Microaggressions
Manifestations have taken the form of what Chester Pierce called microaggression. They are kinds of mistreatment, less blatant than physical violence and name calling.
In colleges, the not uncommon tendency is for faculty to show more respect for opinions of male to female students, and to spend more time with them. Including the mocking and demeaning of women in fields of study dominated by men. Contrary to the notion women like to talk, women more likely to avoid talking for fear of appearing uninformed, true for Asian-American and Latina women.
P. C. Davis defined microaggressions as stunning, automatic acts of disregard stemming from unconscious attitudes of white superiority and a verification of black inferiority. Davis says microaggressions exist because of a cognitive habit, history and culture left unable to hear the range of relevant voice and grapple with might be reasonably said on their behalf.
Microassault is an explicit racial derogation by verbal or nonverbal attack meant to hurt an intended victim through name calling, implication or avoidant behavior. Microinsults are communcations of rudeness and insensitivity to demean identity or racial heritage. Microinvalidation are communications that exclude, negate or nullify psychological thoughts, feelings or experiential reality of those of color.
People have shown several ways they feel harmed by microaggressions. They feel demeaned by "You do not belong", "You are abnormal", "You are intellectually inferior", "You can not be trusted" or "You are all the same". Having heard this, reported feeling powerlessness, invisibility, pressure to comply and a loss of integrity.
Many microaggressions are so subtle, the perpetrator and target may not understand what is going on. The invisibility of microaggressions can be more sensitive than hate crimes or the overt, deliberate acts of the Klan or Skinheads.
It makes little sense to rank order forms of bias and mistreatment by how hurtful they are. Not just racism and sexism, but classism, ageism, ableism and homophobia cry out for eradication.
Documentation has begun on how all of color feel psychological slings and arrows, of possible erosion of mental health, job performance, classroom learning, the quality of social experience and ultimately, standard of living.
Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D.
Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D.
Psychology Today
Wikipedia
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