Exploring the concept of microaggressions, also known as subtle racial aggressions
Some forms of racism are so subtle that they may not be fully comprehended by either the victim or the perpetrator, which can be particularly harmful to people of color.
An example of microaggression is when the individual involved does not realize the impact of their actions.
American Psychological Association published this article in 2009. Written by Tori DeAngelis
February 2009, Vol 40, No. 2 Print version: page 42
Two colleagues, one Asian-American and the other African American, board a small aircraft. The flight attendant, who is white, informs them they may choose any seats, so they opt for seats near the front, across the aisle from each other, to converse.
In the final moments before departure, three white men board and occupy the seats before them. Shortly before takeoff, the attendant asks the colleagues if they would relocate to the rear to help balance the aircraft. Both are upset, feeling as though they are being asked to symbolically "sit at the back of the bus." They voice their concerns to the attendant, who vehemently rejects any racist intent, insisting her request was solely for safety and to afford them privacy.
The question arises: Are the colleagues being overly sensitive, or is the flight attendant's behavior racially motivated?
Columbia University psychologist Derald Wing Sue, PhD, the Asian-American colleague on the plane, places the responsibility on the flight attendant. According to him, she committed a "racial microaggression"—an everyday insult, indignity, and demeaning message sent to people of color by well-intentioned white people who are unaware of the hidden messages they convey, as Sue defines it ( Tori DeAngelis February 2009, Vol 40, No. 2 Print version: page 42).
In other words, she was acting with bias without realizing it.
One notable classification by psychologist Derald Wing Sue, PhD, and his team aims to describe and measure the phenomenon to assist people of color in understanding the dynamics and potentially educate white individuals.
It is an essential task for white individuals to recognize that they may be perpetuating microaggressions. This realization can challenge their self-perception as good, moral, and decent human beings, as it suggests that they might harbor unconscious biases that could result in thoughts, attitudes, and feelings that are harmful to people of color.
Aversive Racism
Social psychologists Jack Dovidio, PhD, from Yale University, and Samuel L. Gaertner, PhD, from the University of Delaware, have shown through various studies that many well-meaning whites who consciously endorse and declare their commitment to equality may act in a racist way unconsciously, especially in unclear situations. For instance, in experimental job interviews, white interviewers do not usually discriminate against black candidates when their qualifications are solid or weak compared to white candidates. However, when the qualifications are equally unclear, white interviewers have been found to prefer white candidates over black ones. This phenomenon is termed "aversive racism," which partly stems from the white individuals' desire not to appear prejudiced, aligning with their conscious belief in equal rights.
Psychologist Derald Sue contributes to these findings by identifying, describing, and categorizing the actual instances of aversive racism. His research sheds light on the internal experiences of individuals impacted by microaggressions—a novel approach, as previous studies on prejudice and discrimination have concentrated on the attitudes and behaviors of white people, Dovidio observes.
"The investigation of microaggressions examines the effects of these subtle racial nuances from the viewpoint of the victims, thereby enriching our psychological comprehension of the entire stigmatization and bias process," states Dovidio.
According to research, uncertainty is hugely unsettling for individuals, Dovidio remarks. "The ambiguity surrounding microaggressions can exert an immense influence on people of color," affecting their employment, academic achievements, and even their experiences in therapy, he and his colleagues have discovered.
Psychologist Derald Sue initially introduced a classification of racial microaggressions in a 2007 article detailing their occurrence in clinical practice, published in the American Psychologist (Vol. 62, No. 4). In it, he identifies three forms of present-day racial transgressions:
Psychologist Derald Sue studies microinsults and microinvalidations due to their subtle nature. He argues that they place people of color in a psychological dilemma: the individual may feel insulted but may not understand why, and the offender may not realize an offense has occurred.
"The individual of color is trapped in a Catch-22: If they confront the offender, the offender will deny it," states Psychologist Derald Sue.
Consequently, this leaves the individual of color doubting their own experience. According to him, the outcome is a mix of confusion, anger, and energy draining.
