Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences - Women* at the Department of Physics

Ableism is a term which originates from the US disability movement. It describes discrimination against people with disabilities by measuring people against certain abilities - walking, seeing, interacting socially - and reducing them to their impairment. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

Discrimination against old people (especially favoring young people over old people). Source: duden

Agender people do not feel that they belong to a specific gender identity or reject the concept of gender for themselves personally. Source: Universität Bielefeld

The Allgemeine Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (AGG) is the uniform central set of regulations in Germany for the implementation of four European anti-discrimination directives that have been enacted since 2000. After several infringement proceedings against the Federal Republic of Germany, the AGG finally came into force on August 18, 2006. For the first time in Germany, a law was created that comprehensively regulates protection against discrimination on racial grounds or on the grounds of ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity by private actors (e.g. employers, landlords, providers of goods and services).

Androcentrism describes a view of the world that places men and masculinity at the centre and sets them as the norm. Androcentrism is associated with a dichotomous gender relationship. Accordingly, women are conceptualised as others, as non-men. The standardisation of men goes hand in hand with the universalisation of the male perspective as neutral; man is actually man. Historically, this can be seen, for example, in civil and human rights declarations. Although these claimed to apply to ‘all people’, they excluded women and non-white men. Quelle: Universität Bielefeld

refers to discrimination against people who are perceived as Muslims due to their actual or merely ascribed religious affiliation. In comparison to the terms Islamophobia or Islamophobia, the term anti-Muslim racism refers to the idea of Muslims as a homogeneous group that is assigned certain (usually negative) characteristics and classified as not belonging. Source: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

“Anti-Semitism is a particular perception of Jews that can be expressed as hatred towards Jews. Anti-Semitism is directed in word or deed against Jewish or non-Jewish individuals [in the sense of an attribution] and/or their property, as well as against Jewish communal institutions or religious institutions. In addition, the state of Israel, which is understood as a Jewish collective, can also be the target of such attacks. “ The term anti-Semitism emerged in the second half of the 19th century as a self-designation among politically active enemies of the Jews, who wanted to use the term to provide a supposedly “rational” foundation for anti-Semitism. A more recent form of anti-Semitism is “secondary anti-Semitism”. This refers to a form of memory defense in which the Holocaust is relativized with the help of various constructs, for example by blaming Jews themselves for their persecution and extermination. Source: Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Baden Württemberg

Audism refers to discrimination against deaf people. This is based on a higher appreciation of hearing and speech and a devaluation of deaf people as “defective”. Many hearing people have the idea that a life without hearing is inferior. One consequence of this is discrimination against deaf culture and sign language(s), which are still regarded as less valuable and marginalized today.   Source: Diversity Arts Culture

According to the Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz (Disability Equality Act) (§4 BGG), buildings and other facilities, means of transport, technical commodities, information processing systems, acoustic and visual information sources and communication facilities as well as other designed areas of life are barrier-free if they can be found, accessed and used by people with disabilities in the usual way, without particular difficulty and in principle without outside help. The use of disability-related aids is permitted.

The term Black is often chosen as a self-designation by people of African and Afro-diasporic origin, black people, people of dark skin color and people of colo(u)r. The capitalized “B” is deliberately used to mark a socio-political positioning in a predominantly white-dominated social order and is seen as a symbol of an emancipatory practice of resistance. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

Care work describes the activities of caring and looking after others. This includes childcare or care for the elderly, but also family support, home care or helping friends. In the past, this work was predominantly carried out by women, often as unpaid domestic work that was considered necessary and taken for granted by society. But with the changing gender order, housework, care and support are also being redistributed - still predominantly between women. Migrant women from poor countries meet the increasing demand in countries of the global North.   Source: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

'Cis' is the opposite of 'trans'. The prefix 'cis' is used to express that a person identifies with the gender to which they were assigned at birth on the basis of their genitalia. Source: Queer Lexikon

