Glossary / Useful terms
Encouraging diversity in your business is not all about political correctness. It’s about common sense, sensitivity and awareness. It’s also about making your firm an attractive organisation to work for and do business with.
b:RAP give a number of top tips in their booklet, ‘The Busy Employer’s Guide to Equalities’ (2006) on the language of diversity. They suggest using the term ‘ethnicity’ or ‘ethnic origin’ rather than race.
b:RAP also suggest that:
African Caribbean is used instead of West Indian and Afro-Caribbean;
Black, Asian, Indian or Black Minority Ethnic/BME is used instead of Non-White.
There are a number of terms used when discussing diversity, which are explained below:
BME
A Black or Minority Ethnic Individual. Usually used to describe an individual who is from an ethnic grouping other than White British or White Irish.
Demographics
Demographics are the characteristics of human populations and population groups, especially when used to identify consumer markets. They can include elements such as age, ethnicity, gender, religion and sexual orientation.
Diversity
Simply, the point or respect in which something differs. In business terms, a diverse firm is one which employs many different types of people. This includes individuals which fit into all different demographic groups.
Ethnicity
Can be used to describe a shared set of cultural values, religion, language or geographical origins.
Race
b:RAP outline the fact that race is often a misused and misunderstood word. It has been used to describe skin colour, nationality, culture, geographical origin or religion.
Because of its many, contested meanings, it is simpler to avoid using it when describing people.