Glossary
Each glossary term to be clickable and bring the learner back to the glossary that is already in the pressbook
| Term | Definition | |
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| Abegweit First Nation | Abegweit First Nation is a Mi’kmaq community indigenous to Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island) home for over 12,000 years. (Abegweit First Nation, 2024) | |
| Accountability | The ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves responsible to the values, goals, commitments and actions that they support.
To be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. Invisibility defies examination; it is, in fact, employed in order to avoid detection and examination. Accountability demands commitment. It might be defined as “what kicks in when convenience runs out.” Accountability requires some sense of urgency and becoming a true stakeholder in the outcome. Accountability can be externally imposed (legal or organizational requirements), or internally applied (moral, relational, faith-based, or recognized as some combination of the two) on a continuum from the institutional and organizational level to the individual level. From a relational point of view, accountability is not always doing it right. Sometimes it’s really about what happens after it’s done wrong. (Racial Equity Tools Glossary, MP Associates, Center for Assessment and Policy Development, and World Trust Educational Services, December 2023). |
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| Acceptance | Approval and embracing of differences in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sex, age, disability, nationality, religion, beliefs, values and any difference beyond tolerance. | |
| Adinkra | An ideographic script created by the ancient Asante people of West Africa. Each symbol expresses a proverb or philosophy which represents more than the symbol itself and is understood within the context of Asante culture. The original description of each symbol is communicated in the Asante language, Twi. | |
| Advocacy | Speaking up on behalf of a group either as a group member or as someone outside of the group to offer support, voice concern, empower or offer recommendations. | |
| Affirmative Action | An active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of equity deserving groups through explicit actions, policies or programs.- Also see employment equity | |
| Ally | A member of a different group who works to end a form of discrimination for a particular individual or equity-deserving group. | |
| Anti-Black Racism | Policies and practices rooted in Canadian institutions such as education, health care, and justice that perpetuate and reinforce prejudice beliefs and attitudes, stereotyping and discrimination towards individuals and communities of African descent. | |
| Anti-oppression | Actions, strategies and theories that actively challenge, oppose and remove inequities and injustices perpetrated by power inequalities in society at systemic, institutional and individual levels. Opposing the beliefs, actions, prejudices, and systems that allow certain groups to dominate over others. | |
| Anti-racism | An active and consistent process of change to eliminate individual, institutional and systemic racism. | |
| Anti-racist education | Education aimed to aid students in developing an understanding of the nature and characteristics of racist barriers that are embedded within policies and practices of institutions, and to develop skills to dismantle them. | |
| Barrier | An overt or clandestine obstacle which must be overcome for equity and progress to be possible. | |
| Belonging | Feeling secure, supported, accepted, and included. | |
| Bias | A subjective opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination, often formed without reasonable justification, which influences the ability of an individuals or group to evaluate or perceive a particular situation, person or group of people objectively or accurately.- Also see Implicit Bias | |
| Black/African Canadians | People of African descent and those who define themselves as such, who are also residents/citizens of Canada. | |
| Black burnout/ Black Fatigue | Repeated variations of stress that results in extreme exhaustion and causes mental, physical, and spiritual maladies that are passed down from generation to generation. It can result from a variety of sources including experiencing systemic racism, tokenism, a lack of representation in leadership or the frustration of communicating existing inequalities to peers, colleagues, mentors, leaders and organizations who may or may not understand or support. | |
| Black Food Sovereignty | The right for people of African descent to have access to healthy and culturally-appropriate food, produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods. Also their right to define their own food and agriculture systems and build their own institutions to advance community capacity and resilience for food access. | |
| Black Lives Matter | An ideological and political movement founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene and combat violence inflicted on Black communities by individuals and institutions. | |
| Blackness | The quality or state of being Black, often associated with cultural identity and experiences across the African diaspora. | |
| Centering Blackness | Creating and designing policies and practices that intentionally empower and protect Black people. Promoting a worldview free from the constraints of white supremacy. | |
| Colonialism | The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country or indigenous land. Then occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. | |
| Colonization | The practice of invasion and dispossession where one nation occupies land for the purpose of subjugating, conquering, and exploiting the colonized territory and its people.
