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Responsibility

As part of its values compass, the Schauspielhaus Zürich is committed to sustainability, among other things. It is thus making its contribution to the City of Zurich's endeavours to become climate-neutral by 2040 and is following the City of Zurich's 2024-27 cultural mission statement to develop ‘sustainable working and production methods’.

As an institution, the Schauspielhaus is also engaged in an ongoing process of diversity-oriented organisational development at the staff, audience and programme levels. It thus also makes an ongoing contribution to the diversity-oriented goals of the City of Zurich, which were formulated in the City of Zurich's 2020-2023 cultural mission statement. The Schauspielhaus Zürich offers a diversity glossary for audiences and employees.

The sustainability working group deals with topics such as decarbonisation, diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging, sustainable collaboration and the promotion of young talent. In addition, the Schauspielhaus is currently developing a sustainability strategy that focuses on anchoring and institutionalising ecological, social and economic sustainability.

The first sustainability report, including a carbon footprint, was published in the 2022/23 annual report (pages 24 & 25).

(Status: February 2024)

In our communication at Schauspielhaus Zürich, we use discrimination-sensitive and discrimination-critical language. To make sure you know what we mean, when we use certain words, we have compiled a glossary of basic terms. Our glossary makes no claim to completeness and is intended to be continually expanded.

Language is a fluid tool. It reflects social processes and can sometimes even drive change. Those who make their speech discrimination-sensitive contribute to overcoming centuries-old systems of power and violence that affect society as a whole, help prevent the degradation of vulnerable people, and give visibility to marginalized groups. These groups are underrepresented not only in language but also in media, politics, and culture, receiving little to no platform or voice. Discrimination-sensitive language helps to differentiate and counteract stereotyping and violent external attributions. Instead, it allows all individuals to speak for themselves with their personal affiliations, chosen by themselves.

The terms presented here are explicitly not fixed definitions and are not set in stone for eternity. Some come from the U.S. American or English-speaking context and have not yet found a German equivalent. Terms are often dependent on the local social contexts in which they are used, and their meanings shift in practice. They provide a temporary snapshot of our time, with awareness of how quickly social conditions can change. They are intended to encourage seeing language not as an imposition, but as a creative tool that enables us to shape the world in a self-determined way.

*

In our communication, we generally use the gender asterisk to make visible and address not only people who identify with the male or female gender, but people of all genders (cf. trans, inter, non-binary, pronouns). Orally in the German language, the gender asterisk is spoken with a short pause: “Arbeiter-[pause]-innen.” Equivalent to the gender asterisk, the colon is also often used today: “Arbeiter: innen.” However, symbolically, the gender asterisk—with its many rays—better represents gender diversity than the gender colon. The gender asterisk does not have a similar usage in the English language for nouns, due to their (generally) gender neutral linguistic properties.

Ableism

is a term which originates from the U.S. American disability rights movement. It describes the discrimination of people with disabilities who do not conform to normative expectations of what people should be able to do or achieve—for example, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, or socially interacting. The phrase “being disabled” is also intended to make clear that people are not disabled because of their individual bodies, but because of architecture, barriers, and social exclusion.

Ageism

describes the exclusion and devaluation of people of a certain age, especially older people. Ageism involves social, professional, and/or economic disadvantages against groups or individuals based on age, year of birth, or generation.

Ally

The term refers to people who use their privileges to actively support those who experience discrimination. For people with experiences of discrimination, it is important that allies do not portray themselves as “saviors” (e.g., white savior or male savior) of marginalized people, but instead stand with them and alongside them against discrimination, in the sense of empowerment.

Anti-Asian Racism

refers to a specific form of discrimination against people perceived as East and Southeast Asian. This means that not all people with an Asian background experience this specific type of racism. People perceived as Asian are often described as “model migrants” and pitted against other (post-)migrant groups. They are also portrayed as a homogeneous mass and experience prejudiced attributions of intellectual ability, which are framed as a threat to white majority society. During the Covid-19 pandemic, anti-Asian racism increased worldwide.

Anti-Balkanism / Anti-Slavic Racism

refers to a hostile or dismissive attitude toward, and structural discrimination against, people from the Balkan region or Southeastern Europe. These people have diverse national, ethnic, cultural, and religious affiliations, which are often stereotypically lumped together.

