Glossary

Assimilation

The process of adopting the dominant culture and abandoning one’s own cultural practices to ‘fit in’

BME

Black and Minority Ethnic; a term grouping all non-white people together (can be problematic as it masks differences between groups)

BAME

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic; similar to BME, groups diverse ethnic minorities together under one umbrella term

Bias

A tendency to favour or disfavour a person or group based on preconceived notions rather than objective assessment

Colonisation

The process of taking control over an area or group of people by force, establishing dominance over their land, resources, and culture

Colour blindness

Also known as colour evasiveness and colour avoidance. A racial ideology suggesting the best way to end discrimination is by ignoring race and treating everyone ‘the same’.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of individuals based on their race, ethnicity or other characteristics rather than their individual merit

Ethnicity

Cultural identity based on shared heritage, language, customs and sense of belonging to a particular group

Homogeneous

Lacking diversity in background, culture or characteristics

Identity

How individuals see themselves and how others perceive them, shaped by various factors including race, gender, class and culture

Positionality

Recognition of how our identities and social positions influence our understanding of the world and interactions with others

Position of privilege

Having advantages or benefits in society based on certain identity characteristics, often without having to actively earn them

Person of colour

An individuals who identifies as non-white, acknowledging their shared experience of racialisation while respecting individual identities

Race

A social construct based on physical characteristics like skin colour, with no scientific basis but significant social impact

Racialisation

The political process of assigning racial identities to groups that did not initially identify as such

Racially minoritised

People who have been placed in a minority position through the process of racialisation, emphasising that their minority status is created by social and political processes rather than inherent characteristics

Racism

Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race, combined with the power to act on those prejudices

Social construct

A concept created by society rather than occurring naturally; exists because people agree it has meaning

Stereotypes

Oversimplified, generalised ideas about groups of people based on limited information or cultural influences

Worldview

Basic ways of seeing and understanding the world, including beliefs, values, and attitudes shaped by our experiences