The invasion need not be military; it can begin—or continue—as geographical intrusion in the form of agricultural, urban, or industrial encroachments. The result of such incursion is the dispossession of vast amounts of lands from the original inhabitants. This is often legalized after the fact. The long-term result of such massive dispossession is institutionalized inequality. The colonizer/colonized relationship is by nature an unequal one that benefits the colonizer at the expense of the colonized. Ongoing and legacy colonialism impact power relations in most of the world today. For example, white supremacy as a philosophy was developed largely to justify European colonial exploitation of the Global South (including enslaving African peoples, extracting resources from much of Asia and Latin America, and enshrining cultural norms of whiteness as desirable both in colonizing and colonizer nations (LaRocque, n.d.) |
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| Colourism aka Shadism | The author, Pulitzer Prize winner and activist Alice Walter coined the term ‘colourism’ in her book entitled “In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens”, to define the prejudice or preferential treatment offered to people within the same race or ethnic group based on the lightness or darkness of their skin. Privileges offered to people having a lighter skin complexion and discrimination imposed on people having a darker skin tone. Colourism has expanded to include preference towards people having other eurocentric features including but not limited to, hair with a looser curl pattern or lighter colour, a more narrow and pointed nose and, eye colour other than brown. | |
| Community-based initiative | Initiatives aimed to support community members, leaders and community organizations in leading projects, research and activities that are supported by partners and funders. | |
| Community Healing | Reconnecting people and their communities to the vibrancy and strengths of their culture to enhance their health and wellness. | |
| Cultural Default | “The status quo; a category or reality specific to one group of people that is used as a rule or standard for all people and groups. Taking the preferences, practices, and policies of a ruling elite and universalizing them so that they feel “natural” or function as social norms. Often referred to in academic circles as hegemony” (YMCA, n.d.) | |
| Cultural Appropriation | The theft of cultural elements or objects from equity deserving groups for use, commodification, or profit without understanding, respecting, acknowledging or crediting the cultural significance and historical context | |
| Culturally Appropriate Food | Refers to the acknowledgment that food must be considered within a cultural framework. Culturally appropriate food does not only refer to the food itself, but also holds space for the cultural practices around the preparation and consumption of the food, considering where, how, and with whom it is eaten | |
| Cultural assimilation | “The full adoption by an individual or group of the culture, values and patterns of a different social, religious, linguistic or national ethos, resulting in the diminution or elimination of attitudinal and behavioural characteristics of the original individual or group. Can be voluntary or forced.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Cultural Competence | “Awareness and understanding of different cultures and practices, and the ability to accept and bridge differences between cultures for effective communication.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Culture | “The mix of ideas, beliefs, values, behavioural and social norms, knowledge and traditions held by a group of individuals who share a historical, geographic, religious, racial, linguistic, ethnic and/ or social context,. This mix is passed on from one generation to another, resulting in a set of expectations for appropriate behaviour in seemingly similar contexts.”(Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Cultural Safety | An approach that recognizes and respects the cultural identities of individuals and communities, ensuring that services are provided in a manner that is safe and free from barriers including discrimination and prejudice. | |
| Diaspora | Community members of the past or current generation that voluntarily or forcibly left their ancestral homelands and are living in a host country | |
| Dignity | An unearned state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect. | |
| Discrimination | The denial of equal treatment and opportunity to individuals or groups because of personal characteristics and membership in specific groups, with respect to education, accommodation, health care, employment, access to services, goods, and facilities. This behaviour results from distinguishing people on that basis without regard to individual merit, resulting in unequal outcomes for persons who are perceived as different. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Diversity | A term used to encompass the acceptance and respect of various dimensions of a person’s or peoples identities including race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religious beliefs, age, physical abilities, political beliefs, or other ideologies. | |
| Ecological Farming | Regenerative, socially engaged and forward-thinking farming practices where biodiversity, nature and communities are nurtured. Practices aim to improve the health of soil, crops, livestock and the environment. | |
| Economic Justice | Parts of of social justice and welfare economics that promote the establishment of institutional principals that are based on the premise that economies will be more successful when prosperity and justice go hand-in-hand. | |
| EDI (Equity Diversity and Inclusion) | Principles and practices aimed at promoting fairness, representation, and belonging for all individuals. | |
| Employment Equity | Programs designed to remove barriers to equality in employment and educational opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability, by identifying and eliminating discriminatory policies and practices, remedying the effects of past discrimination, and ensuring appropriate representation of equity deserving groups. | |