The racialization of people from (South-)Eastern Europe often occurs based on names, language, accent, as well as supposed physical “traits” or “typical” behaviors. Anti-Balkanism is a form of Orientalism and is therefore often paired with anti-Muslim racism—even though only a portion of people with Balkan backgrounds are religiously Muslim.

Anti-Slavic racism against people from (South-)Eastern Europe relates to racist prejudices against Slavs—even though only a portion of people with backgrounds from (South-)Eastern Europe are Slavic. Racism against people from (South-)Eastern Europe is usually not expressed in a differentiated way, but rather manifests in an overlapping mixture of anti-Slavism and anti-Balkanism.

Anti-Black Racism

refers to a form of racism directed against Black people and people perceived as Black. It represents a hostile attitude or a demeaning view toward people of African descent. Physical traits such as skin color and other phenotypical features are linked with various negative stereotypes.

Anti-Black racism is based on the assumption that Black and white people are fundamentally unequal. Current forms and manifestations of racism against Black people range from everyday racism to structural racism and even deadly violence. Anti-Black racism is often downplayed or attributed to the “oversensitivity” of those affected. This derives directly from racist stereotypes about people of African descent.

Anti-Black racism can also appear in the form of seemingly well-intentioned actions, without an explicitly hostile intent.

Antisemitism

is a term describing a rejecting, demeaning, hostile, or hateful attitude or mindset toward people who identify as Jewish or are perceived as such. This form of racist discrimination manifests, for example, in ideas of a “Jewish world conspiracy” or in viewing Jewish people as “scapegoats” for social, political, and societal problems.

Antisemitism manifests in hostile beliefs, prejudices, or stereotypes, and is also reflected in social structures. These lead to Jewish-perceived individuals being insulted, demeaned, excluded, disadvantaged, or regarded as fundamentally “different.” Not only individuals, but also Jewish organizations and institutions are affected by antisemitic violence.

Anti-Racism

refers to approaches, practices, strategies, etc., that aim to eliminate and overcome racist structures, conditions, and attitudes. Anti-racist or racism-critical perspectives advocate for a self-reflective, power-critical, and open engagement with the racist realities of (current) societies.

Everyday Racism

Everyday racism becomes apparent when racist prejudices are unconsciously and/or unintentionally expressed through culturally embedded systems of belonging, images, and ideas—for example, in seemingly neutral, positive, or curious questions, statements, gestures, actions, and looks. Everyday racisms implicitly exclude people from the “we” and can have significant negative effects on the mental as well as physical health of those affected. The term “everyday racism” emphasizes the interaction of individual actions with societal-structural racism.

Awareness

generally describes attentiveness to questions of social justice. It refers to a protective concept designed to help people recognize structural discrimination and take a stance in support of the perspectives of those affected.

Being Disabled

This formulation makes clear that people are not disabled because of their individual bodies, but because of barriers and social exclusion. It is not the individual’s body or abilities themselves that constitute disability, but barriers and lack of access. This is often referred to as the social model of disability, which holds that people with disabilities are disabled and excluded by society when everything is geared only toward bodies and abilities that conform to a particular social norm.

Accessibility / Barrier Reduction

describes the degree of accessibility to information and participation for everyone. This applies to all areas of daily life: websites, public spaces, public transport, art and culture, infrastructure, or access to buildings, etc. The main concern is to create easier—and ideally seamless—access to all areas with and for people with disabilities. Secondarily, accessibility can also be extended to other marginalized groups.

Blackfacing

refers to the practice in which white people paint their faces black in order to portray Black people in a stereotypical and exaggerated way. The term originates from the “minstrel shows” of the 18th and 19th centuries in the U.S., where actors portrayed Black characters to mock them. This is a racist practice that was widespread not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and other parts of the world. Blackfacing can be very hurtful for Black people. In addition to blackfacing, there is also yellowfacing or the imitation of Indigenous peoples, which is equally harmful.

BIPoC

An abbreviation for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. This is a self-designation of people who are not white and who therefore do not have certain privileges. BIPoC is one possible term to address many people who experience racism. However, not all racialized people identify with the term.

Black Lives Matter (BLM)

is the slogan of the transnational movement of the same name, which, through protests, memorial events, and worldwide mobilization on social media, advocates against violence toward Black people and People of Color due to racism, racial profiling, and police violence. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter went viral in 2013 after the acquittal of the perpetrator who shot African American teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, and it gained international recognition through the demonstrations following the racially motivated killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York in 2014.

