At the individual level, racism is prejudiced or otherwise biased thoughts, feelings, and actions directed towards members of marginalized racial groups by individuals from more privileged racial groups.
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Institutional racism
This term is sometimes used similarly to systemic and structural racism but also describes racism within a particular institution. This term is relevant to the institution of UW Medicine.
Structural racism
Describes how laws, policies, practices, and norms within different systems produce racially inequitable outcomes. These structures are relevant to UW Medicine.
Systemic racism
Systemic racism is the broadest level of racism. Systemic racism refers to how whole systems and often all systems in our society—for example, political, legal, economic, health care, school, and criminal justice systems—collectively produce racially inequitable outcomes.
Racism
Racism is not legally defined. There are many types and levels of racism. In general, racism is distinguished from prejudice in that racism is prejudice and other manifestations of bias directed towards members of historically marginalized racial groups by individuals from more societally and contextually privileged racial groups.
Discrimination
According to Executive Order 31, discrimination is conduct that treats a person less favorably because of the person’s protected class.
Harassment
According to Executive Order 31, Harassment is conduct directed at a person because of the person’s protected class that is unwelcome and sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that:
It could reasonably be expected to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or learning environment, or
It has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance.
Stereotypes
Stereotypes are one of the causes of human bias. A stereotype is thinking that everyone in a group is the same in some way, instead of seeing people as individuals. It can be seen as the “cognitive” component of bias.
Prejudice
Prejudice is one of the causes of human bias. Prejudice is a “pre-judgement,” meaning having a feeling or attitude about someone without any knowledge or basis. Prejudice is not simply feeling hatred, disgust, or hostility towards someone or a group; it can also be a small difference in positive feelings for one group versus another. It can be seen as the “emotional” component of bias.
Macroaggressions
Macroagressions describe when prejudice and other manifestations of bias are enacted by the institutions, structures, and systems of a society, as opposed to being between individuals.