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Concept Refining
Psychologist Derald Sue's 2007 article in American Psychologist primarily presented his theory and initial classification of microaggressions. His team is currently exploring how these subtle messages differ across various groups. In a qualitative study published in the June issue of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (Vol. 39, No. 3), Sue and his colleagues held focus groups with 13 African Americans. These individuals shared their experiences, emotional responses, and interpretations of microaggressions, as well as their psychological impact. The participants, aged 22 to 32, resided in the New York metropolitan area and were either graduate students or professionals in higher education.
The respondents concurred that such indirect messages often make them feel alienated, abnormal, or mistrusted. For example, some recounted the distressing experience of being suspiciously monitored in stores as if they were potential thieves. Others mentioned taking proactive measures to mitigate racial prejudice: a man described intentionally relaxing his posture when near white women to avoid intimidating them.
Additionally, some discussed the burden of having to represent their race positively. A woman expressed her constant concern over her job performance, fearing that any mistakes could reflect poorly on all African Americans who followed in her footsteps.
A related study in the January 2007 issue of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology (Vol. 13, No. 1) reported that numerous Asian Americans felt alienated by questions about their birthplace or compliments on their English, which implied they were foreigners. Some also shared experiences of being stereotyped as mathematically adept in academic settings, leading to a sense of entrapment in an inaccurate stereotype. Female participants voiced frustrations over white men's assumptions that they would be submissive in a relationship.
The prevalence and impact of microaggressions, as Sue describes them, are not universally accepted. In response to Sue's 2007 article in the American Psychologist, critics have accused him of exaggerating the issue and promoting a negative outlook.
Kenneth R. Thomas, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, contends that applying Sue's theory may impede interactions between racial groups. He posits that excessively cautious with language in therapy might stifle authentic and spontaneous communication.
Thomas also contends that Sue's theory might perpetuate a victim mentality by identifying issues where there are none. He suggests that the theory portrays people of color as fragile and promotes a victim culture over one of opportunity.
Conversely, Kenneth Sole, PhD, from Sole & Associates Inc., recognizes the widespread nature and potential damage of microaggressions. His clients often talk about these incidents. Nevertheless, he concentrates on assisting them to reframe these occurrences to feel empowered instead of victimized.
Sole thinks that embracing the most distressing interpretation of unclear situations, particularly in standalone incidents where broader action is impossible, is not advantageous.
Kenneth Sole, Ph.D., provided an example where if a white person makes an offensive remark to a person of color, the latter has the choice to either become angry and view the individual as a bigot or to see them as uninformed and move on, he explains.
Takeaways:
Everyone involved in this article and study has made their point. Still, as a person of color who has witnessed significant inequity and marginalization, I concur with Psychologist Derald Sue's belief that it is vital to continue emphasizing the damage caused by these encounters, regardless of how a person of color decides to respond to any particular situation.
It is up to the individual who has experienced it to determine how they wish to handle it; no one can dictate to them to dismiss such an encounter or shrug it off as inaccurate, especially when the experience has caused harm to the recipient.
However, it is crucial to continually emphasize these experiences to maintain awareness of the harm that such encounters can cause, regardless of how a person of color chooses to manage a particular situation.
Affirmative action was instituted to address inequalities before psychologist Derald Sue's concept of racial microaggression was formulated. Its goal is to combat racial imbalances and exclusion in American society.
The suite of policies, programs, and procedures under affirmative action is designed to enhance employment and educational prospects for minorities and women. This is achieved by offering limited preferences in areas like job recruitment, college admissions, government contracting, and various social advantages based on race, disability, gender, ethnicity, and age.
"Even though it was developed to promote equality for people of color, widespread racial microaggressions continue because many are still not aware that their actions are discriminatory. The hardest part here is that emotions towards differences reign, which is why division, inequality, and marginalization are widespread."
The article is credited to Tori DeAngelis,February 2009, Vol 40, No. 2 Print version: page 42