Body Shaming

describes insulting or discriminating against someone because of their physical appearance. This can affect any body, but in particular female, trans, intersex, and/or fat bodies (fat shaming) are subject to evaluative and derogatory comments. Thin bodies (skinny shaming), older bodies, or disabled bodies can also be affected. Body shaming also refers to when people feel ashamed of their bodies—due to environmental influences—because they do not conform to societal norms and to the unrealistic beauty and body ideals propagated in media or advertising.

Body Shaming

In the Anglo-American context, “Brown” is used as a self-designation by some people affected by racism who do not identify with the term BIPoC. The expression “Black and Brown People” is also often used. “Brown” describes a specific racism experience. In German-speaking (i.e. Braun) contexts, the term should only be used when a person explicitly self-identifies that way. If it refers to the description of a skin color, braun can be used. However, it should be carefully considered whether this is necessary at all. Usually, this is only the case when it is explicitly about skin in a medical sense, or in contexts like makeup, nylon stockings, etc.

cis

(from Latin cis = “on this side”) refers to people who identify with the gender that was assigned to them at birth. (cf. also trans(gender))

Colorism

refers to a specific form of hierarchy or categorization in which racialized people are either disadvantaged or privileged based on the shade of their skin. The term Colorism (also shadeism) originates in the U.S. and describes concrete effects in everyday life. People of Color with particularly dark skin are institutionally and also in everyday life more strongly discriminated against than those with lighter skin (cf. dark-skinned / light-skinned).

English-speaking activists with disabilities aimed to reclaim a word often used as an insult. “Crip” stands for cripple. It has now become a positive self-designation that is also used in German-speaking contexts. “Crip” refers not only to people with visible physical disabilities but also to those with invisible disabilities and chronic illnesses such as chronic pain. It is a self-designation and is generally not used by people who are not affected.

Cripping Up

refers to a problematic and ableist (cf. Ableism) casting practice in which a non-disabled actor plays the role of a disabled person in film or theater. This practice is criticized in a similar way to white actors painting themselves black to play Black roles. “Cripping up” as a casting practice is criticized by disabled actors and activists because people with disabilities are still underrepresented and are often not cast for certain roles due to their disability.

Crip Time

is a concept that describes the experiences of disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent people with space and time, which differ from those of non-disabled people. Crip Time stands in contrast to the concept of normative time. Normative time is the predominantly socially accepted way of dividing everyday life into fixed appointments and time segments. Crip Time describes the complex experiences of disabled people with time in their lived world, and also how exclusionary this normative understanding of time is.

Community

in the context of diversity development usually refers to a loose (political) community of interest in which people come together who share experiences of discrimination. The community is bound by a positive sense of belonging, or the reference to a positive group identity.

Dark-skinned / Light-skinned

Dark-skinned and light-skinned are positionalities of people affected by racism within a racist system. Light-skinned people are often judged as “more beautiful”/“more attractive” because of lighter skin tones and tend to have easier structural and economic access to privileges. As a result, they are comparatively less often discriminated against, receive higher media representation (television, films, advertising), and have easier access to romantic relationships as well as to the job and housing market.

The terms are not equivalent to the German expressions hellhäutig and dunkelhäutig, as these are very often used in a one-sided and hurtful way.

Deadname

A deadname (literally: “dead name”) is a discarded, former given name, usually assigned at birth. For trans and/or non-binary people who have chosen a new name, being addressed by their deadname can be hurtful. Addressing someone with their former name is called deadnaming (or “to deadname”) and sometimes happens unintentionally. Very often, however, it occurs with the intention of denying the gender identity of the trans and/or non-binary person. This therefore also constitutes a form of exclusion or (structural) discrimination against trans and/or non-binary people.

Disability Arts

The term “Disability Arts” is often used as an umbrella concept for artistic works by artists with disabilities. Such works often address questions of embodiment, vulnerability, freedom, and ideas of normality. The term emerged in the 1970s within the disability rights movement in the United Kingdom. It is important to note that not every artist with a disability produces Disability Arts.

