Some of the words used on this blog (and in the activist world in general) can be confusing for people just starting out. Here’s a list of common words that you’ll be seeing in this blog and throughout activist/academic discussions you may encounter later. You can always ask us if you have any questions!
Activist - Simply put, an activist is someone who “who campaigns for some kind of social change.” There is no minimum requirement to be an activist, and anyone can be one! Campaigning for a social change, whether it be staging a sit in to protest police brutality, writing to your Governor about policy issues, or just letting people on your campus know about their Title IX rights, makes someone an activist.
Gender - Gender is a social construction which “involves social norms, attitudes and activities that society deems more appropriate for one sex over another. Gender is also determined by what an individual feels and does.” Someone’s gender may not necessarily match their biological sex, which is determined by genitalia, chromosomes, etc. Gender, however, is more about how the individual chooses to express their sex, whether it be conforming to what is expected from someone with their particular set of genitals or not. Gender has changed over time (with appropriate roles for men and women evolving over time) and varies across cultures (what is normal for women in the US may not be elsewhere), meaning that it is a social construction (see below).
Heteronormativity - Heteronormativity is “a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation.” Breaking the word down, it is simply assuming that heterosexuality is the “normal.” Heteronormativity is evident in the practice of assuming everyone is hetero until proven otherwise, in addition to certain cultural cues (such as the high number of heterosexual romance films compared to others, which are still considered a “niche” market) that portray heterosexuality as the expectation.
Intersectionality - Intersectionality is a theory that states a person’s life chances, oppressions, and privileges are determined not by one identity that they hold, but by the intersection of all of their identities. These identities intersect at a “matrix of domination” which guides how society impacts an individual. For example, while women, people of color, and trans* individuals are at higher risk for violence, trans*women of color face one of the highest risks for hate crimes in the country, and constitute nearly 2/3 of all LGBTQ* related violence. Intersectionalist activism considers all identities and their unique systems of oppressions/privileges.
Racism - Racism “refers to a host of practices, beliefs, social relations and phenomena that work to reproduce a racial hierarchy and social structure that yields superiority and privilege for some, and discrimination and oppression for others.” Basically, it is a system that disadvantages a race(s) over another one. When an individual is “racist,” they condone this system and believe their race is superior than the subordinate one. Racism can be at the institutional or individual level. For instance, job applications with “black-sounding” names being less likely to receive callbacks than applicants with “white-sounding” names is an example of institutional racism, while donating money to someone charged with a hate crime (all while saying the victim deserved it) is individual racism.
Social construct - “A social mechanism, phenomenon, or category created and developed by society; a perception of an individual, group, or idea that is 'constructed'through cultural or social practice.” Social constructs are rooted entirely in human interpretation and are not universal experiences. They change over time and location. For example, race is a social construct because dividing people of the same species based on arbitrary appearance differences is a product of human interpretation, and racial categories have changed over time (the one-drop rule during colonial times, Irish immigrants having to list “black” on the census at the turn of the century, etc).
Survivor - We prefer to use the term “survivor” rather than “victim” because recovery from violence is an ongoing process and we would like to focus on the well-being of the survivor, instead of the victimization.
Oppression - Sociologists define oppression as “a relationship of dominance and subordination between categories of people in which one benefits from the systematic abuse, exploitation, and injustice directed toward the other.” Oppression describes a system in which one group receives certain privileges at the expense of another group.
Note that, in sociological terms, oppression is a system and not individual actions. Thus, while a member of the subordinate group and do harm to a member of the dominant group, the subordinate member does not have the power to oppress the dominant member in the same way they are oppressed. For example, someone who identifies as a racial minority can do harm to someone of the dominant racial status, but they do not have the social power to racially oppress them.
Privilege - Privilege “refers to any advantage that is unearned, exclusive, and socially conferred.” Privilege does not have to be actively sought by an individual; rather, it is a result of oppressive systems. For example, a white person does not have to be consciously aware of white privilege to have it - not having to worry about racial profiling and not being followed in stores are both privileges awarded to white people simply for being white.
Transgender - Transgender (or trans*) is a broad term that encompasses anyone who identifies with a gender different than what they were assigned at birth. Surgery, drastic appearance changes, etc. are not required for someone to be trans*.
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