Student perception about discrimination and racism in higher education

Abstract

This article examines the perceptions of discrimination and racism among college students. The guiding question is: What perceptions do students have about discrimination and racism inthe university context? Racism is regarded as an ideology that engenders inequality. The ideology isbased on biological particularities to establish differentiation. Consequently, discrimination refers to situations of exclusion, segregation, and restriction based on stereotypes that limit the rights of a group of individuals. The study combines quantitative analysis with descriptive analysis andcross-sectional design. 263 students from four Faculties of the National University of Chimborazo participated. In order to collect the necessary information, a survey titled “Perception Questionnaire on Racism and Discrimination in Higher Education” was drafted. The results indicate that 29.9 % of students have experienced racism and discrimination, 89.7 % have never engaged in such behavior,and 57.7 % have witnessed its various manifestations in social interactions. The primary causes of discrimination include race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and/or disability. Exclusion manifests itself in explicit and covert ways, with psychological, verbal, and physicalviolence being the most egregious forms of its exercise. Finally, there is a denial and normalization of the phenomenon that is rooted in institutional dynamics.