Discrimination

Discrimination refers to unequal treatment of people on the basis of group affiliations such as gender identity, sexual orientation, social or ethnic origin, language, religion, political belief, age, disability, or body weight. Socially constructed norms and deviations from them lead to discrimination. Racial discrimination is a specific form of unequal treatment based on actual or ascribed physiognomic characteristics, ethnic origin, cultural traits, and/or religious affiliation.

Diversity

Diversity-Oriented Organizational Development

An innovative approach to transforming organizations that do not (sufficiently) reflect social diversity. The goal is to foster an appreciative approach to diversity and to reduce (structural) discrimination. Diversity development in institutions such as the Schauspielhaus Zürich seeks to create spaces with minimal discrimination (see safer space), fostering connection and belonging. For diversity to be ensured sustainably and for conflicts to be resolved, inclusion practices are required—practices that dismantle barriers, enhance equal opportunity, promote participation, and reduce discrimination. Fundamental to this are critical engagement with power relations and the reproduction of privilege and disadvantage, as well as an understanding of the relationship between individuals and their social environment.

Dominant Society

The dominant society shapes the prevailing value system of social coexistence and thereby produces social inclusion and exclusion, privileges, and structural discrimination. Unlike the more common term “majority society,” the term dominant society emphasizes that various hierarchical power structures permeate society, and that the question of who establishes which norms and values is not determined by demographic proportions (i.e., numerical majorities or minorities).

Empowerment

refers to processes through which socially disadvantaged people or groups acquire the tools—via targeted strategies and training opportunities—to shape their lives with greater self-determination. The focus is on recognizing one’s own strengths, deriving (new) possibilities for action from them, and gaining access to areas that are otherwise difficult to enter due to discrimination.

Eurocentrism

Describes the evaluation of non-European cultures from the perspective of European values and norms. Europe forms the unreflected center of thought and action; European historical development is regarded as the standard of comparison for all other countries and cultures.

Ethnicity / “Cultural” Origin

Ethnicity means “ethnic group” or “people’s affiliation.” However, the term is used differently in German and English. While Ethnie in German does not carry a direct colonial history, it was introduced in the 1960s by anthropologist Wilhelm Emil Mühlmann as a replacement for “race” or “tribe.” Although intended as a neutral, depoliticized term, it perpetuates the racist conceptual content of its predecessors. In German usage, “ethnic” often refers only to people affected by racism, generalized and judged by those in positions of power. The term should therefore be avoided, as it reproduces power asymmetries. The idea of applying blanket labels to heterogeneous groups stems from a racialized logic of naming “the Other.”

Exoticism

ist eine Form des Eurozentrismus. Er beschreibt eine Grundeinstellung, die das Fremde, wie zum Beispiel «fremde Kulturen», als durchaus positiv bewertet und ihm eine besondere Faszination beimisst. Das Fremde wird alleine unter «exotischen» Aspekten wahrgenommen. Diese voreingenommene und auch rassistische Perspektive wird wenig bis gar nicht reflektiert, auch dann nicht, wenn keine ‘bösartige Intention dahintersteckt.

Femicide

Refers to the targeted killing of a woman or girl, or of FLINTA* persons, in which gender is presumed to be the motive or a decisive factor. The term also encompasses targeted deadly violence against women, girls, or FLINTA* in war, as well as lethal misogynistic hate crimes that may additionally include racist, homophobic, transphobic, or ableist motives. Femicides are not isolated incidents but the result of structural violence rooted in the patriarchal power relations of our society. Violence against women is still often treated as a private matter, as reflected in societal responses: the term femicide is not yet an established political term in Switzerland; in summer 2020, the Council of States rejected its use once again.

FLINTA*

Here, signifying the German acronym for Frauen (women), Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, and Agender persons. It refers to people who are discriminated against under patriarchy because of their gender identity. The asterisk (*) signals that other people not explicitly listed but who also do not fit into dominant categories of sexual orientation or gender identity are included.

Heteronormativity

Describes a worldview and social value system that recognizes only two genders (“male” and “female”) and heterosexual relationships between them as normal. In a heteronormative society, social expectations are directed at all people regarding how men and women should live together. Within this framework, people are assumed to be born either male or female (and raised accordingly), and to engage only in heterosexual relationships. People who do not fit into this binary order—for example, those who identify as non-binary, trans, or intersex and/or who do not have heterosexual relationships—are perceived and described as “different” or “not normal”.

