Understanding Bias and Discrimination

Study Notes

Heteronormativity, compulsory heterosexuality, and hegemonic masculinity are inclusionary-exclusionary mechanisms.
They exclude those who do not conform to these arbitrary and made-up standards.
Social constructs can be changed when no longer serving a purpose or becoming outdated.
Becoming aware of biases is the first step towards unlearning harmful practices and ideas.
Bias is a preference for or against a person, group, or thing, often rooted in inaccurate information.
Biases can be conscious or subconscious, manifesting in how we think and treat others.
Implicit biases are grounded in stereotypes and their associations.
Implicit biases are more difficult to identify than explicit biases.
Implicit biases can be unknowingly discriminatory, even without intent.

The history of race, racism, and racial ideology needs understanding to comprehend its construction.
Implicit racial biases can result in discriminatory actions, even in non-racially motivated people.
American eugenics influenced Hitler's beliefs about racial superiority and inferiority.
Hitler's beliefs led to the persecution of non-Aryan races and even Germans with disabilities.
The Holocaust, a result of these beliefs, saw the death of millions due to non-conformity with Nazi racial ideals.
Understanding social constructs, their origins, and our own explicit and implicit biases is crucial.
Social constructs can be changed.