Concepts

Expressing support for persons or groups experiencing discrimination or racism. An ally is committed to combating discrimination, even though they do not belong to the group that is experiencing discrimination. Supporting an individual or group exposed to discrimination or racism when one is not a member of said group.

Active and conscious action against all forms of racism. Anti-racism means working to reduce ethnic discrimination, the effects of discriminatory practices, and negative prejudice.

The management of work or other activities in such a way that the effects of racism are acknowledged and an active effort is made to combat racism. Anti-racism is active and conscious action against all forms of racism. Anti-racist leadership reduces ethnic discrimination, the effects of discriminatory practices, and negative prejudice.

Anti-racist pedagogy requires teachers to reflect on what they teach and how they teach. The objective of anti-racist pedagogy is to recognise and be aware of how the white standard affects educational practices and operating methods. This can include, for example, the recognition of racialising guidance and awareness of whose history and knowledge schools are teaching. 
 

Antisemitism means hostility towards Jewish people that can manifest in actions, attitudes or mindsets. Antisemitism is based on negative stereotypes and special characteristics that are associated with Jewish people and their religion.

Privately calling attention to offensive actions or speech.

Publicly calling attention to offensive actions or speech.

Explaining a conflict through an assumed or actual cultural background. 

A person is treated worse than others or is put in a worse position based on a personal characteristic without an acceptable reason. There are different forms of discrimination:

• Direct discrimination: A person is treated less favourably than someone else without an acceptable reason. For example, a business owner refuses to allow people of colour to enter their premises.
• Indirect discrimination: A seemingly equal rule, criterion or practice puts someone at a disadvantage without an acceptable reason. For example, recruitment requires perfect Finnish language competence, even though this is not necessary for the work.
• Harassment: See definition (harassment)

Bullying based on a personal characteristic, such as skin colour, language, age, origin, nationality, belief, opinion, gender, or similar.

Deliberate dissemination of false information for the purpose of influencing the recipient’s actions and opinions.

Officially titled the Act on Equality between Women and Men (609/1986), the law prohibits direct and indirect discrimination based on gender and contains provisions for the promotion of gender equality. The Act also includes protection against discrimination of gender minorities and an obligation to pre-empt discrimination. Compliance with the Equality Act is supervised in Finland by the Ombudsman for Equality and the National Non-Discrimination and Equality Tribunal.

All people are equal regardless of their origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, ethnic or national origin, nationality, language, religion or belief, opinion, disability, state of health, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics. 

Refers to an individual’s or group’s perception of the world from the perspective of their own ethnic reference group.
 

Racism occurring in everyday encounters, see also microaggression.

Harassment is discrimination that is prohibited under the Non-discrimination Act. The law defines harassment as the deliberate or de facto infringement of the dignity of a person.  The behaviour creates a degrading or humiliating, intimidating, hostile or offensive environment towards the person.

In this context, hate speech refers to speech that degrades an individual or a group of people and is motivated by politics or ideology.

An individual’s or group’s perception of themselves. Identity is an image of yourself or your group that is shaped by time and place. An individual’s life experiences and life situation also affect the formation of one’s identity. 

Inclusion is about belonging and being heard. At the individual level, inclusion can be related to, for example, the experience of a person feeling that they belong to a group that they find meaningful. At the community level, inclusion manifests as mutual respect between members of the community and as the opportunity to have an influence in one’s own community. At the societal level, inclusion refers to the realisation of possibilities and rights. At the political level, inclusion refers to measures that strengthen the inclusion of people in society.
 

Instructing or ordering to discriminate is prohibited by the Non-discrimination Act. For example, a supervisor is guilty of discrimination if they instruct the employees of a shop not to serve customers with a foreign background. This is discrimination even if the employee has not yet acted on the instructions. Acting on an instruction or order to discriminate is also discrimination.

Internalised racism refers to the beliefs or thoughts individuals internalise of their own or
their group’s inferiority.

An approach that considers many different factors that simultaneously affect an individual’s identity and position in societal power relations. For example, an intersectional approach posits that characteristics such as gender, social class, age, ethnicity, functional capacity, and sexual orientation cannot be analysed separate from each other. Intersectionality can be thought of as intersecting differences or inequalities.

Islamophobia is a specific form of racism that refers to acts of violence, discrimination and racist hate speech against Muslims or persons, groups or communities assumed to be Muslim. Islamophobia is based on negative stereotypes and special characteristics that are associated with Muslims and their religion. Islamophobia leads to the exclusion and dehumanising of Muslims. 

Microaggression is often an unintentional comment or act that strengthens and maintains racist or other discriminatory stereotypes. Microaggression creates otherness and feelings of being an outsider. 

