Introduction

In the social setting, people from diverse backgrounds live. Some people belong to the minority groups whereas some belong to the majority groups. The difference is the major cause that has made discrimination and oppression a widespread phenomenon that affects the disadvantaged population. The essay fundamentally captures the sensitive topic of discrimination (Tcholakova, Sotirova & Tzvetanova, 2018). The main influences of discrimination and oppression in the prevalent multi-faceted society have been captured here. Then a couple of informal measures have been presented in the essay that can play a vital role to enhance and improve the level of equality for a specific minority group in the social setting.

Discrimination in the society

Discrimination in the social context is not an uncommon occurrence. It is the intentional differential treatment of individuals or groups for specific generalized traits. On most instances, the minorities are the prime target of discrimination.
Some of the major grounds of discrimination include race, religion, colour, sexual orientation, gender, status and other factors. A wide range of theories have been introduced to explain the discrimination and oppression that exists in the social setting (Barker, 2003). According to the social identity theory, people rely on the specific grounds that they belong to. The social-physiological explanation states that when people do not identify with a group, they discriminate against it.
Oppression is closely related to discrimination that is prevalent in the society. In the social setting, one comes across different kinds of unjust treatments against specific minority groups. For instance, the differently abled children are unfairly treated in certain social environments that adversely affect them (Abberley, 1987, p 7). The concepts of discrimination and oppression are interlinked with one another and they are mainly faced by the minority groups in the society.

Effects of discrimination and oppression in today’s multi-faceted society

The minority people that face discrimination and oppression in the multi-faceted society can adversely be affected due to the unfair treatment. The discrimination can lead to the lack of proper employment opportunities, the absence of fundamental human rights and the increase in the gap between the majority class and the minority group. Due to the unjust treatment, the affected people are at a disadvantage in the social context (Abberley, 1987, p 9). They face a number of economic, social and psychological disadvantages that adversely affect their quality of life. For instance, blacks generally face discrimination in the social setting due to their dark skin.
In the absurd grounds of race and colour, they face inequality in terms of employment, allocation of resources, housing facilities and healthcare facilities (Pager & Shepherd, 2008). The persistent presence of discrimination in the social setting fundamentally increases the gap between a privileged group and a minority group. This further increases the level of friction among the parties.
When minorities face oppression in the 21st century, they have to pay a heavy price. This is because they are affected on behavioural, affected cognitive and spiritual grounds. According to psychologists, when marginalized groups confront oppression in the social context, they have to face social and psychological consequences (Davis, 2002). The consequences are not just restricted to individuals but it is expanded to the entire minority community which increases the level of disparity between the majority group and the marginalized community. As per various studies, oppression is directly linked to the mental health of an individual. Statistics has revealed that the impoverished individuals and racial minorities are likely to experience psychological challenges as compared to the people belonging to the majority groups such as the White male members of the society (Dominelli, 2002).

Role of two informal measures in enhancing equality for one minority group within society

In order to promote equality in the social context for the people who belong to the Muslim religion, it is necessary for people to understand the Islam religion. According to Malik, after the 9/11 attacks, the majority of the Muslims face discrimination in the social setting which adversely affects their way of living. In order to accommodate the Muslim population in the social setting, it is necessary to understand how they were treated in the past.
The historical study has shed light on the fact that Muslims have always faced discrimination in British society (Malik, 2009). The anti-Muslim behaviour has got further intensified in the current times due to a number of macro factors such as the association of Muslims with terrorist activities. In order to eliminate the unfair behaviour against the minority religious group, people in the West need to educate themselves so that they do not stereotype all the Muslim people based on the religion (Malik, 2009).
In order to advocate equality in the social contest so that the Muslim population will not be the minority in the society, individuals need to develop a tolerant attitude by having an open mind. The intolerant language that is used by media must not be considered to be a major influencing factor that can fuel the discrimination and oppression against them (Malik, 2010). The people need to take a fair and sincere stance so that a tolerant behaviour can be encouraged. Such behaviour at the individual level and at the community level can bridge the gap between the majority group and the marginalized group. It can act as a major step that will make sure that the prejudice that is faced by Muslim people in the society in terms of lack of employment opportunities, housing facilities, education and healthcare services can be controlled (Payne, 2005).

Conclusion

Discrimination and oppression have existed for a long time in the social setting. These elements form cracks in the social setting and increase the gap between the people belonging to the marginalized communities and the ones belonging to the majority communities. The essay captures how the instances of discrimination and oppression adversely affect the quality of life and overall wellbeing of the people who belong to the minority groups. The role of informal measures that can improve the equality for a minority group has been captured in the essay. The suitable techniques can be introduced to minimize and control the friction that exists between the minority and majority groups that exist in the social environment.