Discrimination and Prejudice

Discrimination and Prejudice has been a serious problem in our society since the start of our nation. It still is a problem and will remain until we find a solution. The only problem is that there aren't many solutions that can be used. The only one that I have found is education. We could educate everyone about other races, nations, religions, and sexual orientations. It would be a tough job, but if everyone was willing to pitch in, we could change things, even if only a little. Every little bit would help. We may not be able to change the minds and opinions of adults who have already made up their minds, but if we teach the children, we can turn around their mind-set.

Having been in the military for almost 18yrs, I found that it has come a long way, and strive to remain one of the most tolerable organizations as far as diversity goes. However, there are issues that still need to be address. In my experience, I found that discrimination and prejudice are far more overt and blatant towards women than any other group in the military.

One of the issues that have affected women in the workplace is that of stereotyping of women. Throughout history women have taken the role of housewife, mother, and nurturer. Women are stereotyped to stay at home and take care of the house and children. It has been their job to cook the meals, do the laundry, and manage the children's school activities. Even today, motherhood is still considered to be the primary role for women. Women that do not take on this role are still today thought of as selfish. Women that look to establish careers outside the home, for years, were thought of as being selfish and self-centered. Because women were viewed as homemakers they were often given jobs that were meaningless, and they were not thought of as managers or professionals.