Minority stress is a psychological phenomenon that describes chronic stress caused by minority status. Minority stress is caused by accumulated experiences of discrimination, the anxiety and fear caused by them, feelings of difference and experiences of otherness. Minority stress can have a negative impact on physical and mental health and well-being and change a person’s social behaviour.

Multiple discrimination refers to being subjected to discrimination on the basis of two or more different grounds for discrimination. Belonging to a minority, especially a visible minority, exposes a person to multiple discrimination. Multiple discrimination can be divided into three different forms of discrimination:

• Sequential multiple discrimination refers to a situation where a person encounters discrimination in more than one situation for different reasons. For example, a person with a disability and an immigrant background may be discriminated against based on their disability when applying for a job and based on their ethnic background when looking for housing.
• Additive multiple discrimination refers to a situation where a person encounters discrimination in the same situation based on several different grounds. For example, when applying for a job, an applicant may be discriminated against on the basis of both gender and membership of a specific religious group.
• Intersectional discrimination refers to a situation where the grounds for discrimination intersect and interact, producing specific forms of discrimination. For example, a Swedish-speaking person with a disability may encounter discrimination in health care services that would not be encountered by a Swedish-speaking person without a disability or a non-Swedish-speaking person with a disability.

The Non-discrimination Act contains provisions for the promotion of equal opportunities and the prohibition of discrimination based on personal characteristics other than gender. Prohibited grounds for discrimination in accordance with the Non-discrimination Act are age, origin, nationality, language, religion, belief, opinion, political activity, trade union activity, family relationships, state of health, disability, sexual orientation, and other personal characteristics. The Non-discrimination Act defines, for example, what constitutes discrimination and what constitutes permitted different treatment. The Act also contains information on the promotion of equality and the parties to whom you can turn if you suspect that you have been discriminated against or if you have observed discrimination.

The critical examination of prevailing societal norms, i.e. active action to dismantle prevailing norms. The term ‘norm awareness’ can also be used instead of ‘norm criticism’. Using the term ‘awareness’ shows that not all societal norms necessarily need to be criticised, but their existence is still acknowledged. 

In the context of anti-racism, societal norms refer to generalised perceptions and rules of what is normal and what is not. Norms include assumptions about people and groups of people. The society is affected by many kinds of norms, and not all of them are harmful.

A model or principle that guides listening and attitudes in situations of conflict resolution. It guides you to listen to and receive different accounts of the same conflict with equal interest to when you heard about it for the first time. In conflict resolution, several different versions of the same event will be conveyed after the first account. 

The abbreviation POC stands for People of Colour. It is used to refer to people who are perceived as non-white based on different characteristics such as name, skin colour or religion.

BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (see explanation above). The term was recently introduced to account for discrimination, oppression and racism against Black and Indigenous people that differs from that experienced by other POCs. All of these terms refer to groups of people that are not considered white (see whiteness).

Polarisation refers to confrontations and tensions between groups at the level of attitudes, speech and actions.

Equal treatment of all people is not always enough to achieve equality.
Positive special treatment means special measures needed to ensure real equality, and provisions for it are laid down in the Non-discrimination Act.

An assumption or perception that was formed before getting to know a person, subject or phenomenon. Prejudices may be based, for example, on ignorance or stereotypes. Prejudices may also be unconscious. Prejudices are often directed at an entire group of people, such as a minority or a religious group.

Psychological safety means an atmosphere where people feel safe and can express themselves freely without fear of being ridiculed, excluded or harassed.

Racialisation is a process in which assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices are associated with people due to, for example, their skin colour or assumed ethnicity. The assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices are related to, for example, their abilities, customs and morality.
 
 

Guidance that is based on racialisation. For example, racialising guidance can mean that in educational institutions, students are directed to specific fields of study based on their appearance or name.

Racism is a way of thinking in which groups of people are defined as inferior based on, for example, ethnicity, skin colour, nationality, culture, mother tongue, or religion. Racism may manifest in different areas of society as intentional or unintentional behaviour between individuals and groups that is based on prejudice and fear of the other or as discriminatory practices in the societal structures. Racism maintains inequality and damages not only its targets but also society as a whole.

Racism is a system in which policies, institutional practices, culture and other norms maintain social power relations and in which specific groups of people are seen as inferior to others.

The perception that racism and discrimination are acceptable and justified. Often linked to extreme right-wing ideology about white supremacy and hierarchies between groups of people.

In the context of conflict resolution, radical listening means listening intensively to others without reacting, making value judgements, commenting, or comparing experiences. It is important to be aware of one’s own position and to reflect on one’s feelings afterwards.

In the context of anti-racism, representation refers to the visibility or absence of minorities and their voices in the society, such as in decision-making and the media. Representation means the ability of a group of people to be seen, to participate and to be heard in society.

The segregation of population groups regionally, in education or in working life based on, for example, social class, ethnicity or religion.

