Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2021 - 12

mEdiCal rECord FEaturE
If you can't define it, you're not
part of the conversation.
An introduction to common
terms of diversity, equity,
and inclusion.
by Shannon Marie Foster, MD, FACS
I
n the realm of medicine
and surgery, a common
vocabulary and agreed-upon
shared terminology allows the
ready exchange of ideas that
can cross practice, geographic,
language, and cultural barriers.
So it is in the evaluation of
who we are and who we want to
be as humans relating to other
humans. If we do not speak with the same shared vocabulary, we
cannot truly participate in the conversation.
Racism is defined as a belief or doctrine that inherent differences
among the various human racial groups determine cultural or
individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own
race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a
particular racial group is inferior to others. Racism may be the belief
of one, of many, or of the ruling/political group in power.
If the
latter, the term institutional racism is applied and can be defined
as a policy or system of law/government that is associated with this
racist belief system and favors members of the dominant racial or
ethnic group or has neutral effect on their life experiences while
discriminating against or harming members of other groups. When
accepted, this standard serves to preserve the social status, economic
advantage, or political power of the dominant group. On the flip
side, anti-racist belief and action rejects supremacy of one group
over another and enacts doctrine and policy which recognizes the
presence of racism in society and actively combats prejudice and
discrimination to promote racial justice.
As concepts of self-identification and the labeling of " others "
permeates every part of our life - home and office, work and play,
for the young and the old - we can either deny or ally. Othership
is the means by which we divide and classify groups as different
and needing rules and policy
different from that of the
accepted " normal " or " standard "
- often ourselves. Allyship is
an active choice to advocate
and support those who define
themselves differently - race,
religion, nationality, gender
identity are some common
examples - and ensure no
separate rules or " standards " exist.
There are two ways to go about allyship. Performative allyship
can be defined as that done to demonstrate and increase social
capital and an individual's or group's moral compass without true
action or worse, to the detriment of the movement by stealing and
misdirecting attention and messaging. Real allyship - solidarity
-is based in constant education and can be defined as intentional
union or fellowship with a marginalized, underrepresented, or
discriminated against group to act, aid and promote at the discretion
of the group itself. As an accessory, not a scene stealer.
Conversations using these shared and understood terms and
ideas will allow change. Change that is transformative (radical,
all-encompassing, and embraced as the base of thought, character,
condition) not transactional (an enforcement of new rules,
guidelines, or measures as a mere path to conducting business as
usual). In our departments, our homes, and our communities,
let's makes changes like those we have all striven for in the quality
measures of better patient outcomes. As we know, the conversations
leading to quality changes are hard, and can be met with resistance,
but at the base they are inspirational and motivational, not
accusatory or punitive. So it must be for our culture.
No matter our age, beliefs, lifestyle, or location, let's make sure
that we can all join the conversation.
(There are an overwhelming number of resource and reference materials available for further reading on each of these subjects - please start your research
effort by typing any one of these highlighted terms into Wikipedia or your institutional medical library - and follow your interest.)
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Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Summer 2021