There may also be ethnic inequalities in regard to this social
change movement. For instance, one focus of this movement is to educate the
public on its importance and if people are not open to the education or are not
able to access the educational opportunities, then there could be inequalities.
According to Psychologists for Social Responsibilities (2014), there are racial
inequalities between whites and other groups, such as African-Americans and
Latinos, in regard to education. Without the equality within the education
system, the message may not be reached by as large of a population. Also,
racism can be a motivator behind bullying and this could make certain races
feel targeted, which could lead to negative feelings (Rosenthal, Earnshaw,
Carroll-Scott, Henderson, Peters, McCaslin, & Lckovics, 2015). The
psychological wellbeing of this population experiencing inequality may be
impacted in a negative manner because they may feel that they are intentionally
being excluded.
My concerns with racial inequality for the anti-bullying movement
include that some races may feel targeted when the topic of racist bullying is
mentioned. I am less concerned with education inequalities since I plan to educate
outside of schools, such as within the communities. However, the topic of
potential racism can cause people to feel targeted when specific races are
named as perpetrators. To help eliminate this racial inequality, I plan to
discuss and educate how bullying affects people as a whole, rather than
focusing on specific races as perpetrators or victims. Also, I intend to
educate on the effects of racism and how it can lead to bullying, which can aide
better social interactions between races. With his in mind, the role of
psychology can also impact historical biases and oppression of targeted
populations. For example, education is such an important factor in regard to
social change, so with the help of educating the population and providing them
with emotions that can build a connection, social change can occur (Yob &
Brewer, 2015). Using the psychological aspects can benefit the oppression of
others greatly by helping others identify with each population.
References
Psychologists
for Social Responsibility. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.psysr.org/
Rosenthal, L., Earnshaw, V. A., Carroll-Scott, A.,
Henderson, K. E., Peters, S. M., McCaslin, C., & Ickovics, J. R. (2015).
Weight-and race-based bullying: Health associations among urban adolescents. Journal
of health psychology, 20(4), 401-412.
There are many forms of discrimination that can aide in bullying. Sexism, homophobic, and even appearances can contribute to bullying. According to Lewis, Giga, & Hoel (2011), discrimination can occur from feelings of inequality, such as that one person I not as good as another. These feelings can lead to negative behaviors that can significantly impact the mental and physical well-being of the one being discriminated against. Bullying can therefore be a result of discrimination, which can take the form of verbal or physical abuse. Understanding that discrimination occurs can help eliminate possible discriminations that one might have. For example, if one is more conscious of their thoughts, they can potentially change them in a manner that is more appropriate so that their behaviors can be more positive. Discrimination is a common aspect of social interactions, but with education and the help of social change movements, these negative beliefs can start to decline.