| Emotional Labour | “The effort taken to manage emotions to suit a particular context or to be considered socially acceptable. In the context of diversity and inclusion, marginalized groups (particularly racialized people) are often subject to a great deal of emotional labour in the wake of world events or in times of racial tension where discussions of race are more common at work.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Emotional Tax | The mental and physical impacts on members of marginalized groups due to constant discomfort that comes with protecting themselves against bias and discrimination. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Employment Barriers | The formal or informal polices or practices that result in the restriction or exclusion of members from equity deserving groups on factors not related to the job requirement. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Community Empowerment | “Focuses on building the capacity of communities to identify and address their own needs and challenges. It involves fostering a sense of collective responsibility, encouraging active citizenship and supporting community-driven initiatives.” (United Way, 2022) | |
| Empowerment | Economic: focuses on improving the economic status and financial independence of individuals or communities. It includes providing access to resources, training and opportunities to create sustainable livelihoods, build assets and improve economic well-being”. (United Way, 2022)
Organizational: Creating a supportive and inclusive environment within institutions, businesses or organizations. It includes promoting transparent communication, participatory decision-making and providing opportunities for skill development and growth.” (United Way, 2022) Personal: This type of empowerment focuses on enhancing an individual’s self-confidence, self-esteem and sense of personal agency. It involves developing skills, knowledge and attitudes that enable individuals to take control of their lives, make informed decisions and overcome challenges.” (United Way, 2022) Political: Aims to increase the influence and participation of individuals or groups in political processes and decision-making. This can involve promoting civic engagement, advocating for political representation and fostering awareness of political rights and responsibilities” (United Way, 2022) Social: Aims to improve the social status and well-being of individuals or marginalized groups within society. It involves promoting social inclusion, equal rights and opportunities, as well as challenging social norms and prejudices that perpetuate discrimination and exclusion”. (United Way, 2022) |
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| Environmental Justice | The right to the environmental protections, benefits, and meaningful involvement in the policies that shape communities regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality or income. | |
| Environmental Racism | A systemic form of racism in which toxic wastes are introduced into or near marginalized communities. Black, people of colour, indigenous peoples, working class, and poor communities suffer disproportionately from environmental hazards and the location of dangerous, toxic facilities such as incinerators and toxic waste dumps. Pollution of lands, air and waterways, often causes chronic illness to the inhabitants and change in their lifestyle. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Epigenetics | The study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. The field of social epigenetics is presenting growing evidence demonstrating that adverse social environments can contribute to alterations in the epigenome ( King et.al., 2024). | |
| Equity | A condition or state of fair, inclusive, and respectful treatment of all people while recognizing and having regard for individual differences (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024). | |
| Equity-seeking groups/ Equity-deserving groups | Groups of people who have been historically disadvantaged and underrepresented. These groups include but are not limited to the four designated groups in Canada – women, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, and people with disabilities – and people in the LGTBQ2+ community/people with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. Equity-seeking/deserving groups experience and identify barriers and unequal access, and may actively seek social justice and reparation. (Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, 2022) | |
| Essentialism | “The belief that an entire group naturally possesses the same characteristics, ignoring individual differences within the group (e.g., the belief that there is a gender gap in certain industries because women are not interested in those jobs). Can lead to stereotypes.” (Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, 2022)- Also see Monolith | |
| Ethnicity | A social construct that divides people into smaller social groups based on characteristics such as shared sense of group membership, values, behavioral patterns, language, political and economic interests, history, and ancestral geographical base (Adams, Bell & Griffin, 2007) | |
| Exclusion | “The denial of access or leaving someone out either consciously or unconsciously.” (Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, 2022) | |
| Food Justice | Eliminating inequities in the food system to ensure that the benefits and risks of where, what, and how food is grown, produced, transported, distributed, accessed and eaten are shared fairly (Congressional Hunger Center, n.d.) | |
| Food literacy | One’s ability to apply food and nutrition-related knowledge to select, buy, and prepare food to make healthy choices in a complex food environment (Locally Driven Collaborative Project, 2017). | |
| Food Security | Based on the 1996 World Food Summit (PDF), food security is defined when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
The four main dimensions of food security:
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| Food Sovereignty | The right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.
