The ability to engage in open dialogue about diversity requires a basic common understanding of key terminology. As we move towards a common language and begin using a common vocabulary, successful open discourse is possible. As human beings, we reference our own life experiences when communicating. These experiences are different for everyone when considering our culture, socio-economic level, educational level, physical attributes (e.g., gender, race, height, weight, hair, color) and geographic location, among others. That is why it is so important to embrace the common ground of this vocabulary, using it to unite out differences so that we may fully take advantage of our diversity and explore it to our maximum potential.
DICTIONARY
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X |Y | Z
A
Affirmative Action - The deliberate undertaking of positive steps to design and implement procedures that ensure that an employer provides equal employment opportunity to all. Recruitment and selection of employees are two of the major components of any affirmation action plan. Affirmative action programs are an outgrowth of EEO laws. It is government-initiated and mandated in certain circumstances. Affirmative action programs contain goals and timetables designed to bring the level of representation for minority groups and women into parity with relevant and available labor force indices. Affirmative action regulations also do not require preferential treatment, nor do they mandate or even suggest the hiring or promotion of persons who are not qualified. While affirmative action programs are mandated and are a reaction to under representation, managing diversity initiatives are voluntary and proactive in nature.
Ageism – The stereotypes we place upon the elderly and the young.
Ally - Someone in the dominant group (majority population) who stands up and defends the rights of the targeted group (minority populations.)
Androgenous/Androgyny – One who has the quality of simultaneously exhibiting masculine and feminine characteristics.
Asian People – Asian-Americans, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, etc.; people from Middle Eastern countries are Asian, e.g., Pakistan, Iranian, Indian (those from the country of India); people of color; differentiate between foreign nationals and American born, e.g., Chinese vs. Chinese American.
Assimilation (see integration) - The process whereby a group is expected to gradually adopt the characteristics of another.
Avoidance – Avoiding a particular group, consciously or subconsciously, because of a prejudice toward the group.
B
“Being Culturally Aware….” - Being aware of the existence of cultural similarities and differences. It does not automatically imply an understanding, a respect or disrespect on the part of a person, only an awareness.
“Being Culturally Responsive…” - Having the basic knowledge and relationship skills that allow or help others to explore and grow in the understanding and experience of their own culture, the culture of others and how the two relate.
“Being Culturally Sensitive…” - Being aware of cultural differences and similarities, while not judging them as more or less than right or wrong, good or bad.
Bigot –One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
Bisexual – One who has significant sexual and romantic attractions to members of both the same and the other sex or who identifies as a member of the bisexual community.
Black People – African American, black; Caribbean American; African or use the country of national origin, e.g., Egyptian, Ethiopian, Senegalese; people of color; differentiate between foreign nationals and American born.
Boy – 1. A young male. 2. Colloquial term for masculine. Often used to specify gender of clothes. Boy has often been used as a condescending term for a man (especially a man of color) and is therefore distasteful to many people.
C
Civil Rights Act of 1964 – An act to enforce the constitutional right to vote, to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public accommodations, to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and public education, to prevent discrimination in federally assisted programs and for other purposes. Equal employment opportunity means that all individuals must be treated equally in all employment activities (hiring, training or promotion). Each person is to be evaluated on his or her ability to do the job and must not be subjected to discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran. To ensure the implementation of affirmative action and to enforce the Civil Rights Act, the Federal government created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC.)
Civil Union – The state of Vermont began this formal recognition of lesbian and gay relationships in July 2000. A civil union provides same-sex couples some rights available to married couples in areas such as state taxes, medical decisions and estate planning.
Class – Category of division based on economic status; members of a class are theoretically assumed to possess similar cultural, political and economic characteristics and principles.
Classism – Discrimination based on class.
Culture –The total sum of who we are. We are each a unique collection of habits, knowledge, beliefs, skills, attitudes and experiences…many of these passed on to us by those who came before us.
D
Differently Abled People – Differently abled people, developmentally challenged, physically challenged.
Discrimination–The systematic, intended or unintended denial of recognition, power, privilege and opportunity to certain people based on the groups to which they belong.
Diversity – Differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs or spiritual practice and other human traits.
E
Eurocentrism – The practice of consciously or unconsciously privileging the culture of Europe over other cultures.
Ethnicity – The condition of belonging to a particular national, cultural, religious or racial group.
F
Feminine – The gender role assigned to females.
G
Gay (man/male) (community) – One who has significant sexual and romantic attractions primarily to members of the same sex (as oneself) or who identifies as a member of the gay community.
Gender (identity) – An individual’s emotional and psychological sense of being male or female. Not necessarily the same as an individual’s biological identity. A psychological gender role. Masculine or feminine.
