THE PROBLEM OF BIGOTRY IN MODERN SOCIETY BY - SANJANA MENGHANI

THE PROBLEM OF BIGOTRY IN MODERN SOCIETY
AUTHORED BY - SANJANA MENGHANI
 
"Bigotry, in and of itself, is both a method for the commission of violent acts and a barrier to the development of an authentic democratic spirit."
 
ABSTRACT
We all have preconceived notions about various socioeconomic categories, such as what it means to be a woman or a man, homosexual or straight, or black or white. For example, we all have preconceptions about what constitutes being overweight or underweight. To put it another way, this is how bigotry is characterized, but on a far greater scale. Bigotry is a concept that refers to strong prejudices or attitudes that are not reasonable. A person who is intolerant of competing viewpoints on matters of faith or ethnicity is referred to be a bigot. The term "bigotry" refers to the intolerance displayed by the bigot. There has been a rise in the number of charges of bigotry, as well as their denials and counter-accusations, all across the world. People dispute about problems like whether a county clerk must provide a civil marriage license to a homosexual couple even though doing so would go against her religious principles, caste, marriage, and accepting new social changes using discriminatory terminology.
 
The extent to which well-known persons, such as Donald Trump, have interacted with or supported white nationalism is one of the numerous aspects that must be considered as an example of bigotry.  India is responsible for adopting one of the most progressive constitutions in the world almost seventy years ago. This constitution guarantees equality to all of India's residents regardless of caste, class, gender, or color. However, the majority of people in this country are Indian, and they are still very much influenced by caste and gender concerns when it comes to their views on the acceptability of marriage between people of different sexes, weddings between people of different castes, or intercaste weddings, are frowned upon by a substantial segment of the community. This is especially true for dalits and other members of the lower castes. The researcher is exploring further and want to know more about the origin of biases like : where precisely do they emerge from? In what ways do they affect manner in which we present ourselves to others? And if prejudices, such as stereotypes and bigoted attitudes, are deeply embedded in each of our minds, can increasing our knowledge of these things make it possible to learn how to overcome them? This study also investigates the influence that prejudice has on young people, the role that bigotry plays in the overall growth of the nation, and the role that leaders play in lowering the prevalence of bigotry in society.
 
Key words: intolerance, discrimination, bigot, minorities.
 
INTRODUCTION
We see particularly disturbing examples of people misusing their authority when they are put in situations where they are confronted with other people whom they consider to be fundamentally different from themselves.
 
The majority of individuals tend to associate the concept of "bias" with unfavorable attitudes and behaviors such as racism, sexism, and homophobia when they hear the word "bias." Bigotry, on the other hand, is the term that social scientists use to characterize actions that go beyond simple bias. The term "bigotry" refers to a distaste for the thoughts and beliefs of others, which can have a wide range of potentially negative consequences. Bigotry can be harmful in a variety of different ways. According to research conducted by social scientists, prejudice is a form of personal preference, whereas the term "bigotry" refers to an extreme form of this avoidance. Bigotry is a concept that refers to strong prejudices or views that are not reasonable. Bigotry can relate to both individuals and groups. A person is said to have bigoted views if they cannot tolerate alternative points of view on issues pertaining to concerns of faith or ethnicity. The majority of social psychologists are of the idea that some situations could automatically arouse dormant attitudes and stereotypes, which can then have an effect on our perceptions, decisions, and behaviors. This is because attitudes and stereotypes are often formed in response to similar experiences.
 
LITERATURE REVIEW:
In order to gain a better understanding of the subject of bigotry in contemporary society, the following books and articles have been referred to.
 
Bigotry and Intolerance by Kathlyn Gay examines the different reasons why people of all ages and backgrounds feel the need to criticise others in her book Bigotry and Intolerance: The Ultimate Teen Guide. By demonstrating how to deal with such behaviour, this book also provides assistance to teenagers who are the targets of fear and hatred. This book addresses the following subjects:
 
The Definition Of Intolerance And Bigotry
Bigotry comes in many forms, including homophobia and racism. the distinction between racism and bigotry what it's like to experience prejudice dealing with discrimination people and organisations that promote tolerance and a respect for cultural variety This book will assist adolescents who experience the narrow-mindedness of bigotry by targeting young adults who are interested in combating bigotry and intolerance.
 
Looking away A book written by Harsh Mander that describes how we as a society have failed and closed our eyes and ears in the process of realizing disparities and indifference in the New India and how a specific community might become a target of bigotry. This book is a depressing checklist of all the things we jointly need to get right if we want India to become the country that was promised to all of those who live there in equal measure. Harsh Mander investigates a wide variety of subjects throughout the course of Looking Away in order to document and analyze the many fault lines that now exist within Indian culture. There is a correlation between the rise in prosperity of the middle classes and a related increase in intolerance toward people who are less well off. Poverty and homelessness are on the rise across the country, and this trend can be seen in both urban and rural areas. However, not only has the state abdicated its responsibility to care for those who are in need, but the middle class has also turned away from the most basic principles of sharing. In addition, the rapid move to the rightward in political ideology, which affects the minority communities' very citizenship, poses a major threat to these communities.
 