Seven Pillars of Food Sovereignty The first six pillars were developed at the International Forum for Food Sovereignty in Nyéléni (link is external), Mali, in 2007. The seventh pillar – Food is Sacred – was added by members of the Indigenous Circle during the People’s Food Policy process. 1. Focuses on Food for People
2. Builds Knowledge and Skills
3. Works with Nature
4. Values Food Providers
5. Localizes Food Systems
6. Puts Control Locally
7. Food is Sacred
(Food Secure Canada, n.d.) |
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| Food System | The networks required to produce, transform, and transport food to consumers. | |
| Gatekeeping | To control who gets particular resources, power and opportunities and who does not. | |
| Generational wealth and knowledge | Passing down assets and knowledge and skills of how to acquire, build, retain and grow assets, from one generation to the next | |
| George Flyod | A Black man, who was killed by a police officer in May 2020 after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by his neck by Minneapolis police officers. Video caption of his brutal murder inspired protests about anti-Black racism world-wide.- Trigger warning of police brutality and murder should you choose to watch recordings linked in the reference. | |
| Human Right | In Canada, human rights are protected by federal, provincial and territorial laws. The Canadian Human Rights Act and provincial/territorial human rights codes protect individuals from discrimination and harassment in employment, accommodation and the provision of services. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects every Canadian’s right to be treated equally under the law. The Charter guarantees fundamental freedoms such as (a) freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of association. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Implicit Bias | Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, implicit biases are negative associations that people unknowingly hold. They are expressed automatically, without conscious awareness. Many studies have indicated that implicit biases affect individuals’ attitudes and actions, thus creating real-world implications, even though individuals may not even be aware that those biases exist within themselves. Notably, implicit biases have been shown to trump individuals’ stated commitments to equality and fairness, thereby producing behavior that diverges from the explicit attitudes that many people profess. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is often used to measure implicit biases with regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, and other topics. (Racial Equity Tools Glossary, MP Associates, Center for Assessment and Policy Development, and World Trust Educational Services, December 2023). | |
| Inclusivity | The extent to which diverse members of a group feel a sense of belonging, value and respect. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Inclusive education | Education that is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all students. Students see themselves reflected in their curriculum, their physical surroundings, and the broader environment, in which diversity is honoured and all individuals are respected.(Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Individual Racism | Individual Racism is structured by a set of ideas, values and beliefs that frames one’s negative attitudes towards others; and is reflected in the willful, conscious/unconscious, direct/indirect, or intentional/unintentional words or actions of individuals. This is one of the three levels that make up Systemic Racism. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) – Also see interpersonal racism | |
| Institutionalized racism | Institutional Racism exists in organizations or institutions where the established rules, policies, and regulations are both informed by, and inform, the norms, values, and principles of institutions. These in turn, systematically produce differential treatment of, or discriminatory practices towards various groups based on race. It is enacted by individuals within organizations, who because of their socialization, training and allegiance to the organization abide by and enforce these rules, policies and regulations. It essentially maintains a system of social control that favours the dominant groups in society (status quo). This is one of the three levels that make up Systemic Racism. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Institutions | Mechanisms of social order e.g. government, business, unions, schools, churches, courts, police), which govern the behaviour of a set of individuals within a given community. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Intergenerational Trauma | The trauma experienced and inherited through generations. Research has found that trauma can be passed down genetically through changes in DNA expression, socially through traumatic events affecting social interactions, or structurally through the continued marginalization of the traumatized groups. Intergenerational trauma has been found to affect the families of holocaust survivors, residential school survivors, refugees, and other groups who experienced traumatic events (Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, 2022). | |
| Internalized dominance | Where individuals are unconsciously conditioned to believe they are superior or inferior in status, affecting social interaction. Internalized domination or dominance is likely to involve feelings of superiority, normalcy and self-righteousness, together with guilt, fear, projection and denial of demonstrated inequity (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024). | |
