What Are We Looking At?

Current events:  Egypt

Egypt is a semi-presidential republic under Emergency Law and has been since 1967, except for an 18-month break in 1980s (which ended with the assassination of Sadat). Under the law, police powers are extended, constitutional rights suspended and censorship is legalized.  The law sharply circumscribes any non-governmental political activity: street demonstrations, non-approved political organizations, and unregistered financial donations are formally banned. Some 17,000 people are detained under the law, and estimates of political prisoners run as high as 30,000. Under that "state of emergency", the government has the right to imprison individuals for any period of time, and for virtually no reason, thus keeping them in prisons without trials for any period. The government continues the claim that opposition groups like the Muslim Brotherhood could come into power in Egypt if the current government did not forgo parliamentary elections, confiscate the group's main financiers' possessions, and detain group figureheads, actions which are virtually impossible without emergency law and judicial-system independence prevention. Pro-democracy advocates in Egypt argue that this goes against the principles of democracy, which include a citizen's right to a fair trial and their right to vote for whichever candidate and/or party they deem fit to run their country.
(from Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosni_Mubarak)









To be able to discuss what needs to be changed in any kind of educated way, we need to know the correct vocabulary.  Write these words in your vocabulary notebook - one per page.  As we move through the semester, you will write or paste examples of these terms onto the page as you find them.  You will turn in your vocabulary notebook at the end of the semester.

ableism

Discriminatory attitudes or behaviours on the basis of physical or mental ability or disability.

 
Aboriginal

This term refers to all indigenous peoples in Canada, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

advocacy
Seeking to influence public policy to redress social injustice for those who are marginalized or otherwise oppressed.  
 

ageism 

Stereotyping of and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their age. It is a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age based prejudice and discrimination.

  
ally

A colloquial term that describes a heterosexual person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, LGBTQ social movements, and challenges institutional homophobia and interpersonal homophobia alike.

 
antivivisectionism

Against any experimentation on live animals or surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure.

anthropocentrism

A	tendency for human beings to regard themselves as the central and most significant entities in the universe, or the assessment of reality through an exclusively human perspective.

asexual 

Lack of sexual attraction or the lack of interest in and desire for sex. Sometimes, it is considered a lack of a sexual orientation.

bigot

A person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs. The predominant usage in modern English refers to persons hostile to those of differing race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, various mental disorders, or religion.

bisexuality

Sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical and/or romantic attraction to both males and females.

child soldier

A child soldier is anyone under the age of 18 who is part of any kind of armed force in any capacity.  This includes, but is not limited to: cooks, porters, messengers, children recruited or kidnapped for sexual purposes, and combat soldiers.

civil society

A situation in which there is uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values.

 

collusion

An unspoken agreement or cooperation between two or more persons to conspire to allow someone to be robbed of basic human rights.  

 

colonialism 

Attitudes, policies, and practices that result in the exploitation or subjugation of a nation or group by a larger or more powerful group. While an understanding of the historical concept of colonialism is important, Social Justice 12 focusses more on the present-day legacy of colonialism and how it is reflected in current policies and practices.

 
cultural competence

An ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. Competence comprises four components: (a) Awareness of one's own cultural worldview, (b) Attitude towards cultural differences, (c) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and (d) cross-cultural skills. Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.

cultural imperialism 
Promoting or imposing one culture over another, usually an invading culture over an indigenous culture. In the present day, this bias usually results in a lack of visibility and role models in broadcast media, literature, films, and education resources, but is also pervasive in laws and in societal values and practices. In present-day North America, cultural imperialism is commonly manifested as Eurocentrism, the practice of viewing the world from a European perspective and the implied belief in the pre-eminence of European concerns and values.  
 

cultural pluralism

A term used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities, and their values and practices are accepted by the wider culture.

cultural racism

A form of racism (that is, a structurally unequal practice) that relies on cultural differences rather than on biological markers of racial superiority or inferiority. The cultural differences can be real, imagined, or constructed.  

 

culture
The distinct ways that people living in different parts of the world classify and represent their experiences, and act creatively.  
 

culture of peace 

A set of values, attitudes, modes of behaviour, and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation. Included in a culture of peace is the need to:foster a culture of peace through education, promote sustainable economic and social development, promote respect for all human rights,ensure equality between women and men, foster democratic participation, advance understanding and solidarity, etc. 

denial

A defense mechanism in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.

dignity

A term used in moral, ethical, and political discussions to signify that a being has an innate right to respect and ethical treatment.  