An image associated with a person or a group of people or a simplified idea through which they are defined. An image or a simplified idea through which a person or group of people is defined.

Hidden or open racism in societal norms and practices and in societal structures, such as institutions, organisations, agencies, contracts, legislation, and services. Structural racism may manifest in the rules, practices or attitudes of an organisation or institution, and it may prevent real participation and the use of services. 

Structural racism is often unconscious. It can manifest as seemingly neutral practices that, in reality, exclude people who are considered to be different from the majority population. Exclusion leads to cultural, economic and social marginalisation. Structural racism may manifest in the structures of society in the following contexts:

• In working life, structural discrimination may manifest, for example, in wage levels or other benefits related to an employment relationship, such as additional training opportunities.
• In education, structural discrimination may mean that young people with an immigrant background are directed to certain fields involving manual labour, regardless of their personal interests.
• In the housing market, a name that is considered different from Finnish names may affect, for example, the availability of rental housing.

Race is a socially constructed concept that aims to classify people into different categories based on their personal characteristics. It produces power relations in which certain characteristics, such as whiteness, are seen to merit privileges and higher social status when compared to the racialised non-white people. Biologically, there are no distinct human races.

A space where the principles of safer space are actively applied and users are required to commit to them. Those responsible for the space will intervene in all types of harassment and discrimination. The principles and operating methods of a safer space aim to create a space where everyone strives to build an equal, respectful and open atmosphere and debate through their own actions.

Hiring an individual belonging to a minority as a symbolic gesture.

An issue or activity that affects all people in all situations. For example, universal services are intended for all citizens or residents, not just for a specific population group. Universal services include, for example, basic education and the maternity clinic system.

A field of academic research that examines whiteness critically.

An image of Finland as a place where a completely united group of people with one language, culture and religion has lived and operated.

Emotional reactions that arise when a white person encounters information about inequality and injustice experienced by people from non-white racialised population groups. Reactions may include defensiveness and feelings of discomfort. An emotional reaction is typical in a situation where white fragility meets white privilege.

The norms and hierarchies of society give special privileges to people who are white or perceived as white. This does not mean that white people do not encounter difficulties in their lives, but that white people are protected from discrimination that non-white people face in similar social situations.

The white standard is not about skin colour but about invisible social hierarchies and power relations where Western countries and Europe are seen as the norm defining societal structures. This normativity only becomes apparent when one deviates from it. Euroscentricity is part of the white standard.

Presenting history in a way that ignores marginalised communities and groups of people and shows a polished image of while people. Whitewashing of history also occurs when the history of minorities or their role in the history of the society is omitted from the teaching of history.

Anti-Romani sentiment, or anti-Romanyism, means discriminatory and racist attitudes directed at the Romani people, or the Roma. It is also an activity based on prejudices and stereotypes related to the Roma. Anti-Romani sentiment leads to the dehumanising of the Romani people and their exclusion from society, which makes it difficult for them to, for example, find employment or housing.

According to the International Labour Organization’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention,
ILO 169, peoples in independent countries are regarded as indigenous when they are descended from the populations which inhabited the country, or a geographical region to which the country belongs, at the time of conquest or colonisation or the establishment of present state boundaries. The indigenous people are not dominant in their geographical region, and the indigenous people themselves must consider themselves as such. The Sámi people are the only indigenous people in the European Union, and the status of the Sámi people is protected by the Constitution of Finland.
 

Jewish people are one of the traditional minorities in Finland. There are currently two Jewish communities in Finland, one in Helsinki and one in Turku.

Many Finns have roots in Karelia. After the Continuation War, more than 400,000 Karelians were forced to leave their homes when the Karelian region was annexed by the Soviet Union. The Karelian migrants were settled in different parts of Finland.

When a large amount of research is focused on a community or group, this creates research burden. For example, the Sámi people experience research burden due to so many studies being made about them historically.

The Sámi costume is more than just clothing for the Sámi people. It is an expression of its bearer’s identity. 
The Sámi costume is the most visible of the Sámi national symbols. Costume models vary by region. The models, colours and decorative styles indicate the bearer’s group, often even their family. This means that the type of costume, hat or belt is significant.

Five main types of Sámi costume are worn in Finland: the Teno costume, the Enontekiö-Koutokeino costume, the Vuotso costume in Sodankylä, the Inari costume, and the Skolt Sámi costume.

The history of the Sámi costume differs from the history of Finnish national costumes in that it has been in continuous use throughout its history.
 

The Tatars of Finland are among the oldest cultural minorities in the country. The Tatars arrived in Finland from Russia as traders in the 19th century after the Finnish War (1808–1809). The Tatars established Finland’s first Islamic association in Helsinki in 1830. The Tatars are the oldest Muslim community in Finland and the Nordic countries.