Sign Language

Sign languages are independent languages with their own grammar. Communication takes place through hand signs and gestures, but also through facial expression, head movements, and body posture. Sign language is not universal; each country has its own. They are to be regarded as equivalent to spoken languages. In Switzerland, around 10,000 people use one (or more) of the three Swiss sign languages: Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS), French Sign Language (LSF), and Italian Sign Language (LIS). Content in sign language, sign language videos, and sign language interpreting are essential for the participation of deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

Gadje Racism / Antigypsyism

These terms refer to hostility against Sintizze, Romnja, and Yenish people. They describe attitudes and behaviors shaped by stereotypes, prejudice, and enmity toward these communities. This can result in precarious living conditions, particularly for Sintizze and Romnja. Both itinerant and settled members of the Yenish, Sintizze, or Romnja face discrimination ranging from verbal abuse and insults to physical assaults. Especially through state-level unequal treatment, they repeatedly experience racist discrimination. Some Sintizze and Romnja activists call this form of racist hostility Gadje Racism, so as not to reproduce the slur contained in the term antigypsyism. One exception are certain Yenish communities who reclaim the slur as a form of self-identification. The term Gadje Racism was introduced by Sintizze and Romnja activists and scholars to replace antigypsyism. One of its advantages is that it does not assume a homogenous group of victims. Instead, it shifts the focus onto the dominant society—the Gadje—and the functions Gadje Racism fulfills for them, namely empowering and elevating themselves through their racism.

Heteronormativity

Describes a worldview and social value system that recognizes only two genders (“male” and “female”) and heterosexual relationships between them as normal. In a heteronormative society, social expectations are directed at all people regarding how men and women should live together. Within this framework, people are assumed to be born either male or female (and raised accordingly), and to engage only in heterosexual relationships. People who do not fit into this binary order—for example, those who identify as non-binary, trans, or intersex and/or who do not have heterosexual relationships—are perceived and described as “different” or “not normal”.

Inter

(from Latin inter = “between,” formerly: “intersex”) refers to people whose physical sex characteristics (for example, genitalia or chromosomes) cannot be assigned to the medical norm of “clearly” male or female bodies, but exist along a spectrum in between. To this day, inter children are often subjected to surgical reassignment (most frequently to the female sex), resulting in considerable health restrictions and psychological harm.

Intersectionality

Describes the overlapping and interaction of different forms of discrimination. People embody multiple characteristics and identities at once. Intersectionality recognizes that individuals are often disadvantaged because of several characteristics/identities simultaneously. For example, a lesbian, deaf, Black woman may face discrimination on the basis of her gender, sexual orientation, race, and disability (ableism) all at once and in different ways.

Classism

Refers to discrimination on the basis of social origin and/or social and economic position. Classism primarily targets people with limited social and economic capital.

Colonialism (European)

Refers to a European expansionist policy between the 15th and 20th centuries, based on conquest, control, and economic exploitation of non-European territories, and their forced integration into a global capitalist economic and social system. Even after the official withdrawal of colonial powers in the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial legacy—as a system of knowledge, domination, and violence—continues to shape international trade circuits and societal value systems today. Colonial domination is chiefly responsible for the erasure of non-European, non-white knowledge traditions and the persistence of structural racism. Current research has shown that while Switzerland did not possess colonial territories, it was deeply entangled through lucrative economic connections in the global trade of colonial goods and enslaved people, which contributed significantly to the country’s present-day prosperity.

Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation refers to members of a dominant culture adopting cultural expressions, practices, or objects from marginalized cultures — often without understanding their meaning or history. This frequently occurs in a way that strips these elements of their context, commercializes them, or reproduces stereotypes. For example, when cultural symbols with deep significance (such as hairstyles, clothing, or spiritual practices) are used as fashion trends by people outside of that culture, it can be seen as appropriation. The problem lies in the unequal power relations: while marginalized groups are discriminated against for practicing their own culture, dominant groups can adopt and profit from the same practices without consequences.

LGBTIQ+

The abbreviation LGBTIQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer people, with the “+” signifying the inclusion of further sexual orientations and gender identities beyond those explicitly named. It is an umbrella term that highlights the diversity of identities and experiences that deviate from heteronormative and cisnormative norms. The abbreviation is used politically to make these communities visible and to fight against discrimination.

