Difference: As a social concept, difference tends to characterize people in terms of simplistic binaries instead of acknowledging how complex individuals and their identities are. For example, the dominant concept of gender presents a binary of male/female, ignoring the multiple ways in which people define their gender identities.

Intersectionality: Intersectionality is a way of understanding how our many identities (gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and ability) comes together in our experiences and reflect systems such as oppression and privilege at the societal level. 

Concept of difference: The idea of being different in some respect is not positive as it tends to position particular traits or behaviours are being negative or inferior. For example, if a child who uses a wheelchair is labelled as being “differently-abled”, it suggests that they are deficient or incapable. The focus becomes the way they are “different” rather than on all the child’s strengths and capabilities.

Diversity: Diversity is a preferable term to “difference” because it has a more positive meaning. It acknowledges that there are multiple ways of being in the world.