Tokenism

Tokenism is the practice of making only a superficial effort to include minority groups or individuals, often to appear diverse or inclusive without implementing meaningful change. It typically involves selecting a small number of people from underrepresented groups to give the appearance of equality, while their involvement remains limited or symbolic. This can lead to genuine exclusion and fails to address systemic issues, creating a false sense of diversity. Recognizing tokenism helps promote authentic inclusion by encouraging substantive representation and inclusion efforts that have real impact rather than just appearances.