The Government appointed the Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission on 28 October 2021. Preparations for the commission were made in active co-operation with representatives of the State of Finland, the Sámi Parliament, and the Skolt Sámi Siida Council.  The aim of the Commission’s work is to gather the Sámi people’s experiences related to the actions of the State of Finland and various authorities and to the impacts and consequences of these actions on the Sámi people to make this information visible.

The integration of an individual or group with the majority population, for example, in relation to culture, language or religion.

A person applying for international protection. International protection can be granted if a person has a well-founded reason to fear persecution (because of their origin, religion, nationality, membership of a certain social group or political opinion) or if they would be in some other kind of real danger in their home country or country of permanent residence.

Colonialism is a process in which a state or a group of people conquer an area or areas outside their own borders and exploit the people living there. Colonialism has also included interfering in the political structures of the conquered area, plundering culture and resources, and forcing people to convert to the coloniser’s religion. 

The culturally diverse population of Finland includes linguistic and cultural minorities, such as the Roma, Jews, Tatars, Swedish-speaking Finns, the indigenous Sámi people, and immigrants to Finland.

A group of people whose members are linked, for example, by one or more of the following: cultural heritage, religion, origin, or appearance.

A state policy aimed at assimilating an individual or group into the majority population. This can be done in a systematic manner, for example through legislation, and it may be related to culture, language or religion.

A person with foreign origin is a person whose both parents were born abroad or whose only known parent was born abroad. The person may have been born in Finland or abroad, and they may be a citizen of Finland or other countries.

A general term for a person who has moved from one country to another. It usually refers to persons who were born abroad. It is used to refer to all those who have moved to Finland for different reasons, such as family reasons, work, studies or becoming a refugee because of the situation in their country of origin.

A two-way process with the aim of making immigrants feel like full members of the society. The goal of the integration process is acquiring the knowledge and skills needed in the new home country to provide the immigrant with possibilities of becoming an active member of society and, among other things, finding a job.

A person who belongs to several minority groups at the same time, for example an immigrant
with a disability.

A quota refugee is a person who has been deemed a refugee by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The term quota refugee refers to refugees selected to be resettled in Finland under the so-called refugee quota. The annual quota of refugees to be resettled in Finland is based on a decision made by the Parliament in connection with the state budget.

A person who has a well-founded reason to fear persecution in their own country because of their
origin, religion, nationality, membership of a certain social group or political opinion. A person has refugee status when they are granted asylum by a state or when the UNHRC registers them as a refugee. In general speech, the term refugee is often used to refer to all those who have been forced to flee their home region as well as those who have a residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection in their destination country.
 

Returnee refers to a person with Finnish roots or other similar close connection to Finland
returning to live in Finland. Under certain conditions, such a person may be granted a residence permit in Finland without any other grounds.

Citizens of the coloniser state are settled in the conquered area.

Supervision carried out by the police to ensure the legal residence of foreigners in Finland as provided for by law.

The purpose of temporary protection is to provide swift help to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Undocumented migrant refers to a person living in Finland without a legal residence permit.
The residence of an undocumented migrant is not officially known or permitted by the authorities.

A minority whose external appearance is visibly different from the majority.

Human rights are universal. They belong to everyone regardless of their origin, gender, age, language, cultural background, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The universality of human rights is based on international human rights conventions, which the states strive to implement locally. For Finland, the important conventions include the human rights conventions approved by the UN and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Human trafficking is a serious crime against an individual’s freedom and a violation of human rights.
A victim of human trafficking is a person who has been subjected to recruitment,
transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt by means of the threat or use of coercion,
enslavement or deception for the purpose of exploitation (for example, forced labour, forcing into prostitution, organ removal).

In social and health care services, inequality is examined in particular as disparities in health and welfare among different population groups. The goal is to reduce health gaps in order to ensure real equality. Inequality is also related to how people use social and health care services in relation to their needs as well as the outcomes of care in different population groups.

An initial assessment referred to in the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration is a
preliminary assessment of an immigrant’s preparedness concerning employment, study and other aspects of integration and the need for language training and other measures and services promoting integration.

Language awareness refers to conscious observation of language and language use and
active operating methods related to them. Language awareness aims to remove obstacles to understanding and participation. Perceptions of language awareness are varied and multidimensional, and they change over time. They are individual and are born in and shaped by interaction. A language-aware operating culture can mean, for example, recognising the significance of language, being aware of different first languages and language forms as well as appreciating languages and making them visible.

Authorities, education providers, employers and providers of goods and services must make reasonable accommodations for a person with a disability. These accommodations safeguard the equality of people with disabilities in specific situations. Refusing reasonable accommodation constitutes discrimination.

Trauma is a physical or mental injury or wound. Shocking, threatening and stressful situations can trigger a trauma.