| Interpersonal Racism | “Interpersonal racism occurs between individuals. Once we bring our private beliefs into our interaction with others, racism is now in the interpersonal realm “(Lawrence & Keleher, 2024).- Also see individual racism |
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| Intersection/ Intersectionality | “The experience of the interconnected nature of ethnicity, race, creed, gender, socio-economic position etc., (cultural, institutional and social), and the way they are imbedded within existing systems and define how one is valued.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Lateral Violence | Displaced violence directed against one’s peers rather than adversaries. This construct is one way of explaining minority-on-minority violence in developed nations. It is a cycle of abuse and its roots lie in factors such as: colonization, oppression, intergenerational trauma and the ongoing experiences of racism and discrimination. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Macroaggression | Large-scale or overt acts of aggression toward marginalized groups, often supported by institutional policies and practices. | |
| Marginalization/ Marginalized | “With reference to race and culture, the experience of persons outside the dominant group who face barriers to full and equal participating members of society. Refers also to the process of being “left out” of or silenced in a social group.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Marginalized Groups | Members of society that face exclusion due to societal and systemic barriers. Also Equity-seeking groups/equity-deserving groups (Canadian Centre of Equity and Diversity, 2022) | |
| Microaggression | Everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights or insults that communicate hostile or negative messages to marginalized groups. | |
| Mi’kma’ki | Ancestral and unceded territory that encompasses Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the island of Newfoundland, and parts of New Brunswick and Quebec. | |
| Misogyny | The belief that masculinity and maleness is more desirable, superior, more powerful, and/or dominant (Canadian Centre of Equity and Diversity, 2022) | |
| Mtaban | Wolfville Nova Scotia, the site known as Mtaban to the Mi’kmaq and translates to ‘mud catfish, catching ground”. | |
| Monolith | The false assumption that all individuals within a particular group share the same experiences and characteristics. | |
| Multicultural Education | A broad term which may refer to a set of structured learning activities and curricula designed to create and enhance understanding of and respect for cultural diversity. The term often connotes inclusion of racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic, national, international, and political diversity, and is also inclusive of the culture, heritage, history, beliefs and values of the various peoples within a pluralistic society. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Norm | Behaviors or characteristics of a group that are considered societal standards (Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion, 2022) | |
| Oppression | The systemic and pervasive mistreatment of individuals based on their membership in a marginalized group. | |
| Patriarchy | “The norms, values, beliefs, structures and systems that grant power, privilege and superiority to men, and thereby marginalize and subordinate women” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024). | |
| People of Colour | “A term which applies to non-White racial or ethnic groups; generally used by racialized peoples as an alternative to the term “visible minority.” The word is not used to refer to Aboriginal peoples, as they are considered distinct societies under the Canadian Constitution. When including Indigenous peoples, it is correct to say “people of colour and Aboriginal / Indigenous peoples.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Performative allyship | “When someone who is not a member of an equity seeking group expresses support for a group in a way that is not helpful or could even be harmful. People engaged in performative allyship do not acknowledge personal responsibility in or take meaningful action against the systemic issues faced by the equity seeking group.” (Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion, 2022) | |
| Positionality | Positionality refers to power and privilege one holds based on their identity, personal values, views, and location in time and space that influence how one engages with and understands the world. Therefore it is fluid based on context. | |
| Power | The ability to influence or control others, often tied to social, economic, and political structures. | |
| Power Dynamics | The ways in which power is distributed and exercised within relationships and institutions. | |
| Prejudice | A state of mind; a set of attitudes held, consciously or unconsciously, often in the absence of legitimate or sufficient evidence. A prejudiced person is considered irrational and very resistant to change, because concrete evidence that contradicts the prejudice is usually dismissed as exceptional. Frequently prejudices are not recognized as false or unsound assumptions or stereotypes, and, through repetition, become accepted as common sense notions. The terms “racism” and “prejudice” are sometimes used interchangeably but they are not the same. A primary difference between the two is that racism relies on a level of institutional power in order to impose its dominance. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Privilege | The experience of unearned freedoms, rights, benefits, advantages, access and/or opportunities afforded some people because of their group membership or social identity (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024). | |