Classism refers to discrimination based on social origin and/or social and economic position. Classism is therefore not just about how much money someone has at their disposal, but also about their status and the financial and social circumstances in which they grew up. The majority of classism is directed against people of a “lower class”.   In Germany, the term classism is not yet as widespread as in the US context. It is not linked to a specific definition of class, such as that of Marx, Bourdieu or Max Weber. Rather, the term was used to create its own definition, which did not assume that everyone was familiar with the above-mentioned theories. The term was largely shaped by the experiences of communities that experience multiple discrimination, for example groups within the women's movement or the “Black Movements” that experience classism. The term therefore takes into account various dimensions of discrimination from an intersectional perspective. In addition, the term encompasses not only the economic status of people, but also the various experiences of devaluation on a cultural, political, institutional and individual level. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

Homosocial co-option refers to the mechanism whereby members are added to the existing group of people in committees or other personal associations according to the principle of similarity. Only those people are given access to influential positions who are as similar as possible to the people already in these positions, e.g. who have the same gender or a similar educational background. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

Understood in the sense of the German Social Code as compensation for people who have certain disadvantages due to a disability or illness. Examples of compensation for disadvantages are, for example, flexible attendance times or the granting of longer processing times for assignments for students with certain limitations or the provision of technical aids. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

According to Section 2 (1) SGB IX, people are disabled “if their physical function, mental ability or mental health is likely to deviate from the typical condition for their age for more than six months and their participation in society is therefore impaired. They are at risk of disability if such an impairment is to be expected.” A distinction is made between different degrees of disability, which are intended to measure the physical, mental, emotional and social effects of the functional impairment. A formal determination of the degree of disability is necessary for the assertion of certain rights and for claiming certain participation benefits and compensation for disadvantages. The degree of disability is determined on the basis of the so-called medical care principles. The degrees of disability are graded in steps of ten and range from 20 to 100. It is important to know that the degree of disability is determined independently of the occupation practiced. It therefore says nothing about how capable the person with a disability is in relation to a specific job. Source: INKLUSION gelingt!

Diversity, depending on the understanding, refers to the variety of life situations and lifestyles, origins, identities, professional experiences, perspectives and values of people. Diversity is often used as a synonym for the difference and diversity of people. An anti-discriminatory understanding of diversity does not refer to 'differences' or 'characteristics', but to relations of inequality and aims to reduce discrimination and domination. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

Originally, in the context of American corporate philosophy, the perception, conscious appreciation and utilization of the differences of employees. Diversity management is also increasingly being used as an equality policy concept at universities in Germany. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

is an innovative approach to changing organizations that do not reflect social diversity (enough). The aim is to achieve an appreciative approach to diversity and to reduce (structural) discrimination. Diversity-oriented organizational development responds to the increasing need and necessity to anchor diversity as a cross-cutting issue in institutions. Anti-discrimination approaches are combined with organizational development approaches. The focus is initially directed inwards in order to review and, if necessary, change value orientations, attitudes, norms or (communication) processes with regard to exclusion. The implementation of legal requirements based on the General Equal Treatment Act or various binding human rights conventions can also be part of such organizational development processes. It is essential to break down structural barriers that result in exclusion and discrimination and to promote an appreciative approach to diversity, for example within the team. Questions in diversity-oriented organizational development can be: What can a low-discrimination work culture look like in which there is room for different ways of working and everyone is valued, including people from marginalized communities? How can job advertisements appeal to people with different life realities? How can underrepresented communities be better reached? What can low-barrier and more respectful communication look like? How can artists with experiences of discrimination and marginalization be (better) integrated and empowered? What procedures and principles apply in the event of discrimination? And how can the topic of diversity be structurally anchored, for example through a mission statement? Source: Diversity Arts Culture

