Discussion
Good Intentions Aren’t Enough: The Damaging Effects of Microaggressions
Yoshiko Harden
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Define individual and institutional forms of racial microaggressions
Link racial microaggressions to our daily lives
Strategize ways to address both forms of microaggressions
Overview
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“Unintentional behavior is perhaps the most insidious form of racism. Unintentional racists are unaware of the harmful consequences of their behavior. Because individuals, groups, or institutions that engage in unintentional racism do not wish to do harm, it is difficult to get them to see themselves as racists. The major challenge facing counselors is to overcome unintentional racism and provide more equitable service delivery.” (Ridley, 1995, as cited in Sue, 2010).
Good Intentions Aren’t Enough
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Diversity always exists in social systems
Equity and Inclusion are intentional
Diversity as a Value vs. A Fundamental
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Conscious or unconscious, verbal or non-verbal comments or actions
Messages that convey social biases
Often said as compliments
Further denigrate and invalidate marginalized groups (LGBTQia, POC, Women, people with disabilities (PWDs)
Accumulation is key
Perception of the victim, not intent
Individual Microaggressions Pierce (1974); Sue et al. (2007); Solórzano et al. (2009)
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Microassault
Conscious and intentional biased beliefs, actions or slurs.
Mircoassaults are usually conscious acts.
Using racial epithets, making homophobic remarks or sexual innuendos towards people. Microassaults are intended to hurt the victim through name-calling, avoidance or purposeful discriminatory actions.
Feeling of being discounted or reduced
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Microinsult
Verbal and nonverbal communications that conveys rudeness and insensitivity as well as demeans a person.
Microinsults are often unconscious behaviors.
Rolling of eyes when someone is talking about his/her culture. Unwelcoming body language towards women. Speaking of gay men as if they are not as masculine or “manly” as heterosexual men. “You speak well for a Black person,” asking an Asian student why they need a tutor. Referring to a Hispanic student as Mexican.
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Microinvalidation
Communications that subtly exclude, negate or nullify the thoughts, feelings or experiential reality of a marginalized person.
Microinvalidations are often unconscious acts
Disregarding people’s feelings or experiences. A man interrupting a woman when she is talking in a meeting. When a majority members repeats the same thing a marginalized person says and it is better received.
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Microinsult
Microinvalidation
| Ascription of Intelligence Second Class Citizen Pathologizing values/styles Assumption of Criminality |
| Alien in Own Land Color-Blindness Myth of Meritocracy Denial of Individual Racism |
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Stop acting like a B___.
Smile! You’re too pretty to frown.
You must be pmsing? You’re so emotional.
Referring to women as girls
Gender Microaggressions
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Where are you from? Originally?
You speak English so well!
What do you speak? Asian?
Don’t be so sensitive. It’s not always about race.
You’re not like other black people
Don’t bomb me!
Common Racial Microaggressions
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Come on now, we all have some form of disability.
What happened to you?
You people are so inspiring!
You’re retarded or That’s retarded
Do you really need a wheelchair?
Towards people with disabilities
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You’re too pretty to be a lesbian.
But are you sure you’re [insert identity here]?
I like gay guys who aren’t, like, too gay, you know what I mean?
Oh, she’s trans, but she’s really pretty. You can’t even tell.
http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/the-many-faces-of-homophobia/
Common LGBTQia Microaggressions
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Often don’t realize they’ve offended someone
View as trivial- “too sensitive” “too emotional”
When called on it, deny it
Intent vs. Impact
Perpetrators of Microaggressions
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Moment of disbelief
Psychic energy
Confront the perpetrator
Do nothing
“Catch 22”
Resistance and Reaction
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a time when you experienced a microaggression
a time when you committed a microaggression
What I said and what I meant…
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Institutional microaggressions are defined as the "racially marginalizing actions and inertia of the university evidenced in structures, practices, and discourses that endorse a campus racial climate hostile to People of Color"
(Yosso, Smith, Ceja, & Solórzano, 2009, p. 673)
Institutional Microaggressions
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Most harmful tend to be microaggressions in the classroom- especially between teacher and student
Spaces of Engagement
Ethnocentric and Eurocentric Curricula
Lack of faculty and staff of color
Accumulation of feelings of isolation and institutional lack of support=less likely to access resources and support services
Sue, Lin, Torino, Capodilupo & Rivera (2009); Bush & Bush, 2010
Microaggresssions and Institutions
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Set out to measure racial discrimination in the labor market
5000 identical resumes- ½ with white sounding names, ½ with black sounding names
Responded to over 1300 help wanted ads
Sent 2 high quality and 2 low quality to each ad
White sounding names received 50% more call backs
Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2003). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination (No. w9873). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination
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| Cultural characteristic | Power | Less power |
| Age | Adults | Children, adolescents, elders |
| Disability | Temporarily able-bodied | Persons with disabilities |
| Religion | Christians | Jews, Muslims, other non-Christian |
| Ethnicity | Euro-American | People of Color |
| Social Class | Owning & Middle Class | Poor & Working Class |
| Sexual Orientation | Heterosexuals | Gay men, Lesbians, Bisexuals |
| Indigenous Background | Non-native | Native |
| National Origin | U.S.born | Immigrants & Refugees |
| Gender | Male | Female, Transgendered, Intersexed |
ADDRESSING: A model of cultural influences and their relationship to the social construct of power (Hayes, 2001).
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Interrupt jokes, comments, remarks
Critical Consciousness
Suspend your disbelief- stop believing you can interpret another groups experiences better than they can
Interrogate comfortable
Actions You Can Take
Role play- ask for volunteers
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