Who's the bigot The author Linda McClain's work Who's the Bigot mostly focuses on the tensions that develop as a result of interracial marriage and the LGBTQ community. It also explores how people in the society are hesitant when it comes to acceptance of inter-sex marriage and the rights that need to be given to the LGBTQ group, as well as how people and their thought process are affected by the existence of such discriminatory attitudes in the society. Specifically, it looks at how people in the society are reluctant to embrace inter-sex marriage and the rights that need to be granted to the LGBTQ group.
 
Proud In the book "Proud," written by Iptihaj Muhammad, an African American Muslim and Olympic champion, discusses her experiences as a minority, including the challenges she faced and how she overcame those challenges. Muhammad is an Olympic medalist.
 
Vote for the women Winifred Conkling's book "Vote for Women" provided light on the fight for women's suffrage as well as the discriminatory attitudes of individuals who lived during a time when women were denied the opportunity to vote due to their gender. The book also cast light on the attitudes of those who fought for women's suffrage. This book revealed how the people of that time had a preconceived notion that women had no say in political matters and are therefore not obligated to vote as per their will.  This idea was widespread during that era since it was reflected in the attitudes that people held throughout that time period.
 
Washington’s Rebuke to Bigotry This book provides readers with an introduction to the complexities of the historical age in which George Washington composed the letter, and it does so in a manner that is approachable for those individuals who are interested in reading about the topic. In addition to this, the book discusses contemporary issues such as the rights of LGBT individuals in the United States, the constraints that European nations place on religious activities that can be carried out in public settings, and the role that religion should play in educational institutions. and reducing the prevaling bigotic behaviour among the people.
 
Finding oneself in others A book by G.A cohen where he mentioned about the prevaling discrimination and bigotic behaviour of The World Archaeological Congress (WAC) Executive Committee resolved in September 1985 to prohibit attendees from South Africa and Namibia from attending their conference in Southampton the following year. Committee members also believed that the restriction was "morally correct."
South Africa's exclusion was strongly protested by many archaeologists. Very few of them, and this includes the scholars who were banned themselves.
 
An article that was written by Siri Carpenter and titled "The bigot in your brain" In it, she addresses the many prejudices and preconceptions that are held in people's minds, as well as the ways in which we may adjust our outlook and beliefs to minimize the influence that these prejudices have on our actions. In addition, she discusses the numerous ways in which we can modify our outlook and beliefs to lessen the impact that these prejudices have on our actions.
 
Data collection
The doctrinal method of research was used throughout the whole of this research report so that it could be successfully completed. This implies that in order to finish the paper and answer the research questions, a variety of options, cases, articles, book portions, and newspapers were evaluated and investigated. The primary source of information to the researcher is the book portions such as who's a bigot and looking away and the secondry source of information are the articles and newspapers. This was done in order to complete the document and for the purpose to satisfy the requirements of the reserch that needed to be completed.
 
HYPOTHESIS
1.      The influence of intolerance on younger generations.
2.      The negative affect that bigotry has on the devlopment of the country.
3.      The influence that leaders have in eliminating such intolerance from society as a whole.
 
ANALYSIS
Bigotry covers fundamental human values, points of view on oneself and others, social identities, and social conventions that establish who belongs in social groupings and who does not belong in social groups. Bigotry can also refer to the practice of discriminating against members of a group on the basis of their appearance.
 
There is an increased likelihood that bigotry will surface and continue to exist.Racism. Sexism. Heterosexism.  The occurrence of injustices can be linked, in large part, to the existence of several social systems of privilege and power that are distinct from one another but are nevertheless interconnected in some manner. These constructions are extremely hazardous to the environment as in such surroundings people grow intolerance of the viewpoints of other people, which leads to them becoming bigots, and eventually leads them in becoming so mindful that it influences the actions that they take and prevents them from participating in society in a value-neutral manner. This is how young people are affected by bigotry, and how it molds them into bigots themselves. Which in turn has an impact on the country's development, which is evident in a variety of ways, such as discrimination when hiring people based on caste or gender, which results in potential workers being left without jobs and unable to contribute to the economic development of the nation, which is one of the main reasons India is still a developing country. One more of the primary factors that contributes to India's status as a developing nation is the country's unequal distribution of wealth across its population. This disparity is caused by the prevalent bigotry and bigotic behavior of many powerful people in the country. These individuals have a rigid or unreasonable attachment to a belief, opinion, or group, in particular prejudice against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular group.
 
One of the most notable examples of intolerance is the discrimination that American Sikhs are subjected to in the United States. This discrimination is a direct result of the cultural ignorance of others, and it manifests itself in the form of hate directed toward American Sikhs. during the time that the Ku Klux Klan was responsible for the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963. Since the time that Sikhs first arrived in the United States, they have been the target of a string of assaults that have become increasingly violent. When the journalist was reporting on the incident, they wrongly referred to the gurdwara as a mosque due to their lack of awareness with the religious traditions that are followed by Sikhs. During the conversation about the relationship between the Sikh religion and Islam, the other individual referred to followers of the Sikh religion not as "Sikhs," but rather as "sheikhs."
The Americans' treatment of Sikhs was primarily motivated by the fact that Sikhs resembled their competitors from Iran. This similarity was the fundamental factor. This led to a surge in racist attacks, which once again highlighted the discriminatory deeds of Americans, as individuals in the United States equated the unique appearance of Sikhs with the traditional views of what terrorists look like. This led to a rise in the number of persons who were killed because of these attacks.
 
