tokenism Definition
the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to do a particular thing, especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of sexual or racial equality within a workforce.
Using tokenism: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "tokenism" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The company's diversity policy was criticized as mere tokenism.
Example
The hiring of one woman does not represent true gender equality but rather tokenism.
Example
The government's response to the crisis was seen as tokenism, with no real action taken to address the issue.
tokenism Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for tokenism
- symbolism
- superficiality
- window dressing
- lip service
- cosmeticism
Phrases with tokenism
Example
The apology was seen as a token gesture, with no real effort made to address the underlying issue.
a member of an underrepresented group who is included in a workforce or organization primarily for the purpose of giving the appearance of diversity
Example
The company hired a token minority to improve its image, but did not make any real effort to address systemic issues of discrimination.
a system of behavior modification based on the use of tokens, such as points or chips, that can be exchanged for rewards
Example
Token economies are often used in schools and psychiatric hospitals to encourage positive behavior.
Summary: tokenism in Brief
The term 'tokenism' [ˈtoʊkənɪzəm] refers to the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to do a particular thing, especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of sexual or racial equality within a workforce. It is often criticized as superficial or insincere, exemplified by 'The company's diversity policy was criticized as mere tokenism.' 'Tokenism' extends into phrases like 'token gesture,' denoting insincere actions, and 'token minority,' referring to members of underrepresented groups included primarily for the purpose of appearing diverse.
