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Terms: Implicit Bias, Intersectionality, Indigenous, Islamaphobia
Implicit Bias
Definition:
“Implicit bias is a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally, that nevertheless affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors. Research has shown implicit bias can pose a barrier to recruiting and retaining a diverse scientific workforce.” National Institutes of Health
Examples:
Affinity Bias: The tendency for individuals to gravitate toward people similar to themselves.
Race Bias: Asians are good at math.
Gender Bias: Flight attendants should be women.
LGBTQIA+ Community Bias: Lesbians can’t relate to men.
Sources:
Addressing Implicit Bias: How to Identify Your Own | Maryville Online.
Resources:
Harvard Implicit Association Test
Addressing Implicit Bias: How to Identify Your Own | Maryville Online.
Intersectionality
Definition:
‘Intersectionality was coined in 1989 by professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and overlap. “
“Intersectionality was a prism to bring to light dynamics within discrimination law that weren’t being appreciated by the courts,” Crenshaw said. “In particular, courts seem to think that race discrimination was what happened to all black people across gender and sex discrimination was what happened to all women, and if that is your framework, of course, what happens to black women and other women of color is going to be difficult to see.” -The Intersectionality Wars
“A way of saying that the various forms and systems of oppression are not separate, and can’t be isolated into distinct categories, to be addressed on their own. Oppression is a network of intersecting and related forms of domination and the oppression of one group must be resisted alongside the oppression of others.” The Anti-Oppression Network
Examples:
Sources:
The Intersectionality Wars, Jane Coastonjane, 2018
Resources:
The Urgency of Intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw
The Intersectionality Wars, Jane Coastonjane, 2018,
Oxford Reference Dictionaries Definitions of Intersectionality
Indigenous
Definition:
Indigenous peoples refer to the original inhabitants of a specific territory, who have distinct cultural, social, and political identities rooted in their ancestral lands. From a critical decolonial perspective, this definition recognizes the Indigenous peoples' deep connection to the land, their resilience in the face of colonization, and the ongoing struggles for self-governance, cultural revitalization, and justice. It emphasizes challenging colonial structures, addressing power imbalances, and working towards reconciliation and Indigenous rights.
Indigenous comes from the Latin word indigena, which means “sprung from the land; native.” And Indigenous Peoples recognize that, rather than a single group of people, there are many separate and unique Nations (Ward, 2017).
Wherever possible, though, you should use the specific names of the Nations and communities, especially if you are acknowledging territory and identity. (Idigenization Foundations)
“Turtle Island might sound like some far away island in the sea, but it's actually what some Indigenous people call the continent of North America, while others, such as the Ojibwa, use it to refer to the whole world. “ CBC Kids
Some Nations believe that the Creator of all things flooded the Earth because the people couldn’t get along and were fighting. In one version, only the animals and Nanabush (or Nanabozho), a spirit that appears in many Ojibwa (say “oh-JIB-wah”) legends, survived. He has an Anishinaabe (say "uh-NISH-ih-NAH-bay") mother and a spirit father, so he is half spirit and half human.” CBC Kids
“Following Christopher Columbus' arrival in North America [Turtle Island] in 1492, violence and disease killed 90% of the indigenous population — nearly 55 million people — according to a study published this year. A little over a century later, that number had dropped close to 6 million. “ Insider Magazine
Examples:
“Indigenous Peoples - A collective noun for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis It can be used interchangeably with First Peoples, First Nations, and Aboriginal Peoples.” - Indigenous Corporate Training.
“Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced.” World Bank
Sources:
Aboriginal or Indigenous? – Pulling Together: Foundations Guide
Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. 2016
World Bank Indigenous Peoples, 2022
Turtle Island — where’s that? | Articles | CBC Kids 2017
Resources:
Newcomer Guide to Indigenous Culture
The Creation of Turtle Island - the Ojibwa version.
Islamophobia
Definition:
“Islamophobia is the most used term to describe prejudice, negative sentiments, and hostility toward Islam and Muslims. Islamophobia can be based on ideas about Islam as a religion and on ideas about Muslims as a cultural and ethnic group. Islamophobic ideas portray Islam and Muslims as an existential threat to non-Muslims.” Centre for Research on Extremism
Sources:
What is Islamophobia? - C-REX - Center for Research on Extremism 2020
Resources:
A look at Islamophobia in Canada, 3 years after the Quebec mosque shooting | Globalnews.ca