Dysphoria refers to the mental distress that arises when the gender perceived by others or one's own body image does not match one's own gender identity. Gender dysphoria was introduced in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 in 2013 to replace the negatively charged term gender identity disorder. However, the continued definition of dysphoria as a mental illness is criticised by some, as it contributes to the ongoing stigmatisation and pathologisation of trans* identity. Source: Universität Bielefeld

Empowerment refers to biographical processes in which people gain a little more power for themselves - power understood as participation in political decision-making or as successfully coping with everyday life stresses (mastery). Source: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

Equal opportunities are discussed in two variants. The concept of representative equality of opportunity demands that access to social goods and values should be the same for all people, regardless of the life circumstances attributed to them, such as gender. In contrast to outcome-oriented representative equality of opportunity, the concept of conditional equality of opportunity assumes that equal access to social resources should only be given in the case of equal aptitude and performance. Conditional equality of opportunity therefore leads to unequal distribution of resources being justified by reference to differences in performance. Source: Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen, Glossar

Abolition of discriminatory assessment of the gainful employment of women and men - it is about the actual implementation of the so-called equal pay principle: “Equal pay for equal and equivalent work”.

Concept of feminist theory that describes the cultural and social dimension of the structural category of gender. Originally, gender was conceived in contrast to “sex”, the biological foundation of gender affiliation. This dichotomous differentiation of gender into “sex” and “gender”, which follows a nature-culture dualism, was questioned by poststructuralist theories, which argue that biological gender (“sex”) is also the result of discursive, performative practices. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

Gender-related distortions of reality in the form of stereotypical assumptions and attributions that are reflected in evaluation patterns. Gender-related bias effects are systematic effects that occur intentionally or unintentionally, and in the context of higher education and science are particularly effective in performance attributions in personnel selection procedures or in peer review procedures. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

Gender equality means promoting gender diversity, e.g. through language guidelines, advocating the recognition of gender and sexual diversity, dismantling assumptions of binary gender and the heteronormative concept of gender roles, promoting compatibility (especially in the case of care responsibilities) and raising awareness of diverse family constellations, but also promoting interface issues such as gender-equitable health promotion. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

Implementation of a European Commission directive on gender equality. Strategy that integrates the consideration of gender equality as an objective at all levels of decision-making processes and thus understands gender equality as a cross-sectional task. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

The abbreviation DGS stands for German Sign Language. DGS has an independent and complex language system that differs fundamentally in its grammar from German spoken and written language. It has been recognized as a fully-fledged language in Germany since 2002. DGS is a language that has developed within the German deaf community. Its vocabulary is not uniform throughout Germany, but has a number of dialects, comparable to German spoken language (in Bavaria, for example, people speak and sign differently than in North Rhine-Westphalia). This is why there may be vocabulary in some regions that is not used in others. Typical of this are so-called idioms. One reason for the strong development of dialects in German Sign Language is certainly that it was only officially recognized in 2002. Another reason is that German Sign Language was frowned upon for a long time in early learning and education. As a result, it usually only developed in secret during kindergarten and school years without any supra-regional reference or exchange with other peers or adults. Source: Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund e.V.

Ann Morrison and her colleagues in 1987 brought together various components under the term “glass ceiling” (Morrison et al. 1987). They refer to the invisible processes and factors that effectively prevent women from gaining access to management positions. These processes include the aspects already mentioned, but above all the male culture in companies. For example, men are often promoted by their male superiors, while women are denied career opportunities. The preference for male employees thus also leads to male status protection, securing the male core workforce and to a manifestation of the current situation at management levels. Source: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

Heteronormativity describes a worldview and a social value system that recognizes only two genders (male and female) and heterosexual relationships (one man and one woman) between these genders and regards them as normal. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

Homophobia refers to discrimination against gay and lesbian people. It manifests itself, for example, through rejection, anger, intolerance, prejudice, discomfort or physical or psychological violence towards gay and lesbian people or people who are perceived as gay or lesbian. Source: Queer Lexikon

