Holistic DEI Speaker Series

FLCU 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Training Glossary of Terms

Ableism — Ableism means the practices or dominant attitudes by a society that devalue or limit the potential for people with disabilities. Ableism is the act of giving inferior value or worth to people who have different types of disabilities (physical, emotional, developmental, or psychiatric).

Ally/Allyship — Allyship is the process in which people with privilege and power work to develop empathy to advance the interests of an oppressed or marginalized outgroup.

Allyship is part of the anti-oppression or anti-racist conversation, which puts into use social justice theories and ideals. The goal is to create a culture in which the marginalized group feels supported.

Bias — Bias means to have a prejudice against groups that are not similar to you or to have/ show preference for people that are similar to you.

Black — Black means to be related to people who have ethnic origins in Africa, or not of white European descent. Black is often used interchangeably with African American/Black American in the United States.

Classism — Classism is a term that means to have prejudicial thoughts or to discriminate against a person or group based on differences in socioeconomic status and income level.

Cultural Appropriation — Cultural Appropriation means the act of stealing cultural elements for a person’s own use or profit.

Cultural Identity — Cultural Identity means the identity or feeling of belonging to a group based on nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality, or other types of social groups that have their own distinct culture.

Diversity — Diversity means individual differences between groups based on such things as:

  • abilities
  • age
  • disability
  • learning styles
  • life experiences
  • neurodiversity
  • race/ethnicity
  • class
  • gender
  • sexual orientation
  • country of origin
  • cultural, political or religious affiliation, etc.

Dominant Culture — Dominant Culture is a term that refers to the cultural beliefs, values, and traditions that are based on those of a dominant society. Practices in a Dominant Culture practices are considered “normal” and “right.”

Ethnicity — Ethnicity, or Ethnic Group, is a way to divide people into smaller social groups based on characteristics like:

cultural heritage, values, behavioral patterns, language, political and economic interests, ancestral geographical base, etc.

Implicit Bias —Implicit Bias, or hidden bias, refers to the common attitudes or stereotypes that affect a person’s understanding, actions, or decisions unconsciously as it relates to people from different groups. Also known as Unconscious Bias.

Inclusion — The term Inclusion refers to the process of bringing people that are traditionally excluded into decision making processes, activities, or positions of power. Inclusion is sometimes called Inclusiveness and allows individuals or groups to feel safe, respected, motivated, and engaged.

Oppression — Oppression refers to systemic and institutional abuse of power by a dominant or privileged group at the expense of targeted, less privileged groups.

Prejudice — Prejudice means to pre-judge or have a negative attitude towards one type of person or group because of stereotypes or generalizations.

Privilege — Privilege (in the context of diversity) means an unearned social power for members of a dominant group of society including benefits, entitlements, or a set of advantages in society based on race, gender, wealth, etc.

Racism — Racism is the oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that gives privilege to white people.

Restorative Justice — Restorative Justice is an effort to repair the harm caused by crime and conflict related to bias or racism.

Structural Racism — Structural Racism, sometimes called Institutional Racism, refers to institutional practices or policies that create different outcomes for various racial groups. The effects of Structural Racism usually create advantages for white people and oppression or disadvantages for people of color.

White Supremacy — White Supremacy refers to the exploitation or oppression of nations or people of color by white people for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, privilege, and power.

Xenophobia — Xenophobia is prejudice or a dislike for people from other countries.