Fostering equality 

Fostering equality is a conscious and active effort to tackle and eliminate discrimination. The aim is to eliminate structural discrimination.

Structural discrimination, or institutional discrimination, refers to discrimination in the structures of an organization or society, such as contracts, legislation and services, which puts one group of the population at a disadvantage. [1]

Humans create structures and can influence their changes.

Definitions by the Council of Europe stress that structural discrimination arises specifically from the operating cultures of organisations and is reflected in their rules, norms, routines, and staff behaviour and attitudes. [2]

Structural discrimination can be both conscious and unconscious or unintentional, but its outcome is always the same and it means that the rights of certain groups are not taken into account. As a result, some groups are placed in a weaker and unequal position and excluded from services.

According to the Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore, ‘the most important factor in breaking down structural discrimination is attitudes.’ [3]

Consider:

• What norms define the activities of your organization and affect, for example, programs, artistic and cultural content, the production of events.
• Who do you work with?
• Whose voice is heard? 

The UN Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions highlights the specific societal role of cultural actors and services as a vehicle for identity, values and meanings. [4]

Consider:

• How is pluralism and the diversity of cultural identities and expressions concretely reflected in your organisation's operations and its cultural production?
• Who is missing out as an audience and creator?
• Can underrepresented and marginalized groups be included?

A small change in the activities of each cultural organisation contributes to structural changes in the cultural sector.

Consider:

• What will you do next for your organisation to promote equality in the cultural sector? 
• How diverse is your organization's staff?  Do you want to promote more equal recruitment and contribute to the diversification of personnel? Use the principle of positive action [5] for the next recruitment.

Discrimination in the Cultural Sector

Discrimination in the cultural sector manifests itself in different forms in different areas of activity and targets different groups of people. Active intervention in and elimination of discrimination requires cultural organisations to be aware of what kind of discrimination is or may be occurring in an activity.

Who gets to engage in culture?

Different grounds of discrimination, such as a poor financial situation, disability, mother tongue, origin or health status, affect the child or young person not being able to easily access cultural hobbies. [6]

In cultural activities, children and young people belonging to minority groups experience bullying, discrimination and racism because of their backgrounds. [7] [8]

Who can study culture?

Lack of accessibility to education in the arts and culture sector affects the opportunities for students with disabilities and sign language. The norm of whiteness in Finnish art education institutions can create discriminatory barriers for non-white students.  [9] [10]

Who gets to work in the cultural sector?

Discrimination continues in the workplace. The structures and practices of the Finnish arts and culture field do not promote equal working opportunities for all professionals.

Lack of diversity expertise in organisations, as well as mistrust and prejudice, can affect the labour market status and funding opportunities of immigrant arts and culture professionals.

Discrimination can also occur in such a way that an immigrant artist is only considered a representative of his or her own domestic culture, often as a stereotypically understood and voluntary factor. [11]

Disabled and sign-language artists are not able to work in the industry on an equal basis due to discriminatory structures, such as lack of accessibility or negative attitudes. [12]

Art made and produced by Roma and the share of professionals as producers and performers of culture as part of the activities of cultural services is low. The situation is affected by discriminatory norms and attitudes that make Roma culture not recognized as art. [13]

The perspectives of sexual and gender minorities and the factors and cultural and artistic contents that deal with them are under-represented in the field of art and culture. [14]

Who gets to experience culture?

Deficiencies in cultural life that are evident in the different aspects of accessibility are discrimination that hinders the participation of diverse communities in cultural services.

According to the The Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities' Inclusion Barometer, the most important obstacle for people with disabilities to participate in cultural services is the accessibility of facilities and venues. [15]

Cultural services do not provide enough content to be received by different senses. There is a need for accessibility issues for visually impaired, hearing-impaired and deaf audiences to be taken into account on a regular basis in cultural offerings, for example by arranging sign language interpreting, writing interpreting, description interpreting and installing an induction loop. [16] [17]

Examples of structural discrimination are endless

The lack of diversity and opportunities is influenced by the questions of who and to whom. Who gets to do sports, study, get grants, work in the cultural sector and experience culture. Who is being told, whose stories will be told and who will tell them.

Addressing discrimination, transforming one's own organisation as part of consciously promoting diversity and equality, means breaking the chain of discrimination in the cultural sector. Diverse art and culture makers, as well as diverse and accessible art and culture content, reach new audiences.

Be part of cultural climate change!

Consider:

• What flaws can your organization affect?

   

Sources

1. Concepts of Equality (in Finnish). Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. 
2. Artemjeff & Sheikh, 2023. Preliminary report on structural discrimination (in Finnish). Ministry of Justice Finland. (Pdf-file)
3. Lahtinen, Jakonen & Sokka, 2017. Equality and accessibility in cultural politics (in Finnish). Center for Cultural Policy Research. (Pdf-file) 
4. Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions. UNESDOC. 
5. Positive action. Non-discrimination Ombudsman. 
6. ArtsEqual: Equality as a Direction for Art and Art Education Services, 2021 (in Finnish). Uniarts' Publication Archive. 
7. Harrastamisen äärellä. Leisure Survey of Children and Young People 2020 (in Finnish). Finnish Youth Research Society.
8. ”No one is born to hate” - Youth Dialogues on Racism and Discrimination, 2023 (in Finnish) Nuorten dialogit rasismista ja syrjinnästä, 2023. Ministry of Justice Finland. (Pdf-file)
9. Salonlahti, 2019. ”Always have to be 200% better" : opportunities for disabled and deaf artists and artist paths. Master's thesis (in Finnish). Publication archive of University of Jyväskylä. 
10. Gathuo, 2017.  White lies (in Finnish). Ruskeat tytöt (Brown Girls) ry.
11. Lahtinen, Mäenpää, Karri & Kurlin Niiniaho, 2020. Avaus: Status of migrated arts and culture professionals in Finland (in Finnish). Center for Cultural Policy Research. (Pdf-file)
12. Space for artistry - equality of disabled and sign language artists (in Finnish). Culture for All -service.
13. Toivanen, 2012. Roma and Culture - A report on Roma inclusion and participation in cultural activities in Finland (in Finnish). The Finnish League for Human Rights. (Pdf-file).
14. Barry & Messih, 2020.  CLEAR EXPECTATIONS – Guidelines for institutions, galleries and curators working with trans, non-binary and gender diverse artists (in Finnish). Feminist Culture House. (Pdf-file)
15. Involvement Barometer of The Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities (in Finnish).
16. Organizing an accessible event for the hearing-impaired, 2020 (in Finnish). (Pdf-file).
17. Experiences of people with disabilities as users of arts and cultural services, 2012 (in Finnish). Culture for All -service. (Pdf-file)