Have you ever been the recipient of an insult, verbally or nonverbally, directed towards an identity that you hold? Many people don’t realize that actions like these are actually microaggressions.
What is a microaggression
Derald Wing Sue, a Columbia University psychologist, defines microaggressions as “the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership” on Psychology Today.
Why is this important?
This is important because everyone experiences microaggressions. It does not matter what gender, race, sex, age, or ethnicity you are, or religion you practice, every person experiences microaggressions. However, there are groups of people that tend to experience microaggressions more frequently than others. No matter who you are, or what identity you hold, you deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and kindness, and that is why it is so important to prohibit microaggressions in all settings.
What is the difference between microaggressions and macroaggressions?
Whereas the subtle offensive body and verbal language is a microaggression, macroaggressions are those that are blatantly intentional. They can be systematic where the intent is either to exclude by action or omission. Other forms of macroaggressions include direct action, sometimes violent action, against another. Here is a visual representation of sexism on a micro to macro scale posted by the 11th Principle Consent’s Facebook page. This image demonstrates how microaggressions take the form of subtle harmful messages, listed under “Victimization” and “Degradation.” The macroaggressions, listed under “Removal of Autonomy” and “Explicit Violence” comprise of more direct actions against another.
What are the different types of microaggressions?
Derald Wing Sue proposed three classifications of racial microaggressions in his book Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation (2010). Although these classifications were developed with race in mind, they are also applicable to sexism, ageism, and genderism. Furthermore, these microaggressions can be both intentional and unintentional since they are still subtle aggressions.
Microassaults: subtle conscious and intentional actions or slurs. An example of this type includes purposely serving a white person before a person of color in a restaurant.
Microinsults: subtle rude and insensitive verbal and nonverbal communicated messages that degrade a person’s heritage or identity. An example of this type would be addressing a trans individual by their previous name, using incorrect gender pronouns, or asking them about their “real” identity.
Microinvalidations: subtle messages that exclude or negate the feelings, thoughts, or reality of another person. An example of this type is saying “I’m colorblind; I don’t see race” because the aggressor denies the suffering of people who don’t have white privilege, and erases their personal and cultural history, and refuses to value and accept the other person’s skin color.
Where do microaggressions stem/come from?
Microaggressions stem from a cultural mindset about a group of people where subtle forms of aggression against those individuals go unnoticed, and are therefore permissible. Microaggressions are often deemed unimportant due to overt systematic social issues. Nevertheless, microaggressions can and do contribute to macroaggressions.
How do microaggressions contribute to larger social issues at work such as racism, sexism, genderism, and ageism?
Microaggressions contribute to larger social issues because they “reflect the active manifestation of oppressive worldviews that create, foster, and enforce marginalization” according to Dr. Sue on Psychology Today. If you look back at the 11th Principle Consent image, notice how the microaggressions are listed at the bottom, and as you go up the pyramid, the microaggressions become macroaggressions. 11th Principle Consent even states that an accumulation of these actions becomes a systematic oppression because the unnoticed, and unchallenged, microaggressions reinforce cultural attitudes about what is acceptable and unacceptable. When microaggressions go unopposed they become normalized. Then macroaggressions emerge due to the already uncontested attitudes about what is right and wrong.
We are all socialized into various cultures through our upbringing, education, and social media. Many, if not all, of these cultures consist of racist, sexist, and heterosexual attitudes in one way or another because we all are biased towards certain worldviews. Furthermore, we engage in microaggressions that unintentionally, or intentionally, oppress and discriminate against others. People have a difficult time accepting the fact that they perform microaggressions because it challenges their self-image of being morally decent human beings. In order for these cultures to become more accepting and celebratory of diversity we need to acknowledge that we do have these biases, and then actively confront those attitudes that aim to marginalize and oppress.
What can you do to help?
I have already mentioned that recognizing microaggressions is important in identifying and changing the dynamics of the larger systematic social issues in our culture. However, there are many more things you can do to actively oppose microaggressions in our culture. For one thing, you can reach out to people who do experience microaggressions. Understand their situation on an empathetic level. Even showing that you care makes a big difference. Furthermore, you advocate for understanding and empathy between people of different races, sexes, genders, and ages. Secondly, you can create or join an organization within your community that addresses the issue of microaggressions.
In order to change our culture, we need to confront microaggressions because they do reinforce marginalization and oppression.