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ISSUES: Racial & Ethnic Discrimination
Glossary
Glossary
BAME
An acronym which stands for Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic backgrounds.
Brexit
A term for the 2016 referendum in which the UK voted to
leave the European Union.
Caste
The Indian caste system divides Hindus into different
social classes or ‘castes’.
Discrimination
Unfair treatment of someone because of the group/class
they belong to.
Ethnic minority
A group of people who are different in their ancestry,
culture and traditions from the majority of the population.
Gypsies and travellers
Gypsies and travellers have traditionally pursue a nomadic
lifestyle which involves moving around from place to
place. English gypsies and Irish travellers are protected
under the Race Relations Act. This is because they are
members of a community with a shared history stretching
back over hundreds of years and are recognised by the law
as a distinct ethnic minority group.
Harassment
Usually persistent (but not always), a behaviour that is
intended to cause distress and offence. It can occur on the
school playground, in the workplace and even at home.
Islamophobia
An extreme fear and hatred of Islam and people who
follow the Islam faith, otherwise known as Muslims. Since
the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington and the 7/7 London bombings (7 July 2005),
there have been a lot of strong, controversial debates
surrounding Muslims and Islam. This has provoked unfair
stereotyping of Muslims as people associate their faith
with extreme terrorist actions.
Multiculturalism
A number of different cultures coexisting side-by-side, for
example within a school or a country.
Racial discrimination
Racial discrimination occurs when a person is treated less
favourably because of their colour, race, nationality or
ethnic or national origins.
Racial prejudice
The belief and prejudgment that one race is inferior to
another. Feeling hatred towards another race just because
they are different.
Racism
The belief that one race is superior to another / behaving
in a negative or harmful way to someone because of their
race.
Racist bullying
Targeting a person because of their race, colour or beliefs.
There is a difference between racism and racial harassment:
racial harassment refers to words and actions that are
intentionally said/done to make the target feel small and
degraded due to their race or ethnicity.
Reverse discrimination
When trying to address social inequalities, sometimes
reverse discrimination occurs. This occurs when
discrimination is directed towards the dominant group
in society, in order to favour the usually disadvantaged
minority group. People sometimes refer to this as
The Race Relations Act 1976
The Race Relations Act 1976 is concerned with people`s
actions and the effects of their actions, not their opinions
or beliefs. The Act makes it unlawful to racially discriminate
against anyone. Racial discrimination is when someone
treats a person less favourably because of their colour,
race, nationality or ethnic or national origins. Racial
discrimination is not the same as racial prejudice. It is
not necessary to prove that the other person intended to
discriminate against you: you only have to show that you
received less favourable treatment as a result of what they
did. The Race Relations Act 1976 also aims to promote race
equality and good race relations.
