The term you are referring to is
"institutionalized discrimination." Institutionalized discrimination broadly defined
is any organization in which discrimination is overtly or covertly practiced. Discrimination is
not limited to strictly racial terms. Institutional discrimination includes race, class, gender,
age, religious, and sexual orientation among other categories.
Generally
speaking, in the modern era, there are fewer instances of overt discrimination, although it
still occurs. This is because there is a greater social awareness of practices that are
discriminatory and American society has made advances in rooting out unfair practices. Be aware
that progress is not the same as ending discrimination, as there still remains substantial
evidence (anecdotal and testimonial) that institutional discrimination is covertly conducted in
many organizations, including the government.
The word covert means the
instances of institutional discrimination are embedded in the daily practices of an
organization. Because they are not publicly discussed or because they are a part of the
corporate culture of the organization, they go mostly unnoticed except when a complaint is filed
highlighting the practice.
Institutional discrimination is a misnomer, as it
implies the institution is guilty of the practice when it fact discrimination is practiced by
individuals. The organization may condone it as a whole as a part of the corporate culture and
feign a lack of awareness that their practices are discriminatory. However, as social scientists
point out, discrimination is a personal act against another individual or class of
individuals.
If organizations want to truly eliminate unfair practices, then
they need to identify the individuals perpetuating the discrimination. This is an almost
impossible problem to solve, as everyone harbors some form of prejudice. The best solution is
for individuals to become more culturally and socially aware of how their actions are perceived
by others and how actions can have a negative impact on the lives of those being discriminated
against.
Some examples of overt institutionalized discrimination by the
American government include slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and separate educational facilities before
the Brown vs. Board of Education decision. These government sanctioned
activities have given way to a more insidious form of covert institutionalized discrimination,
such as racial profiling.
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