What Is Discrimination?

Question 1

1fc: What is discrimination?

Answer 1

Discrimination is differential and disadvantageous treatment of individuals based on socially salient group membership.

Question 2

2fc: What is direct discrimination?

Answer 2

Direct discrimination is a policy, practice or act explicitly targeting or intended to disadvantage members of a socially salient group.

Question 3

3fc: What is indirect discrimination?

Answer 3

Indirect discrimination is a policy, practice or act that is not explicitly targeting or intended to disadvantage members of a socially salient group, but which nonetheless results in their disadvantage.

Question 4

4fc: What is statistical discrimination?

Answer 4

Statistical discrimination is a policy, practice, or act that disadvantages members of a socially salient group based on statistical information about the whole group to which they belong.

Question 5

5fc: What is non-statistical discrimination?

Answer 5

Non-statistical discrimination is a policy, practice, or act that disadvantages members of a socially salient group based on non-statistical information that does not derive from a generalization.

Question 6

6fc: What is algorithmic discrimination?

Answer 6

Algorithmic discrimination is almost never direct, but rather indirect and often (wrongfully) statistically discriminatory.

Question 7

7fc: What is the problem with algorithmic decision making?

Answer 7

Algorithmic decision making reflects and exacerbates social biases, leading to discrimination.

Question 8

8fc: What are the three steps to break the cycle of discrimination?

Answer 8

The three steps are

self-examination of prejudice,

standing up against discrimination,

mobilizing against the normalization of discrimination in social systems and structures.

Question 9

9fc: What is the axis of privilege and discrimination?

Answer 9

The axis of privilege and discrimination refers to the potential blind spots that arise due to differences in privilege and experience.

Question 10

10fc: What is the moral distinction between moralized and non-moralized discrimination?

Answer 10

An example of moralized discrimination is discriminating against someone based on their race or gender, while an example of non-moralized discrimination is choosing a candidate for a job based on their qualifications and experience.

The distinction is whether discrimination is necessarily wrong (moralized) or

whether there are justified instances of disadvantageous treatment based on a socially salient property (non-moralized).

Question 11

11fc: What are the four elements of discrimination?

Answer 11

The elements are
property,
disadvantageous treatment,
membership in a certain group,
moral wrongness

Question 12

12fc: What is the difference between differential treatment and discrimination?
Differential treatment is symmetrical, while discrimination is asymmetrical.

Question 13

13fc: What is the difference between disadvantageous treatment and discrimination?

Answer 13

Disadvantageous treatment may or may not be discrimination, depending on whether it is based on a socially salient property.

Question 14

14fc: What are some socially salient properties?

Answer 14

Socially salient properties include perceived gender, race, religion, and other attributes that are important to the structure of social interactions.

Question 15

15fc: What are the potential effects of discriminatory decisions?

Answer 15

Discriminatory decisions can significantly affect the circumstances, behavior, or choices of individuals and may lead to prolonged or permanent impacts.

Question 16

16fc: What are some examples of discriminatory decisions?

Answer 16

Examples include denying employment, access to healthcare or education, or entry based on country of origin or sexual orientation.

Question 17

17fc: What are some problems with data subjects’ rights to an explanation?

Answer 17

Problems include

progressive and dynamic modifications of the underlying logic,

lack of expertise of data subjects to understand the information provided,

and public interest considerations.

remarks about someone’s appearance, or assuming someone is unqualified based on their social identity.

Question 18

18fc: What are the exceptions to the general prohibition of automated decisions?

Answer 18

The exceptions include decisions necessary for

entering into or performance of a contract,

authorized by Union or Member State law with suitable safeguards, or

based on explicit consent.