3. Perceived Discrimination in Turkey
Different than the concept of prejudice, expressing unexperienced convictions
and feelings towards a group, discrimination requires concrete actions and experiences. For the same reason, researches on discrimination often give priority to
examine concrete and measurable cases. However, in terms of social consequences, it is both impossible and inaccurate to distinguish prejudice and discrimination
from each other. Thus, these two phenomena playing roles in the construction of
social separation and hierarchy nourish and complement each other.
Therefore, to examine the perception of discrimination, including concrete
prejudices, as well as mutual prejudices among the members of different social
groups constituting society, makes it possible to reach findings on the construction of social distinctions. These findings also enable us to identify some of the
priorities necessary to struggle against discrimination and established prejudices. For example, it is not always easy for the ones experiencing discrimination
at the level of perception to prove it. Let us assume that a person has made an
application for a qualifying position. We know that this application may not
result positively for various reasons. However, let us assume that the person
whose application denied thinks that it arises from her/his/their sexual identity
or ethnicity. This person will not be able to record her/his/their experience as a
case of discrimination due to the lack of apparent evidence. That is also possible
that the person not being hired is not to be related to discrimination. However,
the person who is not hired thinking and feeling that is related to discrimination
will be decisive in his/her/their subsequent decisions and steps s/he/ they will
take. In other words, the consequences of the perception of discrimination will
be no different from publicly discriminatory behaviour. The same situation is
valid for an advantageous group member as well. If one thinks that he/she/they
employed for being a member of an advantageous group, this perception will
determine his/her/their future attitudes and behaviours, and these attitudes and
behaviours will lead to the construction of a discriminatory social hierarchy.
For this reason, we should say that some of the findings obtained in this study
measuring the perception of discrimination, is prejudice. However, due to the
reasons we mentioned above, we believe that prejudices should not be underestimated considering their role in the construction of a hierarchical social environment based on discrimination.
3.A. Prevalence of Discrimination
Let us begin our investigation by reviewing our perception of the pervasiveness
of discrimination in Turkey. The frequency of the markers of 10 on the scoring
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