Inter people are people whose physical gender (e.g. genitalia or chromosomes) cannot be assigned to the medical norm of 'clearly' male or female bodies, but rather lies on a spectrum in between. To this day, the genitals of inter children are surgically adapted to one of the two genders corresponding to the medical norm, usually the female, after diagnosis. This is sometimes accompanied by considerable health restrictions and psychological problems. Source: Queer Lexikon

describes the overlapping and interaction of different forms of discrimination. People combine different characteristics and identities. Intersectionality takes into account that people are often disadvantaged because of several characteristics/identities. The General Equal Treatment Act defines the following dimensions of discrimination: “Discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity” (AGG, §1). In our work, we supplement this catalog with discrimination based on social origin as well as social and economic position. However, the dimensions of discrimination do not correspond to uniform groups. For example, a person can be a woman, black and lesbian at the same time and therefore experience sexism, racism and homophobia. The different forms of discrimination do not simply add up, but lead to specific experiences of discrimination. For example, a Black lesbian woman can experience exclusion both in the Black community and in the queer community. She also has different experiences than a Black man or a white woman, for example. In Germany, the term intersectionality has been used by Black women, women of color, lesbian women, Jewish and Muslim women and women with disabilities, among others, to criticize the women's movement for not taking enough account of their realities. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

“Ieaky pipeline” refers to the phenomenon of women ‘trickling out’ and describes the fact that a disproportionate number of women drop out when advancing to higher career levels. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

“LGBTIQ” or similar combinations are used as an abbreviation for ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people’. Accordingly, “LGBTIQ” stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer”. These abbreviations describe strategic alliances between people with very different life realities, needs and goals, but who are all affected by discrimination because they do not conform to the prevailing ideas about gender and desire. In some spellings, additional letters such as “a” for asexual or an asterisk (*) are added as placeholders for other self-designations. Source: Regenbogenportal

Lookism refers to the discrimination and evaluation of people based on their external appearance, clothing or certain physical characteristics. Lookism is based on certain expectations of normality regarding appearance and body, which can be linked to other dimensions of discrimination. A deviation from these expectations is often viewed negatively and can become the starting point for further negative projections onto the person concerned and lead to exclusion. Source: Gender und Diversity Portal der Uni Freiburg

‘Misgendering’ means that a person is addressed in a way that does not correspond to their gender. This means, for example, that the wrong pronouns (he/she) or the wrong form of address (Mr/Mrs) are used. This usually happens because it is assumed that we can recognise each person's gender and that there are only two genders, namely female and male. Especially for people who use no or neutral pronouns and a neutral form of address, being misgendered is an everyday experience. Respectful behaviour includes taking into account that another person's gender identity cannot be determined by their name or appearance. The preferred name as well as the gender identity and thus pronouns of a person should be found out and then used in verbal and written communication. Source: Freie Universität Berlin

Misogyny is the idea that women are worth less than men and are inferior to them. The term comes from the ancient Greek (misos = hatred | gyne = woman) and is translated as ‘misogyny’ or ‘misogyny’. According to Geier (2020, Logik und Funktion von Misogynie. Probleme und Perspektiven), misogyny is an umbrella term that covers a range of mechanisms that utilise gender (differences) to create social inequality. There is no general agreement on whether sexism is part of misogyny or vice versa. Instead, the terms ‘sexism’, ‘misogyny’ and sometimes also ‘antifeminism’ are often used interchangeably, depending on the country context. In practice, they merge into one another anyway, and their linguistic differentiation primarily serves analytical purposes. Amlinger and Schmincke state that a misogynistic attitude is often a prerequisite for antifeminist actions, but that the two can also work in parallel. Kate Manne has attempted to differentiate between sexism and misogyny. She says that sexism provides the theoretical basis on which misogyny can be applied in practice. According to Manne, the central idea is that women are seen as givers and men as takers. ‘In this economy of moral goods, women are obliged to give something to men, but not to demand anything’ (Manne, 2020, 61), resulting in an attitude of entitlement on the part of men towards women. This must be fulfilled in order to avoid becoming a victim of punitive misogyny. Misogyny fulfils the purpose of social control of women. It is an instrument of moderation to ensure this system of give and take. For this reason, misogyny also includes an adherence to gender binarity. Only in a patriarchal society with clearly defined roles can this superordination and subordination endure. Gender-specific role conformity is central. Source: Fachstelle Gender & Diversität NRW