| Psychological Safety | The feeling of being safe to express ideas, feelings, and questions or to make mistakes without repercussions | |
| Race | Modern scholarship views racial categories as socially constructed, that is, race is not intrinsic to human beings but rather an identity created, often by socially dominant groups, to establish meaning in a social context. This often involves the subjugation of groups defined as racially inferior, as in the one-drop rule used in the 19th-century United States to exclude those with any amount of African ancestry from the dominant racial grouping, defined as “white”. Such racial identities reflect the cultural attitudes of imperial powers dominant during the age of European colonial expansion. This view rejects the notion that race is biologically defined. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Race Relations | The pattern of interaction, in an inter-racial setting, between people who are racially different. In its theoretical and practical usage, the term has also implied harmonious relations, i.e., races getting along. Two key components for positive race relations are the elimination of racial intolerance arising from prejudicial attitudes, and the removal of racial disadvantage arising from the systemic nature of racism. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Racial Discrimination | According to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (to which Canada is a signatory), racial discrimination is “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin, which nullifies or impairs the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.(Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Racial Identity | Awareness of one’s racial and ethnic group based on biological heritage, physical appearance, cultural affiliation, early socialization, and personal experience. | |
| Reconciliation | Rebuilding relationships between minority groups and the institutions that harmed them. Reconciliation can be achieved through three key steps: recognizing systemic and institutional racism and their effects, engaging in dialogue (empowering minorities), and working towards restorative justice. (Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion, 2022) | |
| Racialization | “The social categorization of people as part of a particular race and the unequal treatment of that racial group. Racialization relies on social markers such as a person’s skin colour, language, cultural habits, religion etc. to label and stereotype them.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Racism | “A belief that one group is superior to others performed through any individual action, or institutional practice which treats people differently because of their colour or ethnicity. This distinction is often used to justify discrimination.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Racist | “Refers to an individual, institution, or organization whose beliefs and/or actions imply (intentionally or unintentionally) that certain races have distinctive negative or inferior characteristics. Also refers to racial discrimination inherent in the policies, practices and procedures of institutions, corporations, and organizations which, though applied to everyone equally and may seem fair, result in exclusion or act as barriers to the advancement of marginalized groups.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Reverse Discrimination | “The belief that members of equity seeking groups receive unfair advantages as a result of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and that these programs create barriers for members of a dominant group. Discrimination based on a protected ground can happen to anyone regardless of their social position and is prohibited by human rights legislation, but this term is most often used by opponents of equity initiatives.” (Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion, 2022) | |
| Reverse Racism | Discrimination, prejudice or intolerance directed towards members of dominant racial groups. Reverse racism is a myth: members of the dominant groups can experience individual racism however, they cannot be systematically oppressed due to the lack of social or institutional power needed by minority groups to oppress the dominant group | |
| Safe space/Safer space | A “safe space” is a space where people feel psychologically safe and can express honest impressions, thoughts, and attitudes without fear of ridicule. A safe space is one that doesn’t incite judgment based on identity or experience – where the expression of both can exist and be affirmed without fear of repercussion and without the pressure to educate. can be as small as between two people or can be expanded to include all members of a larger team, network, department, or organization. It can even be an expectation of the organizational culture overall | |
| Settler/ Setter Colonialism | Within the context of race relations, the term refers to the non-indigenous population of a country. Settler colonialism functions through the replacement of indigenous populations with an invasive settler society that, over time, develops a distinctive identity and sovereignty. In Canada and in other countries, the ascendancy of settler culture has resulted in the demotion and displacement of indigenous communities, resulting in benefits that are unearned. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Social Construct | “An unreal “real” thing. Social constructions are not “natural”; they do not exist outside of language and human imagination; in this sense they are unreal. However, our way of life is built upon the belief in or dedication to socially constructed categories such as “race.” As such, though “unreal” social constructions have real world consequences for all of us. The movie “The Matrix” is often used to teach people how social constructions work. (Young Women’s Christian Association, n.d.) | |
