word usage - Does racism include both race and gender, or just race?



Recently someone told me that racism means that it means both race and gender discrimination. However, I think that sexism is the word used for gender. Am I correct?



Answer



You definitely wouldn't use 'racist' for anything to do with sex-based discrimination. You could say that such a person was being sexist, or you could say that they were a chauvinist (though that generally refers to when someone believes that their sex is superior to the other).


'Racism' is somewhat like chauvinism, in that it is generally used to express the idea that "my race is better than your race (or all other races)". The slippery point here is the definition of 'race', which many often extend to include things like religion, which of course isn't a 'race'.


'Bigotry' is a better term to describe someone who is intolerant of other peoples' religions, or their belief systems in general.


To sum up these intolerances:



  • If it's gender-based, it's sexism or chauvinism.

  • If it's based on physical characteristics, it's racism.

  • If it's based on ideas or beliefs, it's bigotry.


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