The term captures the interconnectedness of several intertwined disadvantages and thus counters the reduction of the groups of people studied in social science analyses of discrimination to one 'characteristic', a specific reason for discrimination or a single dimension of oppression. The use of the concept results from the theoretical examination of power-critical diversity and intersectionality research as well as from the claim of implementing an anti-discrimination policy concept of diversity management. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

Non-binary refers to people who do not identify as male or female, but as both at the same time, between male and female or as neither male nor female. An example of a non-binary identity is genderqueer. Nonbinary is also inclusive for inter people. Source: Queer Lexikon

We speak of othering when a group or a person differentiates themselves from another group by describing the non-native group as different and alien. This usually occurs within a power imbalance: those described as different are affected by discrimination and therefore have few opportunities to defend themselves against the ascription. Othering describes the distancing from a group whose characteristics, needs and abilities are emphasised as being special. Regardless of whether the characteristics at the centre of attention are seen as positive or negative, they are interpreted as deviating from the norm and the people belonging to the group are thus marginalised. In most cases, however, the other group is devalued in comparison and one's own positive self-image is created through this devaluation: in order to form and strengthen one's own group identity and confirm it as the norm, it is necessary to differentiate oneself from the other group. The characteristics, needs and abilities that serve as distinguishing features for the dominant group often correspond to the dimensions of discrimination specified in the General Equal Treatment Act. Groups are, for example, made into others because of their religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or racist attributions. The group is perceived as a unit and held responsible as a whole for the actions of individuals, for example. The term othering is sometimes translated into German as VerAnderung or Fremd-Machung. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

Pathologisation means that a person's identity, body, sensations, perceptions or relationships - contrary to their own perception - are described as ‘pathological’ or ‘disturbed’ because they deviate from the medical or social norm. In this way, lsbtiq* people have been and still are sometimes pathologised by having their identities, bodies or behaviours listed as mental or physical illnesses in medical classifications such as the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems). The term ‘pathologisation’ indicates that, under the guise of (supposed) medical neutrality or fact-finding, negative assessments are made that are actually based on changeable - and often discriminatory - social norms and support them at the same time. Source: Regenbogenportal

Patriarchy is a social system in which all types of power, such as political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and economic power, are in the hands of men. This centring of power under male control is accompanied by ideologies that justify it. One of the justifications is the construction of an inherent gender difference that enables men to hold and deal with this power, while women are not able to do so according to this school of thought (see also sexism). Source: Universität Bielefeld