Marginalization

Refers to the displacement of individuals or groups to the edges of society. This can occur on various levels—geographical, economic, social, or cultural—and usually happens across multiple levels simultaneously.

Microaggressions

Describes the process by which people with, or perceived to have, a migration background are made into “migrants” by the dominant society, thereby stereotyped and “othered” (see Othering).

Microaggressions

Everyday verbal or non-verbal expressions or actions, sometimes conscious, sometimes unconscious, that belittle or hurt someone based on assumed group membership. For example, abruptly crossing the street when a Person of Color approaches, or praising someone for their command of the local official language even though they were born in that country.

Neurodivergence, Neurodiversity, and Neurotypical

Neurodivergence is a (non-clinical) term describing people whose brains and nervous systems function in ways that differ from societal norms, leading to different cognitive abilities, perceptions, sensory processing, and social interactions. It avoids stigmatizing terms like “normal” or “abnormal.”
It is central to the neurodiversity movement, which recognizes neurological differences as natural human variation rather than deficits, and calls for cultural and social adjustments to foster inclusion and acceptance.
Neurotypical refers to people whose brains and nervous systems conform to societal norms.

Non-Binarity

Describes the gender identity of people who do not identify—or only partially identify—with the male or female gender. Non-binary people may choose not to use pronouns (“he”/“she”) at all or adopt self-chosen pronouns. For example, the English singular they can be used, or simply the person’s first name:

“When Noa went to bed yesterday, Noa immediately fell asleep.”
Increasingly, English pronouns they/them are also used in German contexts.

Othering

Refers to the process of a group or individual defining another group as “different” or “foreign.” This usually takes place within a power imbalance: those labeled as “other” experience discrimination and often lack the means to resist such categorization.

Patriarchy

A system of dominance based on heteronormative binary gender and stereotypical ideas of “man” and “woman.” It positions men and women differently in social, economic, sexual, and interpersonal contexts. Patriarchal thinking provides the framework and justification for sexist inequalities and sustains them.

People of Color (PoC)

A self-designation used by people who experience racism. Emerging during the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1960s as a positive reappropriation of the derogatory term colored, it describes solidarity among diverse communities that experience structural exclusion due to racism.
In recent decades, marginalized communities in Switzerland and elsewhere in the Global North have also used PoC as a collective identity to highlight shared experiences of racism.
It contrasts with terms like “migrant” or “migration background,” which focus on migration experience rather than racism. PoC, similar to Black or white, does not describe skin color but the social position of marginalization due to racism.

Privileges

A privilege is an advantage granted to someone because societal structures favor their appearance, whom they love, or how they live. Privilege means being spared certain problems and discrimination. Examples: holding a Swiss passport, being considered white, being cis male, not being disabled, etc.
Having privileges does not mean one’s life is always easy.

Pronouns

“He” and “she” replace a person’s name in speech. People who do not identify with either gender may forgo pronouns or use self-chosen ones. To avoid misgendering (assigning the wrong pronoun based on assumptions), it is respectful and discrimination-aware to ask someone their pronouns.

Queer

A self-designation for people living and defending diverse sexual, romantic, and gender identities beyond the cis-hetero norm. Queerness also represents a political mindset rooted in decades of activism and theory that fundamentally questions binary categories.

Race

Unlike the outdated German term Rasse (“race”), the English term race is used in anti-discriminatory language to highlight that such categorizations are socially constructed. While Rasse suggests biological reality, race reminds us that these categories are human-made

Racism (structural/institutional)

A historically rooted system of domination and violence that establishes and maintains a pseudo-scientific hierarchy among people based on skin tone, ethnicity, and/or religion.It justified transatlantic slavery and European colonialism and continues to cause global inequality for racialized people.
Structural or institutional racism refers not to individual interactions but to discrimination embedded in societal systems, institutions, and laws—affecting BIPoC in housing, labor, healthcare, education, and representation in media, politics, and culture.

Relaxed Performance

A performance format designed for audiences who benefit from a more relaxed, accessible atmosphere—such as people who may make involuntary noises or movements, and who are otherwise excluded by strict performance etiquette. It adapts theater conventions to reduce barriers and ensure accessibility.

Safer Space

Actively created environments where people with experiences of discrimination can feel as safe as possible, with minimal exposure to marginalization, insults, or harassment. Because no space can ever be fully free of power and domination, the term “safer” is used rather than “safe.”

