Some salient diversity-related definitions (based on Arizona State University Intergroup Relations Center Glossary)
- Agent: The perpetrator or perpetrator of oppression and/or discrimination; usually a member of the dominant, non-target identity group.
- Ally: a person of one social identity group who stands up in support of members of another group; typically a member of the dominant group standing beside member(s) of targeted group; e.g., a male arguing for equal pay for women.
- Classism: prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on a difference in socio-economic status, income, class; usually by upper classes against lower
- Dialogue: “communication that creates and recreates multiple understandings” (Wink, 1997); it is bidirectional, not zero-sum and may or may not end in agreement; it can be emotional and uncomfortable, but is safe, respectful and has increased understanding as its goal
- Discrimination: actions, based on conscious or unconscious prejudice, which favor one group over others in the provision of goods, services or opportunities.
- Diversity: the wide variety of shared and different personal and group characteristics among human beings.
- Gender: the socially-constructed concepts of masculinity and femininity; the ‘appropriate’ qualities accompanying biological sex
- Heterosexism: the presumption that everyone is, and should be, heterosexual
- Heterosexual: (adj.) attracted to members of the other/opposite sex
- Homophobia: the fear or hatred of homosexuality (and other non-heterosexual identities), and persons perceived to be Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and/or Transgendered homosexual: (adj.) attracted to members of the same sex
- LGBTQ: acronym encompassing the diverse group of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer/Questioning people
- Microaggressions – the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership
- Oppression: when access to resources is denied based on one or more of our social locations
- Prejudice: a preconceived judgment about a person or group of people; usually indicating a negative bias
- Privilege: “unearned access to resources (social power) only readily available to some people as a result of their group membership” (Adams, et al, 1997)
- Racism: prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on differences in race/ethnicity; usually by white/European descent groups against persons of color
- Sex: the biological classification of male or female (based on genetic or physiological features); as opposed to gender
- Sexism: prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on differences in sex/gender; usually by men against women
- Social identity: our identities within the context of the different social groups that we belong to such as ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender, class, occupation, disability status, religion, and nationality social justice: a broad term for action intended to create genuine equity, fairness and respect among peoples
- Social location –one’s status in a society based on social group memberships (e.g. race, class, age, gender, ability)
- Stereotype: blanket beliefs and expectations about members of certain groups that present an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. They go beyond necessary and useful categorizations and generalizations in that they are typically negative, are based on little information and are highly resistant to change–even in the face of contradictory evidence.
- Systems of oppression: conscious and unconscious, non-random, and organized harassment, discrimination, exploitation, discrimination, prejudice and other forms of unequal treatment that impact different groups.