Glossary

This glossary contains terms and concepts that are central to understanding and promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion in different contexts. It includes definitions of several key concepts and provides a deeper understanding of how the Schyst method can be applied in practice.

Discrimination

Treating someone unfairly because of gender, age, ethnicity or disability is a form of discrimination.

Grounds of discrimination

There are seven grounds for discrimination in Sweden. In order for it to count as discrimination according to law (someone is disadvantaged or offended), there must be a connection with one of the seven grounds of discrimination. Grounds of discrimination - what are they? | DO

Exclusion

Exclusion means deliberately excluding someone from a group or activity, which can lead to alienation and the feeling of not being included.

Prejudices

Perceptions that have no basis in fact and are preconceived about someone or something are called prejudices. These can be both negative and positive and are often shaped by past experiences, cultural influences or social norms.

Gender

By gender is meant the social and cultural differences between the sexes, i.e. the expectations, norms and roles that society attributes to people based on their sex. Gender is a social construct that can vary between different cultures and over time, unlike biological sex. Gender affects how people perceive themselves and others, as well as how they are treated in society.

Heterogeneous

When something is mixed and consists of different parts, it is called heterogeneous. A heterogeneous group contains people with different characteristics and backgrounds, such as age, gender, ethnicity, culture, education and opinions.

Heteronorms

Rules and beliefs that regard heterosexuality as normal and self-evident constitute heteronorms. These ideas also include the belief that gender is determined by the body and that there are only two genders: male and female.

Homogeneous

For something to be homogeneous means that it is uniform or similar, with little variation between its parts. A homogeneous group means that the group consists of individuals who are very similar to each other.

Non-binary

People who do not identify strictly as either male or female often use the term non-binary to describe their gender identity. This means that one's experience of gender does not follow the traditional binary system, where only male and female are recognized as gender categories.

Inclusion

Inclusion means that everyone feels welcome, respected and involved. Regardless of factors such as gender, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, there is a sense of belonging and community.

Gender Equality

Equality means that women and men must have equal rights, opportunities and responsibilities in all areas of life. This means that no one is discriminated against because of gender, and that both genders must have the same access to power, influence and development opportunities. Gender equality is an important part of achieving a fairer and more sustainable society.

Equality

Equality aims to ensure that all individuals are treated fairly and have the same chance to develop and contribute to society, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or socio-economic background. Equality means striving for justice and equal treatment, as well as reducing discrimination and inequality in society.

Violation

When someone is treated with disrespect and their dignity is questioned, it is a violation. These acts can be both verbal and physical and can vary in severity.

Culture

Norms and values shared by a group constitute culture. Culture is about things like language, art, what you think is important and how society is organized. Culture shapes how people live, interact and understand the world around them.

Sex

Gender refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that distinguish men and women. Gender is usually divided into the categories of male and female, but there are also intersex people who have a mixture of these characteristics. Gender is thus the biological and physical.

Gender identity

A person's gender identity is their own experience and inner sense of being male, female or something else, which does not always correspond to their biological sex.

Macho culture

An exaggerated form of masculinity with a focus on strength, assertiveness, dominance and not showing emotion. A macho culture can lead to violence, bullying, discrimination and poor mental health for both men and women. Men may also avoid seeking help for problems for fear of appearing weak.

Power

The ability to influence and change for oneself or others. Power can be informal, like someone in a group that many people listen to, or formal, like a chairman. Power relations can mean that certain individuals or groups have more power than others. Power can be used both to lead and improve society but also to oppress or exploit others.

Bullying

Violence and abusive treatment, both physical or psychological, that occurs repeatedly over a long period of time. What defines bullying is how the victim experiences it, not what the bully thinks.

Diversity

Each person's individual conditions, experiences and skills are taken into account. Diversity is a consequence of an open and permissive climate and treatment.

Norms

Expectations and/or unwritten rules that govern behavior and attitudes in a society or within a group. Norms can be cultural, social, moral or ethical and contribute to maintaining order and cohesion in society. They can influence how people act and interact and what is considered acceptable or unacceptable.

Norm-critical perspective

Involves questioning the norm itself (and not what deviates) and the power structures that surround it. A norm-critical perspective also means making visible how these norms create inequality and exclusion in different contexts.

Privileges

Advantages in life that a person receives because of characteristics they cannot control, such as gender, race, or socioeconomic background, are called privileges. Disadvantages are the opposite, where a person experiences obstacles or difficulties due to factors beyond their control.

Stereotypes

An image of how a certain group is or should be. The stereotypical image is simplified and rarely wrong but not complete. We humans have a tendency to prejudice or devalue people who do not belong to the same group as us and favor those with whom we feel more similar.

Special treatment

Treating people differently based on gender, age, ethnicity, religion, disability or sexual orientation without a just cause. Discrimination can be both negative (discrimination) and positive (positive discrimination). Discrimination refers to treating people differently because of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race or nationality.

Availability

Making physical spaces, texts and contexts accessible to everyone. Accessibility means making sure people can enter premises by having ramps and lifts, as well as making language understandable and accessible with supports such as hearing loops, easy-to-read text, sign language interpretation and images.

Harassment

Harassment and sexual harassment are two forms of discrimination. Harassment means that someone is subjected to offensive treatment related to one or more of the seven grounds of discrimination. It can be through comments, gestures, condescending jokes or other inappropriate behavior.

Culture of silence

Occurs when people do not want or do not dare to express their opinions, concerns or criticism in a private group or at work. A culture of silence may stem from a lack of confidence that one's voice will be taken seriously, a feeling that speaking out does not matter, or fear of negative action or punishment. A culture of silence can lead to problems not being noticed or addressed, which harms both individuals and groups.