For National Inclusion Week, GDS Diversity Manager Tia Priest talks definitions of power, privilege, prejudice and intersectionality and how to build an inclusive environment at work.

1. Power, Privilege and
Prejudice

2. “How does privilege
create power and how
can power lead to people
acting on prejudice?”

3. GDS
Power
noun:
1. The ability or capacity to do something or act in a
particular way.
2. The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour
of others or the course of events.
3. Physical strength and force exerted by something or
someone.

4. GDS
Privilege
noun:
1. A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or
available only to a particular person or group.

5. GDS
Prejudice
noun:
1. Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual
experience.
2. Harm or injury that results or may result from some action or
judgement.

6. GDS
Intersectionality
noun:
1. The idea that multiple identities intersect to create a
whole that is different from the component identities.
2. Identities that can intersect include gender, race, social
class, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, age,
mental disability, physical disability, mental illness, and
physical illness as well as other forms of identity

7. “How does privilege
create power and how
can power lead to people
acting on prejudice?”

8. GDS
1 What privilege/s do I have and how does it manifest as
power when working with your team/ other GDS teams/
OGDs?
2 Could my power in these working environments be felt
as prejudice?

9. GDS
3 Do I evaluate the power and privilege that I may have on
the basis of race, gender, class, sexuality, economics,
religion, physicality, grade, team/programme,
department?
4 Do I avoid difference, in respect of diversity and culture,
in favour of sameness by engaging in covering/
camouflage behaviour? How does my Power and/ or
Privilege impact my behaviour?

10. GDS
5 How does my cultural conditioning impact the way I work
with others?
6 How aware am I of intersectionality when considering
how I work with others and myself?

11. Discussion/
Reflection Time

12. “How does privilege create
power and how can power
lead to people acting on
prejudice?”

13. Thanks!
Tyronne Fisher, Avnesh Pandya,
Tia Priest, Warren Smith