Girl – 1. A young female. 2. Colloquial term for feminine. Often used to specify gender of clothes. Girl has often been used as a condescending term for a woman and is therefore distasteful to many people.
Glass Ceiling – Term for the maximum position and salary some claim minorities and woman are allowed to reach without any chances of further promotion or advancement within an employment scenario.
H
Hate – Intense dislike; extreme aversion to hostility; an enduring organization of aggressive impulses toward a person or class of persons.
Character-conditioned Hate – Continuing readiness to hate; a person carries a vague, temperamental sense of wrong which he wishes to polarize.
Rational Hate – When fundamental natural rights of persons are violated. One hates whatever threatens his own freedom, life and values.
Hate Crimes – Offenses that are directed against members of a particular group simply because of their membership in that group.
Mission Hate Crimes – Involve offenders who commit their lives to bigotry, who may seek to eliminate members of a reviled group and/ or whose crimes may reflect their dedication to this cause.
Reactive Hate Crimes – Involve offenders who believe that they are protecting their turf.
Thrill Hate Crimes – Committed by offenders who are looking for excitement and attack victims for the thrill.
Heterosexism – The assumption that identifying as heterosexual and having sexual and romantic attractions only to members of the other sex (than oneself) is good and acceptable and that other sexual identities and attractions are bad and unacceptable. The assumption that everyone is straight whose sexual orientation is not known, usually coupled with “blindness” to the existence and concerns of queer people.
Homophobia – Originally, an irrational fear of sexual attraction to the same sex. Developed into a term for the oppression of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals (sometimes does not include bisexuals). This oppression ranges from not including LesBiGays in one’s circle of friends and media reports on and representations of society, through the cold shoulder, snide comments, verbal harassment, assault, rape and murder based on the target person’s (perceived) sexual orientation.
Homophobe – One who is afraid of or oppresses people because those people have sexual and romantic attractions to members of the same sex.
Homosexual – Formal or clinical term for gay, usually meaning gay male, sometimes meaning LesGay, and occasionally meaning LesBiGay. Homosexual and homosexuality are often associated with the proposition that same-gender attractions are a mental disorder (homophilia) and are therefore distasteful to some people.
I
Identity – How one thinks of oneself. One’s internal self, as opposed to what others observe or think about one.
Ingroups – Members of one’s own group.
Institutional Racism – The conscious and/or unconscious belief in the superiority of the dominant racial group that manifests itself in the inclusion of other dominant racial group members and the exclusion of other racial group members.
Integration (see assimilation) – Appreciating and valuing the full spectrum of diversity without expecting members of the group to adopt characteristics of another.
J
K
L
Lesbian – A woman who has significant sexual and romantic attractions to members of the same sex or who identifies as a member of the lesbian community. Bisexual women do not feel included by this term.
M
Managing Diversity – Seeks to address issues related to managing people via internal communication, interpersonal relationships, conflict resolution, quality, productivity and efficiency. Some of the issues addressed by properly managing diversity may be indirectly related to EEO and affirmative action concerns. The main focus of managing diversity is to find productivity gains through respecting, valuing and using the difference people bring to the workplace. The idea is to find a way to let everyone do what he or she does best in order to gain a competitive edge. While affirmative action seeks an end result, managing diversity is a long-term change process that seeks to identify and actually change the organizational culture of an agency.
Masculine – The gender role assigned to males.
Multicultural Organization – An organization that: values human differences as a competitive advantage; has full and influential participation by all members of the organization in decisions and policies that shape the organization; has a pluralistic culture that reflects the interests, contributions and values of diverse groups; and eliminates discrimination throughout the organization.
N
Native American – Native Americans; name of tribe, e.g., Navajo, Iroquois, etc.
O
Older People – Older adults, older people, mature adults, elderly.
Oriental – Relating to or deriving from the language, traditions or cultures of the peoples of Asian nations in the region designated as the “the Orient,” or “the East,” by Europeans. This term is conspicuously Eurocentric as “the East” is constructed as being opposed to a fixed reference point, “the West,” or western Europe.
Other Human Traits – All traits cannot be listed, as human beings are very diverse. However, the following are considered to be some of the human traits which can professionally hinder an individual or cause an individual to suffer discrimination and stereotyping: single parents, hair color (i.e., blondes, red heads), geographic location (i.e., birthplace or community in which you live), left-handed individuals, years of tenure with on organization, etc. This is not an exhaustive list of other human traits.
Outgroups – Members of some other group not one’s own.
P
People of Color – A term used to describe all non-white racial or ethnic groups.
