A prejudice and Discrimination poll

[AleoMagus]

This is a follow up poll for the post I made earlier

Prejudice and Discrimination (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=3364385&page=0&view=c ollapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1)

You are forced to play a two on two basketball game for your life against two unknown opponents. You may pick your partner

An otherwise unknown 25 yr old african american male
An otherwise unknown 25 yr old white american male

This is not a trick of any kind. Your partner will be randomly drawn form all persons of that category.

What if you instead had to choose a random traveling companion on some deserted stretch of highway. You have to choose from

an otherwise unknown 25 yr old african american woman
an otherwise unknown 25 yr old white american male

One of these choices is a serial killer. The likelihood that either one is the serial killer is directly proportional to that actual likelihood that a person of each category is a serial killer.

This isn't a prejudice question, its a probability question.

[AleoMagus]

Ok, but it is a discrimination question either way.

Regards
Brad S

[xniNja]

I agree this question isn't about prejudice.. it's also not about discrimination in the sense of unfair treatment based on prejudice. However, it could be considered discrimination as in a discernation, but that isn't necessarily bad.

I chose a 25 y/o african american male as my bball partner, because in my experience (and I'm sure statistical data backs it up) african males in that age group are better basketball players.

Likewise, I choose the woman in the second question, because statistically White American Males are more likely to be serial killers.

I think this is a statistics question, actually.

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, but it is a discrimination question either way.

Regards
Brad S

[/ QUOTE ]

No it isn't.

[AleoMagus]

[ QUOTE ]
it's also not about discrimination in the sense of unfair treatment based on prejudice.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess the point is, much of the discrimination we see may not be unfair treatment based on prejudice. By just saying that this is a statistics question you start to walk a bit of a slippery slope. There are a lot of strong statistics out there that would affect things like employment hiring practices in ways I'm not sure we want to accept.

There are some out there who would say that all discrimination when race or gender is involved is bad.

Regards
Brad S

[AleoMagus]

[ QUOTE ]


Quote:
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Ok, but it is a discrimination question either way.

Regards
Brad S


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No it isn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Discrimination is defined a lot of diffent ways. The trouble is, people like to substitute these definitions a lot.

I suspect that is what you would believe me to be doing here if I just got smarty-pants and posted a dictionary definition like

[ QUOTE ]
To discriminate is to make a distinction.

[/ QUOTE ]

or

[ QUOTE ]
the cognitive process whereby two or more stimuli are distinguished

[/ QUOTE ]

or

[ QUOTE ]
The illegal treatment of a person or a group of persons based on a prohibited factor. Prohibited factors include race, national origin, color, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or veteran status.


[/ QUOTE ]

...looks like my poll is dealing with 'prohibited factors'...


still, you would be right to come back with another definition like

[ QUOTE ]
unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice

[/ QUOTE ]

which in a way, this poll is not

This gets us nowhere however. The point I am trying to make is that a lot of the more extreme racial positions people take may also be grounded in statistical information which I guess would make more extreme racist actions also merely questions of probability.

It hardly seems as obvious as you think it is or there wouldn't be all these differing definitions in the first place.

Regards
Brad S

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Quote:
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Ok, but it is a discrimination question either way.

Regards
Brad S


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No it isn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Discrimination is defined a lot of diffent ways. The trouble is, people like to substitute these definitions a lot.

I suspect that is what you would believe me to be doing here if I just got smarty-pants and posted a dictionary definition like

[ QUOTE ]
To discriminate is to make a distinction.

[/ QUOTE ]

or

[ QUOTE ]
the cognitive process whereby two or more stimuli are distinguished

[/ QUOTE ]

or

[ QUOTE ]
The illegal treatment of a person or a group of persons based on a prohibited factor. Prohibited factors include race, national origin, color, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or veteran status.


[/ QUOTE ]

...looks like my poll is dealing with 'prohibited factors'...


still, you would be right to come back with another definition like

[ QUOTE ]
unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice

[/ QUOTE ]

which in a way, this poll is not

This gets us nowhere however. The point I am trying to make is that a lot of the more extreme racial positions people take may also be grounded in statistical information which I guess would make more extreme racist actions also merely questions of probability.

It hardly seems as obvious as you think it is or there wouldn't be all these differing definitions in the first place.

Regards
Brad S

[/ QUOTE ]

but your not distinguishing or making distinctions in your poll. you are saying choose a or b given probabilities, this isnt the same as making generalizing distinctions between groups a and b

If we're talking randomly selected Americans, the probabilities are:

A black person is better at basketball
A black person is more likely to be violent and/or criminal
A woman is far less likely to be criminal than either.
A woman is far more likely to give you sex.

This is a statement of current fact. I fail to see discrimination where it is an open choice and no one is disadvantaged.

[ThinkQuick]

glad to see my thoughts already posted. Thought I was going to have to stand up and say 'playing the percentages' is ok with me.

[MCS]

I've been drinking heavily and I accidentally mis-voted on the second question. I voted for the white male, but I would like to vote for the black female. So take that into account if you wish.

Word.