 

discrimination 

Prejudicial treatment of an individual based solely on their race or membership in a certain socially undesirable group or social category.

 
diversity 

The quality or state of having a make-up of a variety of groups, including but not limited to race, culture, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, size, etc..

 
economic imperialism 
Also known as neocolonialism, the economic dominance of one country or group (e.g., a corporation) over another country or region, resulting in the dominant power having increased control over natural resources, labour forces, and the marketplace.


economic liberalization

Economic liberalization is a very broad term that usually refers to fewer government regulations and restrictions in the economy in exchange for greater participation of private entities.

  
emotive conjugation
A form of euphemism, in which the word or phrase is intended to produce a heightened emotional response. “Our boys overseas” is an example of emotive conjugation, designed to instill a feeling of empathy and connection with the military.  
 

empathy

The capacity to recognise and, to some extent, share feelings (such as sadness or happiness) that are being experienced by another sentient being.

 
empowerment 

This term refers to refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, or economic strength of individuals and communities.

entitlement 

The conscious or unconscious belief held by individuals or groups that they are deserving of particular benefits not equally enjoyed by other sectors of society. 

  
equality

Its general premise is that people should be treated as equals on certain dimensions such as religion, politics, economics, social status, and culture. Also known as egalitarianism.

equity  

This refers to Canadian policies that require or encourage preferential treatment in employment practices for certain designated groups: women, people with disabilities, Aboriginal peoples, and visible minorities. Employment equity goes beyond mere non-discrimination in requiring these specific groups be targeted for proactive treatment.

 
ethics
A set of concepts or principles that guide people in determining what behaviour helps or harms others; perceptions of right and wrong; the rightness or wrongness of actions, the virtue or vice of the motives that promote them, and the goodness or badness of the consequences of those actions.  
 

ethnicity 
Identity with or membership in a particular racial, national, or cultural group having religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common and the observance of that group's customs, beliefs, and language


ethnocentrism

The belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture and

a tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own.

 
fair-mindedness

The quality of exhibiting characteristics of impartial and unprejudiced judgement.

feminism 
A broad term encompassing a range of social and political movements and philosophies concerned with sexual equality and the elimination of discrimination, stereotyping, objectification, and oppression of women and girls. Issues such as voting rights (suffrage), property rights, employment equity, pay equity, education equity, institutionalized sexism, sexual harassment, domestic violence, reproductive rights, and gender inclusive language are all examples of feminist causes.


gay
A homosexual person, especially a male.
 
gender-binary 

The social construction of gender in most societies in the world where gender is a dichotomy between male and female. Male and female gender expectations, roles, and functions are generally very rigid and the presence of alternate gender constructions are usually denigrated, ignored, or made oblivious.

gender identity 

This refers to the gender with which a person identifies (i.e., whether one perceives oneself to be a man, a woman, or describes oneself in some less conventional way), but can also be used to refer to the gender that other people attribute to the individual on the basis of what they know from gender expression indications (e.g., social behaviour, likes and interests, clothing, hair style). Gender identity may be affected by a variety of social structures.

 
gender-queer

Gender Queer can be a term to describe a gender identity that is not encompassed by traditional roles of male and female.  This could be a person whose sense of self is the opposite of their perceived gender, such as a Transgendered person who is a “Male to Female” (T to F), or “Female to Male” (F to M).  Additionally, the term can be used for someone who is poorly described by traditional labels, and also not completely described by the term “Transgendered”. Thus, someone whose sense of self is not wholly male or female, but embodies elements of each gender could also be described as Gender Queer.

globalization
This refers to the increasing connectivity among countries and regions, including the integration and interdependence within economic, social, technological, cultural, political, and environmental spheres. Globalization is the outcome of many factors such as advanced technology, communication, and economic structures.  
 

governance

This relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. In business or non profits- governance relates to consistent management, cohesive policies, processes and decision-rights for a given area of responsibility. Global governance is the political interaction of transnational actors aimed at solving problems that affect more than one state or region when there is no power of enforcing compliance.

harassment
Repeated, objectionable conduct or comment, directed toward a specific person or persons, with the effect of creating an intimidating, humiliating, hostile, or offensive working or learning environment. Harassment may be physical, verbal, or social.  
 

hate crime
Also known as bias-motivated crimes, this is when a perpetrator targets a victim specifically because of her or his race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender identity, or other characteristic. Hate crimes may also be targeted toward entire groups, such as in the case of religious persecution, ethnic cleansing, or genocide.  
 

hegemony
The political dominance of one power over others in a group in which all are supposedly equal; how one group maintains power. In the context of Social Justice 12, hegemony specifically refers to a situation in which a worldview or cultural belief is so dominant in a society that individuals in that society take it as self-evident, and are not even aware that other ways of thinking are valid.  
 

heterocentrism/heterosexism

The assumption that heterosexual orientation is better than other sexual orientations and therefore deserving of public acceptance and legal privilege.

