a social work agency, or with any
internships/mentors in the field. However, I used to work at an agency that displayed institutional
discrimination. It was a call center for a law firm; the firm tried to receive clients that
experienced medical malpractice which resulted in Cerebral Palsy. First, this firm displayed
institutional discrimination in that the employees in the center had to be (younger) females, soft
(non smoking) voice, could not use the word umm and had to have the power, or talent of
persuasion. Bouncing off of that, the firm enforced institutional discrimination to their potential
clients by bulling them into consulting in a medical legal review. Sadly, call center specialists
were trained how to persuade callers into thinking their doctors should be sued, that events could
have been prevented, and lawsuit funds could be millions. My employer showed extreme
discrimination in all aspects; gender, race, age, power etc. With that being said, I worked a quick
six months at this firm and had to quit due to these terrible circumstances.

Discrimination is unfortunately a trait that is demonstrated by every individual in

almost everyday life. We do not realize how simple gestures, comments or actions can truly
affect others and their lives. Pre conceived thoughts can definitely lead to our own
disadvantages in day to day life and quickly can mold into stereotypes about others. It is an
unfair, cruel act towards another individual(s) and we can not allow ourselves to continue to be
so unaware of our actions in this manner. Before a discriminatory action, stop and think, have a
voice, change, and remake the situation for the better. Described as a noun, but camouflaging
into a verb, discriminating towards others will no longer be a subconscious action for me. I hope
to become more aware of my thoughts and actions from this assignment to grow as an individual
and future social worker.