The terms Black People, Indigenous People and People of Color (in the singular Person of Color) are a self-designation of people who experience racism. The term has been used in this sense since the US civil rights movement in the 1960s. As a reappropriation and positive reinterpretation of the pejorative attribution “colored”, People of Color describes a solidary alliance of different communities that experience structural exclusion due to racism. With reference to this idea of solidarity, marginalized communities in Germany and other countries of the Global North have also increasingly used the self-designation People of Color in recent decades to refer to a shared experience of racism. By using this term, they consciously distinguish themselves from terms such as migrant or migrant background, which focus linguistically on the experience of migration and do not address the racism experienced. Since not all people with a migration background experience racism (for example, white migrants from certain EU countries) and many people experience racism who statistically do not have a migration background (statistically, a migration background only exists for immigrants and their first and second generation descendants), the term is not very meaningful in relation to the topic of discrimination. The term PoC is also used in conjunction with the term white. The experiences of racism of people who identify with the term can be very different. Many communities use other self-designations in addition to the term People of Color or instead, for example the term Black (with a capital B), which people who are part of the African diaspora use as a self-designation. Or Rom*nija, a self-designation used by members of the Roma community. Like Black or white, the term PoC does not describe shades of skin. It is about marginalization due to racism. In Germany, this therefore includes people from the African, Asian or Latin American diaspora. A Eurocentric, racializing view plays a role here, which is a consequence of the former, unresolved colonization of many countries. Especially in the context of the Black Lives Matter protests in the 2020s, the abbreviation BIPoC has gained in importance to emphasize that not all non-white people experience the same discrimination. However, Orientalism also contributes to the constant reproduction of stereotypes. This is why people of Turkish and Arab origin, for example, also experience racism on the job and housing market, in education and also in the cultural sector due to their (ascribed) culture or religion. In German, there is currently no equivalent for the term People of Color/PoC. Other words that attempt to translate the term into German are foreign terms with a mostly racist history and should therefore not be used. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

People with disabilities/people who get hindered is a self-designation of people who have to experience disability through society in everyday life. The wording indicates that people are not disabled, but are hindered by society. Source: Ein Glossar der Fachstelle Kinderwelten

Inversion of the concept of discrimination, which focusses on those who benefit from structures of inequality. These structures of inequality offer privileged groups and individuals a structural advantage. This may or may not be codified in law (e.g. the right to marriage and adoption and the associated opportunities and benefits, which in many countries are reserved for heterosexual couples). Privilege can therefore also be described as the absence of disadvantage or non-experience of discrimination. As privilege is generally associated with cultural dominance and interpretative sovereignty, the experience of privileged groups is often set as the norm. The existence and effects of privilege are thus hidden, so that many privileged people do not realise that they are privileged. Gender and racialisation are just two of many social constructions that can result in people being privileged. Source: Universität Bielefeld

Queer is a collective term for people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation (who they desire or how they love) does not conform to the heteronormative norm. Queer is also used to refer to movements and things associated with queer people, such as the queer scene, queer studies or queer film festivals. The term comes from the English language and initially refers to things or people who deviate from the norm, usually in a negative sense. It can be translated as “strange”, “peculiar” or “odd”. It was used to speak pejoratively about homosexuals in particular, but also other people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation did not conform to the heteronormative norm. In the course of the AIDS movement, however, the queer community succeeded in reclaiming the term so that queer is now a positive term for many people and they are happy to call themselves queer. As a collective term, the word is very open and offers many people a means of identification. However, as with all self-designations, not all people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation does not conform to the heteronormative norm want to identify with the term. Some find other terms such as gay, lesbian or trans better for themselves. They are concerned about losing visibility in the large queer community. Some also don't like the political context in which queer is used. In addition, the word queer is still used both as a slur and as a self-designation. Quelle: Diversity Arts Culture

Theory that rejects all essentializing identity politics, especially in relation to the categories of “gender” and “sexuality”. Questioning and criticizing heteronormativity, any stable gender order, homophobia and heterosexist exclusions. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

Discrimination based on the biologistic assumption of natural differences between people, which are referred to in racist contexts with the term “race”. In this context, certain abilities, rights, privileges etc. are inferred from external characteristics. Racist prejudices and stereotypes serve to justify hegemonic power relations; people are persecuted and excluded from participation in social life or certain areas on the basis of racism. Extreme forms of racism are apartheid, pogroms and genocide. Source: Glossar im Handbuch zur Gleichstellungspolitik an Hochschulen

On November 1, 2024, the Act on Self-Determination with regard to Gender Registration (SBGG) came into force, replacing the outdated Transsexuals Act (TSG) and the associated court proceedings. This law enables trans*, inter* and non-binary persons to have their gender entry and their first name(s) changed at the registry office by means of a declaration. Persons whose gender identity differs from their gender entry in the civil status register can change it to male, female or diverse. It is also possible to completely dispense with a gender entry. Source: BMFSJ

