Glossary
- Glossary Introduction
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Language is the main tool which humans use to communicate with each other.
With language we can impart information, express emotion and lay out arguments. However,
language also has potential for expressing insult and causing offence.
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In the field of equality and diversity, language is as important as in many other areas of human activity.
Perhaps, however, it has even more potential for offence and insult than in most other fields: very often,
such offence is expressed as a deliberate act of insult against a minority group - distinguished by their
age, gender, religion, race, sexuality, disability or social group - from whom the insulter wishes to
distinguish herself. Because the insult may well strike to something which is at the very heart of our
identity - ie as a Christian, as a woman or as a blind person - the potential for offence can be particularly
powerful.
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Fortunately, society is changing and racism and homophobia and other such behaviour is unacceptable to most
people in our society. However, most of us were raised and educated in an environment where such behaviour
and the language associated with it was commonplace. As a result, we are now - in spite of the best of
intentions - often confused and uncertain as to the appropriate terminology to be used when (for example)
referring to individuals of a particular ethnic background or referring to sexual orientation or disabilities.
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This glossary is intended to assist all of us in the NHS to use the language that is currently most acceptable
to members of all the various equality groups. It should therefore make us all more comfortable in working with
issues concerning equality and diversity as well as helping us all to reduce the potential for offence against
such individuals.
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It must however be stressed that this is work in progress and that language is in constant flux. Furthermore,
the glossary terms are only the best of current practice as known to us working in the field. They are not set
in concrete and what is offensive to one person from a particular equality group may make no impression on another
such person, or even be a term that they would use of themselves.
- LGBT Glossary
- Ethnicity Glossary
- Spiritual Care Glossary
