Glossary
A number of the terms used in anti-racist education come from the legislation. Other terms have gained acceptance through further study or investigation of racism and how it operates.
Although this is a rapidly developing field we have drawn together a list of essential and currently used terminology that helps explain concepts and, in many instances, approaches to tackling racism.
Black and minority ethnic: See ‘ethnic minority’ below.
Direct discrimination: Treating someone less favourably on racial grounds.
Equal opportunities requirements: Describe the legal duties placed on public authorities by equalities legislation. The phrase has been used as shorthand since the Scotland Act in all relevant legislation and policy guidance.
Ethnic minority: Term in general use to describe any section of the community on racial grounds who form a minority within that community. The term is sometimes prefixed with ‘black’ to underline the emphasis on visible minorities who may be targeted on account of visible difference.
General duty: The legal requirement for public authorities to eliminate racial discrimination and to promote equal opportunities and good race relations in all that they do.
Indirect discrimination: Occurs when a service, criterion or practice is applied to everyone, but:
it can only be met by a considerably smaller proportion of people from a particular racial group
it is to the detriment of a particular racial group
it cannot be justified on non-racial grounds.
Institutional racism: This term can be related to indirect or direct discrimination. It describes the impact of organisational custom and practice that excludes certain groups, possibly without any realisation of the effect of policy and practice:
'The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people.' (Lawrence Report)
Positive action: The Race Relations Act sets out measures that employers may lawfully take to provide access to facilities to meet special needs in relation to education and training or welfare, or to train and encourage people from a particular racial group that is under-represented in particular work.
The aim of positive action is to ensure that people who may not have fully realised their potential due to past discrimination or disadvantages can compete on equal terms with other applicants for work in which they have been under-represented or absent.
Positive discrimination: The term has no legal context or force in the UK owing to antidiscrimination legislation. It is a phrase imported from practice in the USA and applies to job selection made on racial grounds.
Positive duty: The general duty is sometimes described as a positive duty. This does not come from the legislation itself, but from the stated intention of Parliament in passing the amendment to the Race Relations Act. The main thrust of the amendment was to turn the law from a reactive into a proactive or positive obligation.
Promoting race equality: Is now viewed as shorthand for eliminating racial discrimination, promoting equal opportunities and good race relations.
Public authorities: Bodies named, defined or described in Schedule 1A to the Race Relations Act, generally those organisations which carry out work or services that affect the public; for example: health boards, local authorities, educational bodies and institutions, police, libraries, museums, regulatory bodies.
Race equality scheme: Public authority action plans to address race equality legislative requirements.
Race equality policy: This is the education equivalent of a race equality scheme and describes the framework provided to education authorities and schools to help them meet the race equality legislative requirements.
Racial grounds: Defined within the Race Relations Act 1976 as covering: race, colour, nationality or citizenship, or ethnic or national origin.
Racial harassment: Harassment occurs when someone’s actions or words, based on racial grounds, are unwelcome and violate another person’s dignity or create an environment that is intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive.
Racist incident: Any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. The definition adopted as a result of the Lawrence Inquiry and now widely used across national agencies, police forces and public authorities in Scotland.
Specific duties: A series of steps that help public authorities to better meet their legislative requirements and promote race equality. In many respects these duties can be viewed as an action plan.
Victimisation: To treat someone less favourably because they have (or are suspected of having) made (or plan to make) a complaint of racial discrimination, or helped someone else do so.