10 Center for the Study of Social Policy
TERM/ CONCEPT DEFINITION
Racism The systematic subjugation of members of targeted racial groups, who
hold less socio-political power and/or are racialized as non-White, as
means to uphold White supremacy. Racism differs from prejudice, ha-
tred, or discrimination because it requires one racial group to have sys-
tematic power and superiority over other groups in society. Often, racism
is supported and maintained, both implicitly and explicitly, by institutional
structures and policies, cultural norms and values, and individual behav-
iors.
Social Justice A process, not an outcome, which (1) seeks fair (re)distribution of re-
sources, opportunities, and responsibilities; (2) challenges the roots of
oppression and injustice; (3) empowers all people to exercise self-deter-
mination and realize their full potential; (4) and builds social solidarity and
community capacity for collaborative action.
SOGIE An acronym that was created by the United Nations to honor the uidity
of numerous and ever expanding identities related to sexual orientation
(SO), gender identity (GI), and expression (E).
Sexual orientation: A term used to describe the gender or genders of
the people to whom one is sexually attracted to. Some common exam-
ples include heterosexual or straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual,
asexual, and queer.
Gender identity: How one perceives themselves and what they call
themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from
their sex assigned at birth. Some examples of gender identities may in-
clude cisgender man or woman, transgender man or woman, non-binary,
agender, bigender, two-spirit, and many more.
Gender expression: How people express their gender in a variety of
ways, such as appearance, dress, and behavior. Examples of gender ex-
pression may include our way of speaking, mannerisms, how we interact
with others, how we dress or accessorize, how we style our hair, or what
activities we enjoy. Gender expression is most commonly categorized
as masculine, feminine, or androgynous, but there are many other terms
that someone might use to describe their gender expression.
Stereotype Exaggerated or distorted beliefs about the characteristics, attributes,
and behaviors of individuals and communities that categorize individuals
and communities into singular, pejorative terms.