Section:
diversity
The following list provides definitions for words relating to diversity.
Ableism = Discrimination against the physically or mentally disabled
Ageism = Negative beliefs, attitudes, and stereotypes about elderly persons (such as wise, demented, kind, grouchy, experienced, incompetent)
Ageist Behavior = Behavior that discriminates on the basis of chronological age
Bias = Any attitude, belief, or feeling that results in, and helps to justify, unfair treatment of an individual because of his or her identity
Collectivistic Culture = A culture group that focus on interdependence, being in a group, and social cohesion
Culture = The ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc. of a given people in a given period
Culture Group = An affiliation of people who collectively share certain norms, values, or traditions that are different from those of other groups
Disability = Covers a wide range of physical and mental conditions, including alcoholism, cancer, drug addiction, emotional illness, HIV, learning deficits, congenital abnormalities, speech problems, back problems, and facial disfigurement
Discrimination = Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group or its members
Ethnic Group = A segment of a larger society whose members are thought, by themselves and/or others, to have a common origin and to share important segments of a common culture and who, in addition, participate in shared activities in which the common origin and culture are significant ingredients*
Ethnocentrism = The tendency to judge other groups, societies, or cultures by the standard’s of one’s own culture *
Ethnorelativism = The tendency to accept other groups, societies, or cultures without judgment. *
Heterogenous = Composed of unrelated or unlike elements or parts … different group members
Heterosexism = The belief that heterosexuality is superior to homosexuality; the presumption that everyone is straight, and if not, they should be
Homogeneous = Composed of similar or identical elements or parts … same group members
Homophobia = The irrational fear of homosexuals and homosexuality, in the form of harassment, discrimination, and discomfort in developing trust
Identity Groups = The physical appearance of an individual and the groups with whom an individual identifies personally
Individualistic Culture = A culture group that focuses on rights and independent action of the individual
In-Group = Any group of people with common interests that give them a sense of solidarity and exclusivity as regards to all nonmembers
Majority Group = The largest group
Minority Group = A group with fewer members represented in the social system compared to the majority group
Out-Group = All the people not belonging to a specific in-group
Prejudice = An unjustifiable negative attitude toward a group and its individual members characterized by cognitive, affective, and behavioral components (prejudice can also be a positive attitude; however, it is the unjustifiable negative attitude that impacts our acceptance of others)
Racism = “An institutionalized system of economic, political, social, and cultural relations that ensures that one racial group has and maintains power and privilege over all others in all aspects of life. Individual participation in racism occurs when the objective outcome of behavior reinforces these relations, regardless of the subjective intent. Consequently, an individual may act in a racist manner unintentionally.” (Derman-Sparks and Phillips, 1997, 2) *
"Racism results from the transformation of racial prejudice and/or ethnocentrism through the exercise of power against a racial group defined as inferior by individuals and institutions with the intentional or unintentional support of the entire culture. Stated simply, preferences for (or belief in the superiority of) one’s own racial group might be called racism; while preferences for (or belief in the superiority of) one’s own ethnic group might be called ethnocentrism." *
Aversive (Modern) Racism = Indirect and subtle racism; pro-ingroup rather than anti-outgroup attitudes
Old-Fashioned Racism = Blatant behaviors; out-group derogation
Sexism = An individual’s prejudicial attitudes toward people of a given sex
Stereotype = A belief about the personal attributes of a group of people (positive or negative) that can form the basis for prejudice
Xenophobia = A fear and/or hatred of strangers, foreigners, or anything that appears strange or foreign
* © 2001, 2002 Center for the Study of Religious Life. Used with permission.
