Discrimination While prejudice refers to biased thinking, discrimination consists of actions against a group of people. Discrimination can be based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, health, and other categories. For example, discrimination based on race or ethnicity can take many forms, from unfair housing practices such as redlining to biased hiring systems. Overt discrimination has long been part of U.S. history. In the late nineteenth century, it was not uncommon for business owners to hang signs that read, "Help Wanted: No Irish Need Apply." And southern Jim Crow laws, with their "Whites Only" signs, exemplified overt discrimination that is not tolerated today. Discrimination also manifests in different ways. The scenarios above are examples of individual discrimination, but other types exist. Institutional discrimination occurs when a societal system has developed with embedded disenfranchisement of a group, such as the U.S. military's historical nonacceptance of minority sexualities (the "don't ask, don't tell" policy reflected this norm). While the form and severity of discrimination vary significantly, they are considered forms of oppression. Institutional discrimination can also include the promotion of a group's status, such in the case of privilege, which is the benefits people receive simply by being part of the dominant group. Most people have some level of privilege, whether it has to do with health, ability, race, or gender. When discussing race, the focus is often on White privilege, which is the societal privilege that benefits White people, or those perceived to be White, over non-White people in some societies, including the United States. Most White people are willing to admit that nonWhite people live with a set of disadvantages due to the color of their skin. But until they gain a good degree of self-awareness, few people are willing to acknowledge the benefits they themselves receive by being a part of the dominant group. Why not? Some may feel it lessens their accomplishments, others may feel a degree of guilt, and still others may feel that admitting to privilege makes them seem like a bad or mean person. But White (or other dominant) privilege is an institutional condition, not a personal one. It exists whether the person asks for it or not. In fact, a pioneering thinker on the topic, Peggy McIntosh, noted that she didn't recognize privilege because, in fact, it was not based in meanness. Instead, it was an "invisible weightless knapsack full of special provisions" that she didn't ask for, yet from which she still benefitted (McIntosh 1989). As the reference indicates, McIntosh's first major publication about White privilege was released in 1989; many people have only become familiar with the term in recent years. Prejudice and discrimination can overlap and intersect in many ways. To illustrate, here are four examples of how prejudice and discrimination can occur. Unprejudiced nondiscriminators are open-minded, tolerant, and accepting individuals. Unprejudiced discriminators might be those who unthinkingly practice sexism in their workplace by not considering women or gender nonconforming people for certain positions that have traditionally been held by men. Prejudiced nondiscriminators are those who hold racist beliefs but don't act on them, such as a racist store owner who serves minority customers. Prejudiced discriminators include those who actively make disparaging remarks about others or who perpetuate hate crimes. Racism Racism is a stronger type of prejudice and discrimination used to justify inequalities against individuals by maintaining that one racial category is somehow superior or inferior to others; it is a set of practices used by a racial dominant group to maximize advantages for itself by disadvantaging racial minority groups. Such practices have affected wealth gap, employment, housing discrimination, government surveillance, incarceration, drug arrests, immigration arrests, infant mortality and much more (Race Forward 2021). Broadly, individuals belonging to minority groups experience both individual racism and systemic racism during their lifetime. While reading the following some of the common forms of racism, ask yourself, “Am I a part of this racism?” “How can I contribute to stop racism?” Individual or Interpersonal Racism refers to prejudice and discrimination executed by individuals consciously and unconsciously that occurs between individuals. Examples include telling a racist joke and believing in the superiority of White people. Systemic Racism, also called structural racism or institutional racism, is systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantages racial minority groups. Systemic racism occurs in organizations as discriminatory treatments and unfair policies based on race that result in inequitable outcomes for White people over people of color. For example, a school system where students of color are distributed into underfunded schools and out of the higher-resourced schools. Racial Profiling is a type of systemic racism that involves the singling out of racial minorities for differential treatment, usually harsher treatment. The disparate treatment of racial minorities by law enforcement officials is a common example of racial profiling in the United States. For example, a study on the Driver's License Privilege to All Minnesota Residents from 2008 to 2010 found that the percentage of Latinos arrested was disproportionally high (Feist 2013). Similarly, the disproportionate number of Black men arrested, charged, and convicted of crimes reflect racial profiling. Historical Racism is economic inequality or social disparity caused by past racism. For example, African-Americans