The social, legal, or institutional discrimination against individuals who are mentally ill/neurodivergent, or who may be considered "not sane" by society's standards. This can often cross over into ableism.

The term sanism was originally coined by Morton Birnbaum.

Some oppressive terms that reinforce sanist stereotypes: crazy, insane, psycho, retarded, dumb, mad house, mental case; misuse of medical terms such as OCD, bipolar, schizophrenic, autistic, etc.
Jesse: I can't attend college in person due to my social anxiety and depression, so I take my courses online.
May: That's ridiculous. Everyone dislikes going to school. Just suck it up.
Jesse: That's sanism.
by ThawahCawwey February 17, 2016
Get the sanism mug.
A system of assigning value to people’s minds based on societally constructed ideas of normalcy, productivity, desirability, intelligence, excellence, and fitness. These constructed ideas are deeply rooted in eugenics, anti-Blackness, misogyny, colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism. This systemic oppression leads to people and society determining people’s value based on their culture, age, appearance, religion, birth or living place, “health/wellness”, and/or their ability to satisfactorily re/produce, “excel” and “behave.” It also can lead to people criminalizing and incarcerating mad, neurodivergent, and Disabled survivors.
Today, we discussed the issue of sanism in the education system.
by MVm\M April 26, 2022
Get the Sanism mug.