DIVERSITY
AND
INCLUSION
Adapted from: Challenging Homophobia and Heterosexism: A K-12 Curriculum Resource Guide.
Toronto District School Board, 2011.
DIVERSTITY:
o Belief that differences among
people are accepted and
celebrated rather than viewed as
sources of separation.
INCLUSION:
o Belief that everyone, regardless
of race, culture, religion, gender,
language, disability, sexual
orientation, or any other
attribute is included as part of
the whole.
DISCRIMINATION:
 Any
practice or behaviour,
intentional or not, that has
a negative effect on an
individual or group.
TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION:
HARASSMENT/BULLYING
Repeated negative or abusive actions
carried out with the intent to harm the
targeted child. It involves an imbalance of
power where the child being bullied has
trouble defending him or herself.
Examples of Harassment/Bullying Include:
o Gossiping/spreading rumors
o Mocking, name-calling, teasing
o Hitting, threatening, pushing
o Graffiti, coercion, challenging others to do
something embarrassing/dangerous
TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION:
STEREOTYPE
A generalization or assumption about a
certain group of people or an individual,
usually made by someone who has had
limited experience with that particular
group

Stereotyping is problematic because it
is not accurate, puts people in a box,
and causes people to prejudge
individuals or groups.
TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION:
RACISM-

Making generalizations (stereotyping)
and/or treating a person or a group
unfairly (discrimination) based on their
skin colour, culture, or religion.
TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION:
SEXISM-

Making generalizations (stereotyping)
and/or treating a person or a group
unfairly (discrimination) based on
whether they are a girl/woman or
boy/man.
TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION:
HOMOPHOBIA
Making generalizations (stereotyping)
and/or treating a person or a group
unfairly (discrimination) who are
thought of as gays/lesbians or
bisexuals. Also, it is a fear or hatred of
this group.
CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
(1985)
All individuals have an equal opportunity to
make for themselves the lives that they are able
and wish to have without being hindered or
prevented by discrimination based on:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Race
National or ethnic origin
Colour
Religion
Age
Sex
o
o
o
o
o
Sexual orientation
Marital status
Family status
Disability
Conviction that has been
pardoned
o Canadian Law protects people against
discrimination.
o Schools in Ontario have rules in place to
prevent discrimination and harassment of
students.
o All students have the right to feel safe,
accepted and included by everyone.
-In the classroom
-At recess or during breaks
-During after-school activities
-When they are out of school (at the mall,
on Facebook…)
CASE STUDY:
Shakil has just moved to town and entered
a new school. This year, he’s going into Grade 6.
Shakil has always been shy and has a difficult
time making new friends. In his old school, the
other students liked him a lot. Many of them had
been together since kindergarten. This school feels
different. Although Shakil is pretty good at sports,
he doesn’t really enjoy playing basketball or
soccer. He is much more interested in reading
science-fiction books and drawing pictures.
CASE STUDY:
In the third week at his new school, a
couple of boys in his class started to tease and
bug him. They call him sissy, weakling, and
gay. The other day, one of them asked him if he
was really a girl, ‘cause he sure acted like one.
Another boy heard him and shouted out,
“Maybe Shakil likes guys or something.” Shakil
feels confused and angry. He’s never been
treated this way before.
CASE STUDY:
CLASS DISCUSSION What
 Why
is the problem in this story?
are the students teasing Shakil?
 What
is the name of this kind of unfair
treatment?
 How
do you think Shakil feels?
BIOLOGICAL SEX AND GENDER:
 Biological
Sex-
Classification based on our anatomy or
genetics.
Male
Intersex
Female
 Gender-
Describes the psychological and social
meaning added to being a man or
woman.
Masculine
Feminine
IN OTHER WORDS. . .
Sex is what is between your
legs.
Gender is what is between
your ears.
GENDER ROLES:

What are the roles of men?

What are the roles of women?

What is the difference?

What is the same?
GENDER STEREOTYPES CLASS
ACTIVITY:
Are certain activities/ideas male or female?
Do certain words/phrases describe males but not
females?
Do these words, phrases, activities and ideas
change over time?
DEFINITION:
GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPING
Thinking that boys can do only some
things and should be interested in only
some things just because they are boys.

Thinking that girls can do only some
things and should be interested in only
some things just because they are girls.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF
GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPING?

What happens when a boy cries or doesn’t
like sports?

What happens when a girl is really
athletic and doesn’t care about her hair?
What are some of the:
• Ideas we have (stereotypes)
• Attitudes we have (prejudice)
• Behaviours we enact (discrimination)
When someone doesn’t “fit” into these roles?
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF
GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPING?



Assumptions based on gender role
stereotypes are usually untrue and can be
harmful.
They can make people who do not “fit”
into the expected norms feel confused or
bad about themselves, damaging their
self-concept, and they can cause people to
discriminate against and exclude those
who are seen as “different”.
They limit everyone.
IDEAS TO HELP PROMOTE CHANGE ???
How do we go from this. . .
To this. . .