have had their opportunities in wealth, education and employment adversely affected due to the mistreatment of their ancestors during the slavery and post-slavery period (Wilson 2012). Cultural Racism occurs when the assumption of inferiority of one or more races is built into the culture of a society. For example, the European culture is considered supposedly more mature, evolved and rational than other cultures (Blaut 1992). A study showed that White and Asian American students with high GPAs experience greater social acceptance while Black and Native American students with high GPAs are rejected by their peers (Fuller-Rowell and Doan 2010). Colorism is a form of racism, in which someone believes one type of skin tone is superior or inferior to another within a racial group. For example, if an employer believes a Black employee with a darker skin tone is less capable than a Black employee with lighter skin tone, that is colorism. Studies suggest that darker skinned African Americans experience more discrimination than lighter skinned African Americans (Herring, Keith, and Horton 2004; Klonoff and Landrine 2000). Color-Avoidance Racism (sometimes referred to as "colorblind racism") is an avoidance of racial language by European-Americans that the racism is no longer an issue. The U.S. cultural narrative that typically focuses on individual racism fails to recognize systemic racism. It has arisen since the post-Civil Rights era and supports racism while avoiding any reference to race (Bonilla-Silva (2015). What is Discrimination? Discrimination occurs when a person allows their prejudice to influence their behavior. Discrimination against protected classes is illegal in most cases, as it can violate a person’s civil rights. Here are some examples of discrimination from the prejudice scenarios above: Asking a customer to leave the store because you believe they can’t afford to shop there due to their race Promoting a man instead of a woman because you believe a man can handle a high-stress position better Not including an older employee on an email chain because you assume they can’t handle technology Calling the police because you assume a person of color in your neighborhood has committed a crime Preventing a person who practices a different religion from entering your place of business based on stereotypes that you believe about them Passing over a qualified person who has a disability in a job search and choosing a less qualified person instead Not inviting a gay classmate to a party because you believe stereotypes about homosexuality These types of discrimination all include actions, such as asking someone to leave or calling the police based on your suspicion about their race. These actions directly result in lost opportunities and are based on prejudicial thoughts. Most of all, they unfairly exclude people from society based on incorrect stereotypes. RATIONALE Prejudice and discrimination are detrimental to students’ development and wellbeing. In addition, they remain commonplace in the lives of individuals from nonmajority/nondominant racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and religious groups; women; and other minoritized groups (see for examples, ArellanoMorales et al., 2015; Bucchianeri, Gower, McMorris, & Eisenberg, 2016; Katz-Wise & Hyde, 2012; McCord, Joseph, Dhanani, & Beus, 2018; U.S. Department of Justice, 2016). Coupled with other common types of prejudice and discrimination against nondominant groups (e.g., classism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and nationalism), the framework of intersectionality is used to identify the ways in which various social statuses are experienced simultaneously and may have additive or compounding effects on individuals’ outcomes (Cole, 2009). Intersectionality is also helpful for understanding how social statuses or differences interact to influence learning, behavior, and social inequality. NASP believes that prejudice and discrimination harm all people, but especially children and youth, and our society at large. Prejudice and discrimination are negatively associated with the physical well-being, mental health, and adaptive functioning of individuals from nondominant racial/ethnic groups, religious communities, sexual orientations, cultural groups, immigrants, and other intergroup contexts (e.g., Bailey et al., 2017; Brown, 2015; Lee & Ahn, 2012; Meyer, 2003; Pascoe & Smart Richman, 2009; Paradies et al., 2015; Samari, 2016; Schmitt, Branscombe, Postmes, & Garcia, 2014). Discrimination has harmful effects whether experienced directly, online (Tynes et al., 2008), or vicariously (HeardGarris et al., 2018), and across the lifespan (National Research Council, 2014). In addition, integrated educational settings where nondiscrimination is practiced are associated with positive educational, social, and cognitive outcomes for all students—both majority and minoritized group members—as well as longterm educational, economic, and civic outcomes (Kirwan Institute, 2009; Wells, Fox, & Cordova-Cobo, 2016). This strong research base supports NASP’s commitment to mitigating the effects of discrimination in all forms. Decades of social psychology research indicate that promising approaches to reducing prejudice and discrimination include: • increasing intergroup contact; • working to foster greater empathy and perspectivetaking when interacting with others; • engaging in open dialogue about issues of difference in order to increase compassion and dispel stereotypes; and • reducing the salience of group boundaries by emphasizing commonalities (American Psychological Association, 2012; Beelmann & Heinemann, 2014; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006, 2008). Other school-based approaches