Welcome to our Glossary of Terms page! Here, we define key terms crucial for creating fair, diverse, and inclusive spaces. Please use the Table of Contents above to navigate directly to the term you wish to explore.
If you ever have questions or require clarification on any of the terms listed below, please email us at humanrights@brocku.ca.
Affinity Groups and Identity Specific Programs
Affinity groups and identity specific programs are designated as spaces where everyone in that group shares a particular social identity. They are designed to cultivate a culturally safe and brave environment through offering support, healing, and connection. For people who are often underrepresented, underserved, and excluded by the systems in which they operate, an affinity space can offer community and reduce feelings of isolation through the benefit of shared experiences. The Human Rights and Equity Office provides programming in affinity group options and intercultural groups that are open to everyone to meet diverse community needs (Ontario Principals’ Council, n.d.).
Anti-Oppressive Practice
Individual and institutional strategies, theories, actions, and practices that seek to dismantle the effects of institutionalized power and privilege – particularly of white European experiences and structures – and ultimately to equalize power imbalances (Simmons University Library, 2021). Anti-oppressive practice includes being anti-racist, sexist, ableist, ageist, classist, colonial, as well as actively working against homophobia, transphobia, and religious discrimination (Naushan, A., Flood, J., Khan, F., Eerkes, D., De Costa, B., Jafry, Z., & Mendoza, J., 2021).
Anti-Racism
Anti-Racism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably (Government of Canada, 2023).
Cultural Humility
Cultural humility is a process of self-reflection to understand personal and systemic biases and to develop and maintain respectful processes and relationships based on mutual trust. Cultural humility involves humbly acknowledging oneself as a learner when it comes to understanding another’s experience (The First Nations Health Authority, n.d.).
Cultural Safety
Cultural safety is an outcome based on respectful engagement that recognizes and strives to address power imbalances inherent in institutions and systems (originally recognized through health care). It results in an environment free of racism and discrimination, where people feel safe when receiving care and accessing institutional services (The First Nations Health Authority, n.d.).
Culturally Safe Approaches
Approaches that recognize and challenge unequal power relations between service providers and survivors by building equitable, two-way relationships characterized by respect, shared responsibility, and cultural exchange. Survivors must have their culture, values, and preferences taken into account in the provision of services (Government of Canada, 2021).
Duty to Accommodate
Refers to laws related to equity and accessibility with which the University is obligated to comply. For example, legislation provides rights and responsibilities through the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA, 2005), the Ontario Human Rights Code (1990) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (1990) for community members to request specific accommodations to ensure they are equitably able to participate fully in the work and learning environment. The Human Rights and Equity Office is committed to educating the institution on duty to accommodate through training, resource development, system navigation and advocacy for community members in need of accessing accommodations.
Equity
The principle of considering people’s unique lived experiences and differing situations, and ensuring they have access to the resources and opportunities that are necessary for them to attain just outcomes. Equity aims to eliminate disparities and disproportions that are rooted in historical and contemporary injustices and oppression (Government of Canada, 2021).
Implicit Bias
An unconscious predisposition, prejudice, or generalization about a group of persons based on personal characteristics or stereotypes (Government of Canada, 2023).
Inclusion
The practice of using proactive measures to create an environment where people feel welcomed, respected, and valued, and to foster a sense of belonging and engagement. This practice involves changing the environment by removing barriers so that each person has equal access to opportunities and resources and can achieve their full potential (Government of Canada, 2021).
Institutional Racism
Consists of patterns of behaviour, policies or practices that are part of the social or administrative structures of an organization, and which create or perpetuate a position of relative disadvantage for racialized persons. These appear neutral on the surface but, nevertheless, have an exclusionary impact on racialized persons (Government of Canada, 2023).
Intersectionality
Intersectionality describes how a person’s race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and overlap to create unique and cumulative experiences of privilege and/or oppression, and how systems of power (i.e., white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy) interlock to oppress people differently. Kimberlé Crenshaw employs the term “intersectionality” to describe the phenomenon of Black women experiencing multiple oppressions simultaneously and the way they are marginalized at the intersection of race and gender by the tendency to treat each identity category as mutually exclusive.
Marginalized, Equity-Deserving, or Equity-Denied Groups
A group of people who, because of systemic discrimination, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to the resources and opportunities that are available to other members of society, and that are necessary for them to attain just outcomes. In Canada, groups generally considered to be equity-deserving or marginalized groups include women, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people who are part of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, religious minority groups and racialized people. The types of equity-deserving groups may vary based on factors such as geography, sociocultural context, or the presence of specific subpopulations (Government of Canada, 2021).
Microaggression
A comment or action that is regarded as subtly expressing prejudice against a person or group of people. Microaggressions are generally indirect and can be unintentional. Members of marginalized or minority groups are often the subjects of microaggressions (Government of Canada, 2021).
Social Identity
A person’s sense of who they are based on the social groups into which they were born, or to which they feel a sense of belonging. These groups are classifications based on shared physical, cultural, or social characteristics. People can identify with or be perceived by others as belonging to a specific social group; both shapes how individuals experience the world (Government of Canada, 2021).
Systems Navigator
A person that explains intra-post-secondary policies, as well as internal and external, processes and procedures to involved parties, and offers guidance, referrals, and coordination of support throughout the complaints process (Naushan et al., 2021).
Trauma-Informed Practice
Trauma-informed means acknowledging the harm endured by complainants and survivors along with having awareness of the impacts that trauma has on an individual’s emotional, cognitive, physical, and sexual wellbeing. Such acknowledgement and understanding should guide the creation of processes, procedures, and support. Adopting such a lens should serve to not re-traumatize individuals further; it should maintain their dignity throughout the process, procedure or support they receive. In addition to processes, procedures or support that are infused with trauma-informed principles, trauma-informed also implies that those individuals charged with creating processes, procedures or documents need specific training in trauma-informed practices as well (Naushan et al., 2021).