Black (capitalized “B”)

Not a skin color, but a political self-designation of people with experiences of racism. It is capitalized to distinguish it from the color adjective black.

Self-Designation

A term chosen by a marginalized group for itself, in contrast to an ascription imposed by the dominant society. Self-designations are empowering and create solidarity, while ascriptions often mark people as “different” or “foreign.”

Self-Advocate

A person with a (visible or invisible) disability who represents their own rights and interests, and those of others with similar disabilities. Rooted in the principle “nothing about us without us,” this strengthens self-determination and participation.

Sexism

Discrimination based on gender. In patriarchal societies, sexism primarily targets women, trans people, and femininity. Masculinity (particularly cis-masculinity) is treated as the norm.
In German contexts, sexism is often misunderstood as being limited to sexual harassment, but the term refers more broadly to gender-based inequality—such as women earning less on average.

Social Justice

A global-political approach advocating for fair distribution of opportunities, resources, and living conditions, ensuring no person is disproportionately disadvantaged. It includes meeting basic needs, fair income distribution, and sustainability for future generations.

Transformative Justice

A community-based approach to addressing violence that focuses on root causes and the needs of all involved. It emphasizes self-organized support, accountability, and systemic change to prevent future violence, moving away from punitive justice models.

Trans(gender)

(Latin: “beyond,” “across”; outdated: transsexual) Describes identities of people who do not, or only partially, identify with the gender assigned at birth. Trans people may identify as male, female, non-binary, agender, or gender-fluid.

Transcultural vs. Intercultural

Transcultural sees cultures as dynamic, interconnected, and evolving through multiple influences, creating new and complex forms. Intercultural refers more narrowly to interaction between two (seemingly) distinct cultures, but is criticized for implying rigid, unrealistic cultural boundaries.

Trigger Warnings

Notices given before performances to alert audiences of potentially distressing or harmful content. Triggers (stimuli) can cause trauma survivors to relive past experiences. Warnings are given without spoiling full content or plot.

white (italicized, lowercase)

Describes a social position and privileges associated with whiteness, not literal skin color. Who counts as white varies by context—for example, a person of Turkish origin may be seen as PoC in Switzerland but as white in Turkey.

White Privilege

The advantages white people have in society, such as easier access to housing, jobs, healthcare, education, and representation.

White Fragility

Defensive, dismissive, or aggressive reactions by white people when confronted with their own racism.

White Passing

Racialized people who are perceived as white due to their appearance. They may face less visible racism but can still experience discrimination in other ways (e.g., through their name).

White Savior

Behavior by white people who attempt to “help” marginalized groups in ways that reinforce colonial power structures rather than dismantle them. Often serves to soothe privileged consciences while perpetuating stereotypes and white dominance.

Woke

Originally (1930s) described people alert to injustice. In the African American civil rights movement, stay woke meant vigilance against racism and police violence. Today, it still refers to awareness of social injustice, though it is also used pejoratively to dismiss social justice efforts.

EDITORS:
Fadrina Arpagaus, Yuvviki Dioh, Miriam Ibrahim, Laura Kaufmann, Laiya Sievi

REFERENCES:
The definitions in this glossary are taken from various sources, which we would like to name and thank: Diversity Arts Culture, www.diversity-arts-culture.berlin; Diversum – Verein für rassismuskritisches Denken, www.verein-diversum.ch and the glossary in Obulor, Evein, and Rosamag, eds, Schwarz wird großgeschrieben (Munich, 2021).
Some of the texts are original contributions to this publication.

The glossary was made possible as part of an M2Act-funded project.

TRANSLATION: linguistic.services

Top 11 reading list
  • Ahmed, Sara, Living a Feminist Life (Durham, NC, 2017).
  • Aydemir, Fatma, and Yaghoobifarah, Hengameh, eds, Eure Heimat ist unser Albtraum (Berlin 2019).
  • Barker, Meg-John, and Scheele, Jules, Queer – A Graphic History (London, 2018).
  • Callender, Kacen, Felix Ever After (New York, 2020).
  • Hasters, Alice, Was weisse Menschen nicht über Rassismus hören wollen, aber wissen sollten (Munich, 2019).
  • Liepsch, Elisa, and Warner, Julian, eds, Allianzen. Kritische Praxen an weissen Institutionen (Bielefeld, 2018).
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