to reducing and preventing discrimination include: • crafting antidiscrimination and antiharassment policies that protect a variety of sociodemographic groups; • transforming social norms to express the value of a plurality of identities and modes of identity expression; • promoting cooperative learning to foster intergroup contact; • establishing written procedures to guide referral of students for special education, providing training to properly implement those procedures, and regularly reviewing school data for instances of discrimination; NASP Position Statement: Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism 3 © 2019 National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Ste. 402, Bethesda, MD 20814│ www.nasponline.org │ 301-657-0270 • requiring staff to participate in cultural awareness or implicit bias training to better understand how to identify and overcome racial stereotypes; • and collecting and analyzing school and disaggregated discipline data to act on any identified racial/ethnic and special education disparities while implementing school-wide positive behavior supports (Horn & Romeo, 2010; Lhamon, 2016; Skiba, 2013). ROLE OF THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST School psychologists are committed to fairness and justice for all as they help to preserve the dignity of all individuals in their professional practices and interactions (NASP, 2010a). Developed in consultation with a diverse cadre of school psychologists, including practitioners, faculty, and social justice researchers, and adopted by the NASP Leadership Assembly in September 2017, the following definition operationalizes social justice and informs NASP’s commitment to advancing this central principle of contemporary school psychological practice (NASP, 2017): Social justice is both a process and a goal that requires action. School psychologists work to ensure the protection of the educational rights, opportunities, and wellbeing of all children, especially those whose voices have been muted, identities obscured, or needs ignored. Social justice requires promoting nondiscriminatory practices and the empowerment of families and communities. School psychologists enact social justice through culturally responsive professional practice and advocacy to create schools, communities, and systems that ensure equity and fairness for all children and youth. Relatedly, NASP is committed to supporting the educational and mental health needs of all students, regardless of race, culture, linguistic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, socioeconomic status, nationality, citizenship, disability, educational need, or other dimensions of difference. All school psychologists, regardless of the settings in which they serve, are charged with advocating for culturally responsive, evidence-based practice, and with assisting their colleagues and professional communities with reforming policies and practices that contribute to inequitable outcomes (NASP, 2009). Further, NASP’s standards (NASP, 2010a, Standard I.3.1; 2010b) call for school psychologists to promote fairness and justice by cultivating safe, welcoming, and inclusive school environments. The following recommendations are offered for school psychologists in order to foster social justice and mitigate racism and other forms of prejudice and discrimination. Professional Learning Recommendations ● School psychologists engage in continuous professional learning to ensure their knowledge, skills, and clinical practices reflect understanding and respect for human diversity and promote effective services, advocacy, and equitable outcomes for all children, families, schools, and communities. ● School psychologists actively learn about the different groups represented in their schools and communities-at-large, and they use knowledge of this diversity to facilitate the services provided in and out of school. ● School psychologists engage in critical reflection to identify their own biases and ensure that they do not negatively affect students, families, schools, and communities. ● School psychologists encourage and support their colleagues in necessary critical reflection about the intersection of various dimensions of difference, power, privilege, and discrimination that contribute to disparities. NASP Position Statement: Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism 4 © 2019 National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Ste. 402, Bethesda, MD 20814│ www.nasponline.org │ 301-657-0270 ● School psychologists seek supervision or consultation when dealing with unfamiliar clients or situations, or when facing circumstances that otherwise challenge their multicultural competence or nondiscriminatory practice skills. ● School psychologists seek effective and ongoing professional development and other resources regarding evidence-based practice, cultural responsiveness, advocacy, and selfreflection. Professional Practice Recommendations ● School psychologists practice in accordance with the principles of social justice, intentionally considering the manner in which students, families, schools, and communities interact with interconnected systems (American Psychological Association, 2017; Miranda, 2014) and how they experience systemic factors such as racism, prejudice, and discrimination that contribute to various inequities. ● School psychologists intervene when they are bystanders to discrimination and harassment directed at students or adults from marginalized backgrounds—and prepare others to do so as well—in order to disrupt and prevent discriminatory behavior in schools. ● School psychologists partner with families, community members, teachers, staff, and, when developmentally appropriate, students