<spanclass="subtitle">A modern dictionary about us. We define our words, but they don't define us.</span><br>Self-Defined seeks to provide more inclusive, holistic, and fluid definitions to reflect the modern world.<br>
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<spanclass="subtitle">Ways to help</span>
<ol>
<li> Submit words and definitions through <ahref="https://github.com/tatianamac/selfdefined/pulls"rel="noreferral">pull requests</a>.</li>
<li>Sponsor this work through <ahref="https://github.com/sponsors/tatianamac">GitHub Sponsors</a>.</li>
<li>Volunteer writing, design, dev help by <ahref="http://www.twitter.com/tatianatmac">DMing me @tatianatmac on Twitter</a>.</li>
<pclass="word__breakdown">Crazy is very commonly used as an adjective to embody a vast array of ideas, often not specifically. It is used so frequently that it sometimes is a filler. Crazy can also be used in a derogatory manner for someone with mental or psychiatric disabilities.</p>
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Impact
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<pclass="word__breakdown">By using ableist language, we are perpetuating violence against people who experience mental or psychological disabilities. Using it perpetuates those systems and language of harm, regardless of our intent.</p>
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<pclass="word__type">
Usage Tip
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<pclass="word__breakdown">
Be more specific. Typically we can find an alternate definition by simply reflecting on what emotion we're really feeling.
the smaller in number of two groups constituting a whole
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Issues
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<pclass="word__breakdown"> Minorities is not always accurate. As it deals with numbers, often the insinuation of racial minorities is inaccurate, as communities of colour often outnumber white communities.</p>
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<pclass="word__type">
Impact
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<pclass="word__breakdown">By repeatedly referring to groups as "minorities," they are being infantised and made to feel minor.</p>
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Alt Words
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<pclass="word__breakdown">
<spanclass="word__alt">
<aclass="word__link"href="#minoritised">minoritised</a>, or omit
groups resulting from social constructs have grant less power or representation compared to other members or groups in society
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<pclass="word__type">
Benefits
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<pclass="word__breakdown"> Minoritised places the emphasis on the power struggle, and on the systemic issues at play. It's also an adjective, which requires you to add "group" or "people" so it's people-first language</p>
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<pclass="word__type">
Impact
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<pclass="word__breakdown">It removes the pejorative nature of "minorities".</p>
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<pclass="word__type">
Alt Words
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<pclass="word__breakdown">
<spanclass="word__alt">
<aclass="word__link"href="#minorities">minorities</a>, or omit
</span>
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<sectionclass="block__word list">
<pclass="word__signal word__signal__avoid">
avoid
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<pid="esl"class="word__title">
English as second language (ESL)
<spanclass="word__speech">
noun
</span>
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<pclass="word__definition">
the teaching of English to people who speak a different language and who live in a country where English is the main language spoken
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<pclass="word__type">
Issues
</p>
<pclass="word__breakdown"> Monolinguist, English-only speakers often refer to people who don't speak English natively as "ESL" or say they are learning a "second language". More often than not, this is not true, as many people are multi-lingual with 3 or more languages</p>
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<pclass="word__type">
Impact
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<pclass="word__breakdown">It makes false assumptions about English learners, centres English as the "default" or "expected" first language, ignoring that many people learn multiple (>3), non-English languages first.</p>
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<pclass="word__type">
Alt Words
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<pclass="word__breakdown">
<spanclass="word__alt">
<aclass="word__link"href="#">English as learning-language (ELL)</a>, or <aclass="word__link"href="#">non-native</a>, or omit (because do you really know, for sure?)
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<sectionclass="block__word list">
<pclass="word__signal word__signal__tool">
White Supremacy Tool
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<pid="white-fragility"class="word__title">
white fragility
<spanclass="word__speech">
noun
</span>
</p>
<pclass="word__definition">
the tendency for dominant white culture to respond to racism with defensive, dismissive, and angry responses; "a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves." (Robin DiAngelo).
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<pclass="word__type">
Impact
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<pclass="word__breakdown">White fragility detracts from critical conversations about the systemic oppressors at play. The cost of white fragility is that it centres the feelings of white people while ignoring and invalidating the systemic harm conducted towards people of colour. White fragility also prevents white people from doing anti-racist work to unpack their socially internalised racism.</p>
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<pclass="word__type">
Further Reading
</p>
<pclass="word__breakdown"><aclass="word__link"href="https://robindiangelo.com/publications/"rel="noreferrer">White Fragility</a>, Robin DiAngelo; <aclass="word__link"href="https://www.theroot.com/tag/white-fragility"rel="noreferrer">White Fragility tag on The Root</a>.</p>
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</section>
<sectionclass="block__word list">
<pclass="word__signal word__signal__avoid">
avoid
</p>
<pid="women-poc"class="word__title">
women and people of colour
<spanclass="word__speech">
noun
</span>
</p>
<pclass="word__definition">
often used as a phrase to encompass "non-white, non-men," seeking to provide solidarity for these two groups
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<divclass="block__type">
<pclass="word__type">
Issues
</p>
<pclass="word__breakdown">What happens to women of colour? As a woman of colour, I am split between both women and people of colour.</p>
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<divclass="block__type">
<pclass="word__type">
Impact
</p>
<pclass="word__breakdown">As such, it elicits feelings of erasure for women of colour. It also neglects non-binary individuals.</p>
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<divclass="block__type">
<pclass="word__type">
Alt Words
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<pclass="word__breakdown">
<spanclass="word__alt">
<aclass="word__link"href="#">people of colour and white women </a> or <aclass="word__link"href="#">people of colour, white non-binary people, and white women</a>, find ways to reframe why this dynamic exists, or omit
