June 2021

Oceanography | June 2021

Oceanography | June 2021

TABLE 1. A glossary of terms.

AAPI

The many diverse groups of people with Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry.

Ally

In the social justice sense, allies are those who make the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender,

class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice. Allies understand that it

is in their own interest to end all forms of oppression, even those from which they may benefit in concrete ways.4

Bias

Bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way that is considered

to be unfair. Biases may be held by an individual, a group, or an institution and can have negative or positive consequences.

There are types of biases:

• Conscious bias (also known as explicit bias), and

• Unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias).

It is important to note that biases, conscious or unconscious, are not limited to ethnicity and race. Though racial bias and discrim-

ination are well documented, biases may exist toward any social group. One’s age, gender, gender identity, physical abilities,

religion, sexual orientation, weight, and many other characteristics are subject to bias.

Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious

awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from our ten-

dency to organize social worlds by categorizing.

Unconscious bias is far more prevalent than conscious prejudice and is often incompatible with conscious values. Certain sce-

narios can activate unconscious attitudes and beliefs. For example, biases may be more prevalent when multitasking or working

under time pressure.6

BIPOC

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Mostly used in North America. See references 7–10 for discussions on the origins of this

term and its use.

BAME

Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic. Used in the UK, but see references 11–13 for recent discussions on the acceptability of its use.

BLM

Black Lives Matter: A political movement to address systemic and state violence against African Americans.4 Per the Black Lives

Matter organizers: “In 2013, three radical Black organizers—Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi—created a Black-

centered political will and movement building project called #BlackLivesMatter. It was in response to the acquittal of Trayvon

Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman. The project is now a member-led global network of more than 40 chapters. [Black Lives

Matter] members organize and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilan-

tes. Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally

targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of

deadly oppression.”14

Decolonizing

Science

Decolonization is a movement to eliminate, or at least mitigate, the disproportionate legacy of White European thought and cul-

ture in education15 [and science]. For further discussion and examples of the decolonialization of science, see references 16–18

and references therein.

Emotional

Labor

First coined by American sociologist Arlie Hochschild in her 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human

Feeling19, emotional labor means to: “induce or suppress feeling in order to sustain the outward countenance that produces the

proper state of mind in others.” Emotional labor involves the management of personal feelings and behaviors to align with insti-

tutional (or other organizational or individual) expectations, even when dealing with emotionally charged situations. It’s an often

uncompensated, underappreciated, and overlooked form of labor that is performed in service to others. For example, in the con-

text of race dialogues, either in the workplace or in more individual settings (e.g., with friends, family, or on social media), this can

translate into minorities† sharing some of their most painful experiences for the collective good, while being careful to manage

their emotions so as not to make things awkward for others after the conversation.20

†See reference 21 on use of the word “minority”

Environmental

Racism

Any policy, practice, or directive that differentially affects or disadvantages (whether intended or unintended) individuals, groups,

or communities based on race. This term refers to how minority group neighborhoods, which are populated primarily by peo-

ple of color and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, are burdened with disproportionate numbers of hazards, including

toxic waste facilities, garbage dumps, and other sources of environmental pollution and foul odors that lower the quality of life.

Examples of environmental racism include:

• The devastating pollution of the Boat Harbour water body (and surrounding airshed) in Nova Scotia, Canada—an ancestral fish-

ing ground of the Mi’kmaq First Nation—by the discharging of effluent from a pulp mill22 and extensive studies cited therein, and

• “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana, USA—a corridor of petrochemical plants that has polluted the surrounding water and air and sub-

jected the mostly African American residents in St. James Parish to cancer, respiratory diseases, and other health problems.23

Environmental

Justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to

the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.24 The environmental jus-

tice movement grew out of a need to respond to environmental racism, and each global region has its own unique history of

environmental justice development.25–29

Ethnicity

A social construct that divides people into smaller social groups based on characteristics such as shared sense of group

membership, values, behavioral patterns, language, political and economic interests, history, and ancestral geographical

base.4 and references therein

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