Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week we have been focusing on noticing microaggression in our school, workplace, public places or homes. Microaggression is defined as "brief everyday indignities that are verbal, behavioral or environmental...intentional or unintentionally communicated to women, to people of color, to gay/lesbians that have an insulting message behind them that causes severe psychological distress and harm" (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).

 This assignment proved more difficult than I thought because it required focused observation skills and provoked thinking about whether or not the recipient (or myself) was being oversensitive or whether the experience was an example of microaggression. I recall an incident from a few years ago with a former student. One person made a comment "not to expect much because the expectations just aren't there" regarding the academic performance and behavioral support of a particular student who came from a single parent African American home. This person was stereotyping this child and family based on the family's race and socioeconomic status. However, this student was able to excel in the classroom both academically and behaviorally when supported by a caring teacher who partnered with the parent to help the child meet both the school's goals and the parent's goals for her child. When I observed this microaggression I thought it was a comment that was out of line and that the person making the comment had no right to do so because they did not know the person they were referring to very well and they were just relying on stereotypes to judge this family before meeting them. This made me very upset but I wasn't sure what to do about it. Now I would probably speak up and tell them they are being inappropriate and rude since they do not have all the facts. I would also encourage them to disregard stereotypes.

Until this assignment, I always assumed that comments made to me that felt insulting and seemed to be repeated over and over by friends, family and strangers were just something I needed to get over since I was probably being oversensitive. Now I see it that it could be an example of microaggression. I will know the problem may not be fully with me personally, but be based on stereotypes. It has made me aware of how much we think we know about people based on this misinformation and how we should make the effort to get to know people of diverse backgrounds better. It has also prompted me to think about what I am about to say to someone and evaluate whether or not it could be considered insulting or not.

 

References

 Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu