I’m one of those people who, once I hear that a term is problematic, I am constantly noticing it in what I’m reading, hearing and saying (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, as a Midwesterner it is SO hard to get rid of the phrase “you guys” from my vocabulary, but I continue to try).
The term “stakeholder” is ubiquitous in many of the fields I work in, including higher education, non-profits and education. In the last three hours, I heard it used in a national webinar as well as read it in a friend’s social media post.
The problem is its colonial roots and the literal driving of stakes into the ground to steal/occupy Indigenous territory. (Check out this blog post with more information about the history of the term)
During the webinar, while I heard at least one presenter use the term, I also noted that another presenter used the term “interest holders” and I suspect that they specifically chose that term in order to avoid stakeholder (though I don’t know for certain).
When it comes to these problematic terms, it each person’s choice whether they actively try to remove a word or phrase from their vocabulary after learning about the issues behind it. However, for those who are active in the realm of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, especially if we are on an allyship journey, it is worthwhile to at least consider whether we can find an alternative.
Do you see any trends with the use of the term #Stakeholder?
