DEFINITIONS FOR USE IN ACTIVITIES

Some of the terminology in this activity file will need careful explanation to students. The following definitions may be helpful as a starting point, but do not claim to be representative of all ways of thinking about these concepts. These definitions can be reviewed with students by presenting the definitions and terms in two separate lists, and guiding students to match the terms with their definitions.

Images and Perceptions

Images are what we see; how we interpret them depends on our perceptions. The images we see also contribute to how we formulate our perceptions.

Stereotyping

Stereotyping is based on the assumption that because a number of individuals share one attribute -- such as religion or gender -- they are similar in many others. Stereotypes arise from a need to conceptually organize the world around us, but they may also result in oversimplified beliefs, attitudes or uncritical judgments. This kind of arbitrary grouping of people can lead to prejudice against a particular perceived group.

Prejudice

Prejudices are feelings or attitudes which a person holds on to despite contrary available evidence or experience. Some definitions also include the actions being directed against particular groups as a result of these feelings and attitudes.

Discrimination

This term has the sense of prejudice in action. It is based on the creation of unfavourable distinctions between one group of people and another, often because of characteristics such as race, colour, gender, religion, socioeconomic status or class. It can take the form of more overt, individual action, or more systematic (and often hidden) institutional and government action.

Racism

Racism refers to the assumption of superiority of one group, whether conscious or unconscious, and its exertion of power to enforce this to the detriment of other racial groups.