Sexism refers to any form of discrimination against people on the basis of their ascribed gender as well as the ideology underlying this phenomenon that defines and hierarchizes gender roles (see IDA, 2013). It refers to socially expected gender-specific patterns of behavior (gender stereotypes), whereby men have a privileged position (patriarchy) and therefore women are primarily considered to be affected by sexism. Sexism is the social construction of differences between genders, which forms the ideological basis for discrimination, devaluation, disadvantage and oppression based on gender. Associated with this are stereotypes and prejudices that shape expectations, perceptions and behaviour towards the sexes. Research distinguishes between different types of sexism. Traditional sexism is generally understood to be a type of overt sexism that openly discriminates against people on the basis of gender. Modern sexism, on the other hand, is more subtle. This includes, for example, the denial of continuing discrimination in modern societies or the rejection of measures to reduce gender inequality. On another axis, a distinction is made between hostile and benevolent sexism. While hostile sexism - similar to overt sexism - is open and clear in its rejection (e.g. by insulting women who do not act in accordance with classic role models), benevolent sexism describes behaviour that continues to depend on classic role models, but emphasises positive stereotypes and, for example, the need for protection of women. Theoretically, according to the definition, men can also be negatively affected by sexism (e.g. by being denied emotionality). However, due to the power imbalance between men and women and other marginalised genders in modern societies, they are generally privileged in sexist societies. Source: Gender Glossar, Universität Bielefeld

Social background as a diversity characteristic refers to the socio-cultural heritage, the milieu- or class-specific location of a person by looking at the life situation of their parents. In the context of higher education, social background has a particular impact on factors such as university admission, financing, progression and success. Source: Gender und Diversity Portal der Uni Freiburg

TIN stands for trans*, inter*, non-binary and functions as a collective term for these groups. Source: Universität Bielefeld

Trans* is a self-designation by and for people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. The asterisk at the end of the word is a placeholder. It indicates that there is not only the genders “male” and “female”, but a whole spectrum of gender, gender identities and physicalities. Source: Diversity Arts Culture

Transphobia refers to discrimination against trans people. This is expressed, for example, through rejection, anger, intolerance, prejudice, discomfort or physical or psychological violence towards trans people or people who are perceived as trans. Internalized transphobia is hostility that is directed against one's own trans identity and thus against oneself. This often happens in a trans-phobic environment and/or before one's own inner coming out. Source: Queer Lexikon

The German Transsexuals Act (TSG) was passed in 1980, with effect from January 1, 1981, under the title Gesetz über die Änderung der Vornamen und die Feststellung der Geschlechtszugehörigkeit in besonderen Fällen (Transsexuellengesetz - TSG). It made it possible for people to be legally recognized in their gender that differs from their sex at birth. The TSG was criticized as restrictive and degrading throughout its entire period of validity, demanded deep cuts in the personal rights of the persons concerned that were incompatible with the Basic Law and several paragraphs were amended or deleted in the course of its validity due to unconstitutionality.1, 2, 3 On April 12, 2024, the Bundestag passed the Self-Determination Act (SBGG), which completely replaced the TSG with effect from November 1, 2024 and simplified the process of changing the gender entry. People who have changed their gender entry under the TSG are now fighting for compensation for legally ordered bodily harm. Source: Verband Queere Vielfalt

The term white is a socio-politically relevant construct (cf.Sow2011b) that encompasses all people who are not affected by racism. Being white is still considered a social norm and means having privileges, for example in access to the education system and labor market. In contrast to the term “Black”, which was developed as an alternative to discriminatory terms and is therefore capitalized, this is not the case for white; it is therefore written in lower case. Source: Ein Glossar der Fachstelle Kinderwelten