People of Hispanic/ Latino – Hispanic, Cuban American, Latina (female), Latino (male); people of color; differentiate between foreign nationals and American born; use country of national origin, e.g., Puerto Ricans, Chileans. (Brazilians are of Portuguese origin and do not consider themselves of Hispanic or Latino origin. While only a few speak Spanish, the first language is Portuguese.)
Pluralism – An organizational culture that incorporates mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork and productivity among people who are diverse in the dimensions of human differences listed above as diversity.
Prejudice – Judgment made about another that reinforces a superiority/inferiority belief system.
Prejudice, Causes of –
Economic and Political Competition or Conflict – leads the dominant group to exploit or derogate minority groups in order to gain some material advantage.
Displaced Aggression (Scapegoating) – a scapegoat is a relatively powerless innocent who is made to take the blame for something that is not his or her fault.
Prejudiced Personality (Personality Need) – Refers to the notion of individual differences in the tendency to hate.
Prejudice Through Conformity to Existing Norms – People conform to the social norms that exist in society with regard to prejudice.
Prejudice, Different Approaches To –
Historical Approach to Prejudice – Traces contemporary prejudice to slavery and proposes that its goal is to allow the exploitation of blacks.
Socio-cultural Approach to Prejudice – Emphasizes the society and culture within which prejudice survives.
Situational Approach to Prejudice – Studies the influence of immediate social forces, such as the particular nature of intergroup contact (e.g., cooperation, competition) on prejudice and discrimination.
Personality Structure and Dynamics Approach to Discrimination – Traces ethnocentrism and prejudice to earlier child-rearing practices and subsequent personality dispositions.
Phenomenological Approach to Discrimination – Examines how a variety of forces (i.e., society, culture, history, personality and immediate context) influence people’s experiences, perceptions and ideas and affect their attitudes and behavior.
Stimulus-Object Approach to Discrimination – Proposes actual differences between groups are the basis for hostility and discrimination.
Q
Queer – 1. Reclaimed derogatory slang for the sexual minority community (e.g., Queer Nation.) Not accepted by all sexual minority community, especially older members; 2. Sometimes used for an even wider spectrum of marginalized or radicalized groups and individuals.
R
Race – A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
Racism – The intentional or unintentional use of power to reinforce prejudice to isolate, separate, exploit and disadvantage other racial groups based on a belief in superior racial origin, identity or supposed racial characteristics. Racism is more than just a personal attitude; it is the systemic or institutional form of that attitude. Prejudice + Power = Racism.
Religious Prejudice – Invasion or avoidance of a member of a different religious group than your own.
S
Sex – Male or female, depending on primary sex organs.
Sexism – The gender specific roles and expectations we place on each other, men and women; discrimination based on gender.
Sexual Orientation – How one thinks of oneself in terms of being significantly attracted to members of the same or the other sex. Based on one’s internal experience, as opposed to which gender one’s actual sexual partners belong.
Straight – Colloquial for heterosexual. Because straight has connotations of “unadulterated,” “pure” and “honest,” some members of the sexual identity community object to the implication that one who is not straight is “bent,” “adulterated,” “impure” or “dishonest.” Straight has connotations of ”narrow,” “strait-laced” or “conservative,” and some heterosexual-identified people object find it distasteful.
Socioeconomic Prejudice – Prejudice against people of different monetary privilege.
Socioeconomic Status – Social and economic position, rank or standing.
Stakeholder – An individual or organization having claim or interest in something.
T
Tolerance – Acceptance and open-mindedness to different practices, attributes and cultures.
Transgender – An umbrella term that refers to people who’s biological and gender identity or expression may not be the same. This can include preoperative, postoperative or nonoperative transsexuals, female and male cross-dressers, drag queens or kings, female or male impersonators and intersex individuals. If an individual prefers to be called transsexual, drag queen or king, intersex, etc., use that term.
Transgendered – One who switches gender roles, whether just once, or many times at will. Inclusive term for transsexuals and transvestites.
Transsexual (TS) – One who switches physical sexes (usually just once, but there are exceptions.) Primary sex change is accomplished by surgery. Hormone therapy, electrolysis, additional surgery and other treatments can change secondary sex characteristics.
Transvestite (TV) – One who mainly cross dresses for pleasure in the appearance and sensation. The pleasure may not be directly erotic. It may be empowering, rebellious or something else. May feel comfortable in a focused transgender role whole cross-dressed. May occasionally experience gender dysphoria.
U
V
W
White People – White, European American; use country of national origin, e.g., Irish Americans, Italian Americas, German Americans, Portuguese Americans, etc., differentiate between foreign nationals and American born.
Y
Young People – Young people, young adults.
Z