to understand more clearly student and population needs. ● School psychologists ensure their practices are grounded in an evidence-based framework (e.g., Indigenous Conceptual Framework; Charley et al., 2015) that integrates: (a) the best available research evidence and (b) a thorough knowledge of how diversity factors may influence child development, behavior, and school learning to engage in culturally responsive practice—even when this requires challenging common practices. ● School psychologists work to establish positive, productive, and collaborative relationships with students, families, and colleagues from all backgrounds. ● School psychologists assist administrators in evaluating current practices, policies, and procedures (e.g., discipline disproportionality through the lens of suspensions and expulsions, referral for special education eligibility) to determine overall effectiveness and any potential disparities in access, participation, or outcomes among students from different groups. ● School psychologists promote systems change and equitable alternatives when ineffective or inequitable policies, practices, or procedures are suspected or identified by school data. In sum, school psychologists strive to ensure that all children and youth are valued, that their rights and opportunities are protected in schools and communities, and that they have equal opportunity and access to participate in and benefit from school programs, including school psychological services. In their words and actions, school psychologists promote positive school climates that are safe and welcoming to all persons regardless of actual or perceived characteristics, across various dimensions of difference (NASP, 2010a). Prejudice and discrimination: Barriers to social inclusion 7 February 2018 Societies continue to make distinctions based on ethnicity, race, sex or gender and other characteristics that should have no bearing on people’s achievements or on their well-being. The Report on the World Social Situation 2016 argued that discrimination is one of the key drivers of social exclusion (United Nations, 2016). Discrimination remains a fundamental problem in the world today. Based on existing literature, the Report found that discriminatory norms and behaviours remain widespread and continue to drive social exclusion. Yet while formal institutional barriers faced by marginalized groups are easy to detect, informal barriers are frequently more subtle, making measuring discrimination difficult. One way to measure discrimination is to ask people if they felt they’ve been treated unfairly due to their identity. Members of racial or ethnic minority groups in many countries feel that they face discrimination in day-to-day encounters. In a 2008 survey covering 23,500 immigrants and members of ethnic minorities across the European Union, one in four respondents reported feeling discriminated against in the previous 12 months on at least two grounds: ethnic or immigrant origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief or “other” reasons. This data measures the views of those subject to discrimination but doesn’t measure the perceptions of those who may be prejudiced against certain groups. The World Values Surveys assess prejudicial attitudes through questions on whether respondents would object to having certain groups of people as neighbours as a measure of social distance between groups. Attitudes towards migrants often become more negative in periods of economic insecurity or following large waves of immigration. The misperceptions that most often lead to negative attitudes include that migrants take away jobs from natives or they commit illegal acts, among others. That said, country context is the most important determinant of prejudicial attitudes: a country’s institutions, history, and values are better predictors of tolerance and respect of others than an individual’s level of education or employment. How does discrimination impact social inclusion? Discrimination affects people’s opportunities, their well-being, and their sense of agency. Persistent exposure to discrimination can lead individuals to internalize the prejudice or stigma that is directed against them, manifesting in shame, low self-esteem, fear and stress, as well as poor health. A survey regarding HIV-related stigma and discrimination among people living with HIV in Asia and the Pacific, for example, found that half to three-quarters of respondents felt either shame, guilt and/or low self-esteem. There are four main explanations of prejudice and discrimination: 1. Authoritarian Personality 2. Realistic Conflict Theory - Robbers Cave 3. Stereotyping 4. Social identity Theory Conformity could also be used as an explanation of prejudice if you get stuck writing a psychology essay (see below). Examples of Discrimination Racial Discrimination - Apartheid (literally "separateness") was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Non-white people where prevented from voting and lived in separate communities. - World War II - In Germany and German-controlled lands, Jewish people had to wear yellow stars to identify themselves as Jews. Later, the Jews were placed in concentration camps by the Nazis. Age Discrimination - This is a type of discrimination against a person or group on the grounds of age. Gender Discrimination - In Western societies, while women are often discriminated against in the workplace, men are often discriminated against in the home and family environments. - For instance after a divorce women receive primary custody of the children far more often than men. Women on average earn less pay than men for doing the same job. Conformity as an Explanation of Prejudice and Discrimination