heteronormativity
The institutions, policies and beliefs that reinforce the rigid categories of male and female as determining our sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender roles in a heterosexual manner.


homophobia 

A fear, dislike, or hatred of homosexuality or homosexuals, or of people or behaviours perceived to be homosexual. Homophobia manifests itself as prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and/or acts of violence. Homophobia can exist at personal, institutional, and societal levels. Also transphobia: fear, dislike, or hatred of transgendered or transsexual people.

  
humanitarianism
The belief that people’s duty is to promote human welfare, based on the assumption that all human beings deserve respect and dignity and should be treated as such.  
 

identity

A sense of self, acceptance, belonging, and citizenship. Identity is understood to be evolving as a result of a number of influences (e.g., migration, media, technology, pluralism). Identity becomes a social justice issue when one group’s identity is diminished (e.g., as a result of cultural imperialism or globalization), or when two or more groups’ identities are in conflict.  

 

individual racism

The beliefs attitudes, and actions of individuals that support or perpetuate racism. Individual racism can occur at both an unconscious and conscious level, and can be both active and passive.  

institutional racism

Institutionalized Racism is the process of purposely discriminating against certain groups of people through the use of biased laws or practices. Often, institutionalized racism is subtle and manifests itself in seemingly innocuous ways, but its effects are anything but subtle.

internalized racism

The phenomenon which occurs when victims of racism, through coercion or conditioning, turn racist attitudes and actions in against themselves or their racial/ethnic group.  For specific examples go to the Re-Evaluation Counseling Communities website.

intersex 
A congenital anomaly of the reproductive and sexual system. Intersex people are born with external genitalia, internal reproductive organs, and/or endocrine system that include characteristics of both biological genders.


"-isms" 

The list of terms ending with "-ism" which represent philosophical, political or moral doctrines or belief systems.

lesbian 

A woman whose emotional, romantic, and sexual energies are directed towards other women.

LGBT 

An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered. As a collective term, LGBT is also used to avoid specific sexual orientation labels, and to recognize that issues of harassment and discrimination are common to all sexual minorities. The acronym also sometimes appears as LGBTQ, with the Q standing for “queer” and/or “questioning.”  

 

marginalization
This is exclusion from full and meaningful participation in society. A form of oppression, marginalization can be experienced at an individual level, a community level, and/or at a policy level. 


misandry 

The hatred of men or boys.

misogyny

The hatred of women or girls.

 
oppression

This refers to the injustices and disadvantages some individuals or groups suffer as a consequence of intentional or unintentional practices within a society. Oppression can take many forms including, but not limited to, exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, economic imperialism, and violence.

pansexual 

One who's affections; romantic, platonic or sexual, are potentially directed towards anyone based solely on emotional attraction, regardless of sex or gender identity.

participatory democracy

When people participate in decision-making and continue to create opportunities for others to get involved.

power 
The real or perceived ability or potential to make choices and to bring about significant change in a society or in people’s lives. Power can be based on a dominance of sex, age, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, socioeconomic class, geography, etc. Power can also be conferred on an individual by a group, and can be used for the benefit of others. An inequity of power is one of the most common causes of social injustice.  
 

prejudice
A prejudice is a prejudgment, an assumption made about someone or something before having adequate knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy. The word prejudice is most commonly used to refer to a preconceived judgment toward a people or a person because of race, social class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, political beliefs, religion, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics. It also means beliefs without knowledge of the facts is most commonly used to refer to a preconceived judgment toward a people or a person because of and may include any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence.


privilege

A right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed by a person usually usually within a small but powerful group or class, especially to the disadvantage of others.

queer
Originally a pejorative term for gay, now being reclaimed by some gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons as a self-affirming umbrella term.


questioning
To be unsure of, or to re-examine one's previously assumed sexual orientation or gender identity.


race
A word applied to refer to the six major populations of modern humans, which bear different skin colors but no important genetic differences.


racial and ethnic identity
 Identification with distinct groups based on characteristics such as physical appearance (particularly color), ancestral heritage, cultural affiliation, cultural history, ethnic classifications, and the social, economic and political needs of a society at a given period of time. Racial categories subsume ethnic groups. For example, the US Census Bureau chooses to recognize six races: White, Black, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, Native and other. When it becomes convenient for the United States government to make a category for a new race, a new race is added. Note: the first categorization of race included only White and Colored. As it became more convenient for those in power to make more categories, more were made. 

racism

The belief that the genetic factors which constitute race, ethnicity, or nationality are a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that ethnic differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

  
resiliency
The positive capacity of people to cope with stress and adversity.  
 

respect
A positive feeling of esteem for a person of other entity (such as a nation or a religion), and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem.


