TERMINOLOGY: ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY EDUCATION

Curriculum Services, North York Board of Education, (1988)

The following definitions are excerpted from Selection and Positive Use of Literature Containing Controversial Issues, Draft, 1987-1988. They have been modified in the light of current understandings and are meant to support and supplement the definitions found in the Guidelines for Assessing Learning Materials, 1988.

TERMINOLOGY

To move toward a common understanding of the terms associated * with controversial issues and the approach associated with the Role of the Reader project, the following explanations are provided to guide the reader.

Bias

Every work of literature contains a bias, a perspective, a framework which represents-the author's learnings, inclinations, or preferences. Materials are created from particular points of view or biases, which may be identified as positive or negative. Some negative biases must be addressed.

Censorship

Censorship refers to the practice of limiting the publication and dissemination of ideas. Every society engages in some type of censorship by virtue of the subjects which it deems to be tabooed. We tend to label as censorship the suppression of those biases that we support.

Controversy

Any issue, value, belief, attitude conveyed 'through language or visual portrayal in a text or learning materials 'which creates discomfort and concern in the community and the classroom because it conflicts with the values and/or sensibilities of students and the community to a significant degree. Certain general areas of controversy might include offensive stereotyping on the basis of race gender,, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or the denigration of widely accepted moral standards and political beliefs.

Culture

The totality of ideas, beliefs, values, knowledge of a group of individuals who share certain social and historical experiences.. The ability to express one's culture through language and arts is related to the power which a particular group has in the social order. Culture is dynamic and often contains conflict and opposition as well as cohesiveness and harmony.

Discrimination

Differential and often unequal treatment of a person by those in the society who have the power to deny opportunity and full access to such services as education, housing, health care, jobs, political power because of gender, race, ethnicity, social class, age, political affiliation, ability, sexual orientation. Racism, sexism, ethnic discrimination, elitism, ageism are some types of discrimination associated with controversial issues.

Equity

Equity concerns itself with the effective and fair use of human and material resources to ensure human dignity and an accurate portrayal of the world without distortions of the contributions of many peoples because of their gender, race, ethnicity or class. In the educational setting, equity entails the provision of real equality of opportunities for all students. Equity shuns a meritocracy that is insensitive to discriminatory practices.

Ethnicity .

A system of categories, which, like race, are largely social although derived from language or dialect spoken, or region of origin. This term refers to culture in the broadest sense. It includes geographical origin, language, religion, ancestral background. Everyone belongs to an ethnic group.

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism concerns the way in which people have opportunity to participate in society. It refers to the power people have to express their cultures and to be part of institutions and decision-making groups that have some significance in their lives. Multiculturalism requires a serious examination of the way in which we organize our institutions such as schools and the kinds of life chances and opportunities we allow people .of many cultures, for, full and equal participation.

Prejudice

An opinion often unfavourable, formed without a fair examination of the facts, especially antagonistic to members of other races, religions, et cetera. Prejudices often become taken-for-granted "facts" which are used to explain the unequal treatment which some groups experience.

Race

A system of categories into which people are divided according to such characteristics as colour, hair texture, facial features, and stature. These categories are most often exhibited socially since .different societies attribute different values and bestow different rights to people of different races.

Stereotype

A conventional, oversimplified; one-sided and, therefore, false representation of a person, thing, or idea. Stereotypes often explain characteristics of groups and people as inherent and not as though they were produced socially.