TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

WHITE FRAGILITY [2 records]

Record 1 2023-11-08

English

Subject field(s)
  • Social Problems
  • Sociology of Human Relations
CONT

White fragility refers to the discomfort White people may experience in reaction to discussions about racism.

CONT

White fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Problèmes sociaux
  • Sociologie des relations humaines
OBS

fragilité blanche : Bien que cette désignation ait été adoptée pour la traduction de l'ouvrage dans lequel ce concept a d'abord été abordé, elle est un calque de l'anglais.

Spanish

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Record 2 2023-07-20

English

Subject field(s)
  • Social Problems
  • Sociology of Human Relations
CONT

White defensiveness is a term to describe defensive responses by white people to discussions of societal discrimination, structural racism, and white privilege.

OBS

Academics have proposed subtypes of white defensiveness, such as white denial, white diversion, and white fragility.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Problèmes sociaux
  • Sociologie des relations humaines

Spanish

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