| Socialization | “The process of consciously and unconsciously learning norms, beliefs, and practices from individuals, media, and institutions about who does/does not have power and privilege as it relates to social identities and how the self is positioned in relationship to these identities. “How we are supposed to act.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Social Determinants of Health | Social and economic factors that influence the health of people and communities. | |
| Social Justice | “A concept premised upon the belief that each individual and group within society is to be given equal opportunity, fairness, civil liberties, and participation in the social, educational, economic, institutional and moral freedoms and responsibilities valued by the society.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Stereotyping | A trait and/or characteristic assumed to be true of all members of a particular social group. Many American cultural practices and public policies are rooted in racial, gendered and class based stereotypes such as Asians are the model minority; meaning submissive. (YMCA, n.d.) | |
| Structural Racism | Structural or Societal Racism pertains to the ideologies upon which society is structured. These ideologies are inscribed through rules, policies and laws; and represents the ways in which the deep rooted inequities of society produce differentiation, categorization, and stratification of society’s members based on race. Participation in economic, political, social, cultural, judicial and educational institutions also structure this stratification (Carl James, 2010).This is one of the three levels that make up Systemic Racism. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Systems of Oppression | Systemic mistreatment of people within a social identity group, supported and enforced by society and its institutions, solely based on a person’s membership in a social group. Examples include sexism, racism, ageism, ableism, classism, heterosexism. | |
| Systemic racism | This is an interlocking and reciprocal relationship between the individual, institutional and structural levels which function as a system of racism. These various levels of racism operate together in a lockstep model and function together as whole system. These levels are:Individual (within interactions between people)Institutional (within institutions and systems of power)Structural or societal (among institutional and across society)Please see Individual Racism, Institutional Racism, and Structural/Societal Racism (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Race-based data | Data about a person’s race and or indigenous identity that is collected for the purpose of monitoring discrimination, identifying and removing systemic barriers, addressing historical disadvantages and promoting equity. Collecting this data type is important to help identify inequalities in healthcare access, quality, experience and outcomes. | |
| Roots | Roots are a person’s or people’s origin, lineage, and ancestry. They represent both genetic heritage as much as they represent the values, beliefs and traditions that are passed down to them from generation to generation. One’s roots become a part of their identity. When someone is rooted, they honour where they’ve come from. | |
| Treaty 1 Territory Manitoba | Unceded land in the southern areas of what we now call Manitoba under the 1871 Treaty between the Crown and the Anishinaabe and Swampy Cree Nations. To learn more about Treaty 1 and Treaty 1 Territory visit First Nations and Treaty Areas in Manitoba and Treaty 1. | |
| Under-represented minorities | Groups that are not proportionally represented in positions of economic influence and leadership, including on corporate boards and in senior management. These groups include women, racialized persons, those who identify as LGBTQ2+, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, and people with disabilities (Government of Canada, 2021) | |
| White | A social colour. The term is used to refer to people belonging to the majority group in Canada. It is recognized that there are many different people who are “White” but who face discrimination because of their class, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, language, or geographical origin. Grouping these people as “White” is not to deny the very real forms of discrimination that people of certain ancestry, such as Italian, Portuguese, Jewish, Armenian, Greek, etc., face because of these factors. (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| Whiteness | The social construction of white identity, often linked to systemic privilege and power. | |
| White Fragility | A state in which white people are unable to tolerate racial stress. White fragility presents in defensiveness or “defensive moves” such as arguing, silence, or leaving the situation. White fragility functions and is supported by white privilege. (DiAngela, 2011) | |
| White privilege | “The inherent advantages possessed by a white person on the basis of their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice. This concept does not imply that a white person has not worked for their accomplishments but rather, that they have not faced barriers encountered by others.” (Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2024) | |
| White supremacy | A system of beliefs and practices that prioritize and uphold the dominance of white people, their beliefs and their culture. |