restorative justice 
This emphasizes repairing the harm rather than punishing the perpetrator. Restorative justice solutions are usually arrived at via dialogue and co-operation among all affected parties.  It focuses on the needs of victims and offenders, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender.
 

rights

Legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.

 
sex 
The biological determination of female or male.


sexism

The belief or attitude that one sex is inherently superior to, more competent than, or more valuable than the other. It can also include this type of discrimination in regards to gender. Sexism primarily involves hatred of, or prejudice towards, either sex as a whole or the application of stereotypes of masculinity in relation to men, or of femininity in relation to women.

 
sexual orientation 

This refers to a person’s feelings of sexual or romantic attraction. There are many labels that individuals use to describe their sexual orientation, including, but not limited to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual, straight, and two-spirited. Concepts of and terminology for sexual orientation vary from culture to culture and have evolved over time.  

 

sizism

A form of discrimination based upon the size of a person's body.  

 

social justice 
The full participation and inclusion of all people in society, together with the promotion and protection of their legal, civil, and human rights. The aim of social justice—to achieve a just and equitable society where all share in the prosperity of that society—is pursued by individuals and groups through collaborative social action.  
 

social safety net
Non-contributory transfer programs seeking to prevent the poor or those vulnerable to shocks and poverty from falling below a certain poverty level. Safety net programs can be provided by the public sector (the state and aid donors) or by the private sector (NGOs, private firms, charities, and informal household transfers).  
 

society 

A population of humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive culture and/or institutions.

 
speciesism

Assigning different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership. Speciesism is manifested both on a universal level (i.e., the belief that humans have intrinsic rights over all animals—see anthropocentrism) and in categorizing groups of animals (e.g., some animals are for food, some are to be used as tools, some are for entertainment, some are for companionship). The concept of speciesism is used mostly in relation to animal rights advocacy.  

 

stereotype
Preconceived notions about a person or group of people based on their characteristics such as their sex, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or physical or mental ability.
 
stewardship 

This is an ethic that emphasizes co-operative planning and management of resources in the interest of long-term sustainability. This ethic is most commonly manifested as environmental stewardship, focussing on the responsible management of natural resources to ensure that they are available for current and future generations. 

structural racism 

Structural racism/racialization refers to a system of social structures that produces cumulative, durable, race-based inequalities. It is also a method of analysis that is used to examine how historical legacies, individuals, structures, and institutions work interactively to distribute material and symbolic advantages and disadvantages along racial lines.

 
systemic analysis
A technique of social analysis and an approach to understanding a situation or reality of injustice. Systemic analysis focusses on analysing the roles of institutions (e.g., legal, education, media), infrastructures, and belief systems within a society that may or may not create unjust situations. It shifts the focus from individuals and their personal experiences to social dynamics of power imbalance, exclusion, marginalization, etc. 


systemic change

Looks at the 'whole' and how the parts impact on each other. Coordinates and makes adjustments to the system to achieve shared goals.

 
transformation

Long-term broad social change.

 
transformational leadership
A philosophy of social change that focusses less on short-term goals and more on broader social change and higher order intrinsic needs. Under transformational leadership, group members work together in a setting that inspires the individuals in that group to work toward a common good.  
 

transformational practice

Practice that focuses on broader social change and higher order intrinsic need.

 
transgender
Pertaining to someone who does not identify with conventional categories of male or female, but combines elements of both or moves between the two; sometimes used as a general, inclusive term, and sometimes as synonymous with or opposed to more specific terms such as transsexual, transvestite etc.  
 

transphobia

Fear or hatred of transsexuals or transsexuality.

transsexual
A person whose gender self-image contradicts with the physical gender he/she was born with; one who has changed or is in the process of changing his/her physical sex by undergoing medical treatment such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and/or sex reassignment surgery (SRS).  

transvestite

A person who dresses and acts in a style or manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex and is unrelated to sexual orientation or gender identity.

two-spirit
A modern term for a traditional North American Aboriginal concept implying a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit in the same body. Two-spirited individuals were found in many, if not most, pre-contact Aboriginal communities, and played important societal and spiritual roles within communities. There are terms for these individuals in the various North American.  Aboriginal languages, and their social function varied from nation to nation.  In many clans or communities, the presence of a person of two-spirits would raise the status of the clan.
 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, partly in response to the atrocities of World War II.

violence

Extreme force; action intended to cause destruction, pain, or suffering; widespread fighting; injustice, wrong.

 
white privilege 

In critical race theory, a way of conceptualizing racial inequalities that focuses as much on the advantages that white people accrue from society as on the disadvantages that non-white people experience.

 
womyn

The feminist spelling of the word "women" so as not to contain the word "men".

 
worth  
The measure of value