The problem of bigotry arises when people develop relationships that are in direct contrast to their aims, beliefs, and fundamental values. This can lead to a rise in bigoted behavior. In other words, a lot of people have an unconscious association between the words "female" and "weak," "Arab" and "terrorist," and "black" and "criminal," etc. Many of the implicit connections we have about social groups are created before we are mature enough to think about them in a logical way as a result of witnessing those around us and how they think about topics like gender roles, politics, and other racial concerns. This occurs when we observe how others think about issues like these.
 
It is possible for bigotry and stereotyping to have a negative impact on an individual's opportunities, social resources, feeling of self-worth, motivation, and engagement with wider society. Leaders have the capacity to diminish intolerance, build a deeper degree of understanding, and foster the growth of links between diverse groups by increasing the amount of contact that takes place between different groups.
 
Because of Barack Obama's support for homosexual couples' rights to civil rights, the lives of young gay or transgender people who were seeking to come out were significantly transformed. It has been found that friendship is one of the ways, possibly the most powerful and effective way, to break down intergroup barriers and lessen bigotry. "The most potent and effective strategy to break down intergroup barriers and lessen bigotry is to have a diverse workforce since this makes people appear more human to one another such inclusive contact encourages people to become friends. Such humanizing contact encourages people to become friends, and friendship has been found to be one of the ways, possibly the most powerful and effect
 
CONCLUSION
To summarize all that has been mentioned up until this point, the term "bigotry" refers to a hatred for the thoughts and beliefs of others, which can result in a broad variety of undesirable outcomes. Civilization falls when its members fight among themselves over divergent viewpoints on fundamental issues such as economics, religion, and politics as a whole. As a result, the government ought to lead the awareness campaign and educate the general public about the dangers of acting in such a discriminatory manner. This kind of intolerance needs to be eliminated for the good of society as a whole as well as the nation. When individuals of many different religions and cultural backgrounds dwell in the same city or country, it is of the utmost importance to foster tolerance among those living there in order for them to get along with one another. According to the findings of social psychologists, more advancements against bigotry can be achievable by altering the ways in which various cultures interact with one another. It is possible that increasing the amount of contact between members of different groups will take us from a state of numeric variety, in which individuals passively coexist, to a state of relational diversity, in which people from different groups engage with one another as human beings. This may have an effect on everything from the attitudes of our leaders to the laws that govern our nation to the friendships that characterize our social circles. This may also have an effect on the laws that govern our nation. The researcher has high expectations that this approach will be useful and shed some light on the widespread misconceptions that exist within society.
 
Scope of research and limitations
This research paper intends to give a brief insight and consciousness on a very significant and tectonic issue, which is the impact of bigotry in the modern society and how it affects people and their thought process when they come into contact with the prevalent behaviour and attitude of bigoted people. The objective of this study is to provide a concise understanding and awareness of a topic that is both extremely salient and extensive in nature. But since the term bigotry covers a larger aspect and and it is in itself a wide-ranging topic that includes an eclectic of stereotypes and intolerance of different people for a variety of topics and groups such as discrimination towards a particular minority group, gender, homophobia and many such issues that prevail around the world but the researcher in this study focused mainly on the impact bigotry has on the development of India and its people especially the youth. As a direct result of this, the conclusions of this research do not supply an adequate quantity of information regarding prejudice in different parts of the world.
 
REFERENCE
Cohen, G. A. (2013). A BLACK AND WHITE ISSUE. In M. Otsuka (Ed.), Finding Oneself in the Other (pp. 20–25). Princeton University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.cttq956b.7
 
Cohen, G. A. (2013). Finding Oneself in the Other (M. Otsuka, Ed.). Princeton University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.cttq956b
 
Conkling, W. (2020). Votes for women!: American suffragists and the battle for the ballot. Algonquin Young Readers.
 
MCLAIN, L. (2020). Who's a bigot. Oxford University press.
 
Washington, G. (2018). Rebuke to Bigotry. RODOLFO MENDOZA-DENTON, JASON MARSH.
 
Reference
The cost of cultural ignorance: Why American Sikhs remain targets of bigotry and racial violence. Milwaukee Independent. (2022, August 15). Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/syndicated/cost-cultural-ignorance-american-sikhs-remain-targets-bigotry-racial-violence/
 
BHOWMICK, N. I. L. A. N. J. A. N. A. (2022). Lies our mothers told us: The Indian Woman's burden. RUPA & CO.
 
Gay, K. (2015). Bigotry and intolerance: The ultimate teen guide. Rowman & Littlefield.
 
Burnett, K. G., & Barrows, L. (2001). If the world were blind--: A book about judgment and prejudice. GR Pub.
 
CHOMSKY, N. O. A. M. (2015). How the world works. PENGUIN USA.