Discrimination in Comparative Perspective: Policies and Practices

Abstract

This introduction to a pluridisciplinary comparative analysis of European antidiscrimi nation policies and practices provides a critical assessment of current European empirical developments and the analytical issues that they raise. The authors' argument builds upon the tension between the improvement of the protection of rights to equal treatment and the intensification of xenophobia in the European Union. Can proequality policies developed in a hostile context make a difference? The first part of the introduction provides an analytical framework to account for the emergence and implementation of an antidiscrimination policy framework in the European Union. The second part assesses the limits of this new paradigm in particular as far as the categorization and measurement of discrimination are concerned. It focuses on the broader impact of the development of antidiscrimination policies and jurisprudence and on the way "vulnerable populations" have made use of it.

Ageism and Age Discrimination in the Labour Market: A Macrostructural Perspective

“…Moreover, severe labour market distractions, such as the economic crisis, make it difficult to recognise discrimination and can weaken the effects of stronger state age discrimination legislation (Neumark and Button 2014). It has also been found that anti-discrimination legislation can raise awareness of the problem among older workers and employers (Amiraux and Guiraudon 2010). However, as noted by Amiraux and Guiraudon (2010), the social fluidity of discrimination contrasts with the boundaries of its legal existence, which calls for more interaction between the two spheres to enhance the efficiency of the legislation and to increase its social impact.…”

Hard and soft age discrimination: the dual nature of workplace discrimination

“…The long-term effects of functioning of anti-discrimination legislation are still difficult to assess. On the one hand, experts emphasise that such regulations are important for raising awareness to age discrimination among older workers and employers (Amiraux and Guiraudon 2010;Breda and Schoenmaekers 2006). On the other hand, it is assumed that only a small number of age discrimination practices find their way to court, and even if they do, proving guilt is very problematic (Rothenberg and Gardner 2011).…”

Jeopardy, Consciousness, and Multiple Discrimination: Intersecting Inequalities in Contemporary Western Europe

“…Until 1997, European antidiscrimination policy also occurred primarily at the national level for each country, but this changed significantly with the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty of the European Union. While some protections against discrimination on the basis of nation and gender had been in place previously, the Amsterdam Treaty, along with the European Union (EU) Racial Equality and Employment Framework Directives of 2000 that followed, added new provisions to combat discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, and sexual orientation (Amiraux and Guiraudon ).…”

“…Finally, while European antidiscrimination policy has made significant gains in recent decades, particularly as it concerns multiple discrimination, several studies find that racism and xenophobia have intensified over the past decade, and that perceptions of discrimination remain high, particularly among Roma populations and immigrants from outside of the EU (Amiraux and Guiraudon ; European Commission ; Zick et al. ) .…”