Discrimination is making a distinction in treatment on arbitrary grounds such as racial origin, sex, socioeconomic status, etc.. Generally, this term is given a negative connotation, insofar as it treats disparagingly or harms certain groups without a rational justification. However, it is possible to speak of positive discrimination when some groups are treated preferentially without harming others and when their needs and problems are pointed out in order to help them. This is of special relevance in people with different capacities, who in many nations are favored with subsidies or benefits that pursue the possibility of a better insertion in society, with autonomy and equal opportunities in comparison with other individuals.
The cases of discrimination in history are numerous. In no way can it be affirmed that this phenomenon is recent, but that it is a problem that encompasses all ages. Suffice it to note that slavery has existed since the beginning of mankind to understand that it is a long-standing problem and that it accompanies the moral miseries of man. However, it is more striking that this situation is present today, to the extent that there are high-ranking legal regulations that discourage it.
The most relevant cases that are close in time are those of a racial nature. Of course, there has been discrimination of all kinds in nearby times, but the case of racial discrimination stands out because it reached legal status in several states. The most emblematic case is that of Nazi Germany, which led to the death of millions of Jews after making them live in subhuman conditions. Another very famous case is apartheid which took place in South Africa; according to this, only whites could use some public places and own certain districts. At present, these forms of racial discrimination are observed in a more subtle way, as described in the segregation of families or communities within the same nation or in the face of migratory phenomena that characterize the displacement of people from more relegated regions to nations or areas. of greater financial wealth.
Likewise, negative discrimination based on sex is a phenomenon that still rages even in democratic societies. Although many women have achieved hierarchical and leadership positions, among which the presidency of the government in many developed or developing nations stands out, it is still noted that, in many cases, women obtain lower income for the same task in relation to the men who hold similar positions.
On the other hand, religious discrimination is another factor of considerable weight in different nations, in which the exercise of a cult different from that of the State can motivate reprisals, including physical punishment or imprisonment.
Strictly speaking, different sociologists admit that the lack of equal opportunity constitutes in itself a form of discrimination, within the framework of the precept of equality before the law that characterizes republican companies. This statement highlights the differences that we mentioned above between negative discrimination and so-called "positive discrimination", which, on the contrary, would make it easier for all individuals to have similar rights.
Beyond these bombastic cases, the most difficult form of discrimination to eradicate is that which manifests itself in an underhanded way. This requires more elaborate legal expressions to identify these cases and punish them. In this context, numerous specialists have highlighted that multi-ethnic societies, as described in most Latin American nations, seem to be characterized by a higher level of acceptance of racial, religious, ethnic, cultural and social differences, therefore that discriminatory phenomena reach a lower expression, compared to what is reported in other societies in the world. However, it is necessary to improve and refine the regulations and laws to ensure definitively that the different types of discrimination do not affect the normal functioning of society and the well-being and quality of life of each of the individuals that comprise it. .