Influences that cause individuals to be racist or sexist, for example, may come from peers, parents, and group membership. Conforming to social norms means people adopt the “normal” set of behavior(s) associated with a particular group or society. Social norms - behavior considered appropriate within a social group - are one possible influence on prejudice and discrimination. People may have prejudiced beliefs and feelings and act in a prejudiced way because they are conforming to what is regarded as normal in the social groups to which they belong: The effect of Social Norms on Prejudice Minard (1952) investigated how social norms influence prejudice and discrimination. The behavior of black and white miners in a town in the southern United States was observed, both above and below ground. Below ground, where the social norm was friendly behavior towards work colleagues, 80 of the white miners were friendly towards the black miners. Above ground, where the social norm was prejudiced behavior by whites to blacks, this dropped to 20. The white miners were conforming to different norms above and below ground. Whether or not prejudice is shown depends on the social context within which behavior takes place. Pettigrew (1959) also investigated the role of conformity in prejudice. He investigated the idea that people who tended to be more conformist would also be more prejudiced, and found this to be true of white South African students. Similarly, he accounted for the higher levels of prejudice against black people in the southern United States than in the north in terms of the greater social acceptability of this kind of prejudice in the south. Rogers and Frantz (1962) found that immigrants to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) became more prejudiced the longer they had been in the country. They gradually conformed more to the prevailing cultural norm of prejudice against the black population. Evaluation: Conformity to social norms, then, may offer an explanation for prejudice in some cases. At the same time, norms change over time, so this can only go some way towards explaining prejudice. How to reference this article: McLeod, S. A. (2008). Prejudice and discrimination. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/prejudice.html The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages. The UDHR is widely recognized as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their preambles). Preamble Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge, Now, therefore, The General Assembly, Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction. Article 1 - All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2 - Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Article 3 - Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 4 - No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. Article 5 - No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 6 - Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Article 7 - All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. Article 8 - Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law. Article 9 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Article 10 - Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him. Article 11 - Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. - No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed. Article 12 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. Article 13 - Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. - Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. Article 14 - Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. - This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from nonpolitical crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Article 15 - Everyone has the right to a nationality. - No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality. Article 16 - Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. - Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. - The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. Article 17 - Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. - No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property. Article 18 - Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. Article 19 - Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Article 20 - Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. - No one may be compelled to belong to an association. Article 21 - Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. - Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. - The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures. Article 22 - Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. Article 23 - Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. - Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. - Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. - Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests. Article 24 - Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay. Article 25 - Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. - Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. Article 26 - Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. - Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. - Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. Article 27 - Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. - Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author. Article 28 - Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. Article 29 - Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. - In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. - These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Article 30 - Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
