Microaggressions: A Subtle Form of Discrimination
Discrimination can be described as ‘behaviour directed towards category members that is consequential for their outcomes and that is directed towards them not because of any particular deservingness or reciprocity, but simply because they happen to be members of that category’ (Correll et al. 2010). Ethnic minorities who experience discrimination often face serious repercussions in terms of their health (Barnett & Halverson, 2001), school and/or job performance (Cohen et al. 2006) and face more legal consequences in the justice system (Steffensmeier and Demuth, 2000).
A reason for the occurrence of this phenomenon can be explained by the ‘social identity perspective’ as posited by Tajfel and Turner (1979). According to this theory, ingroups are formed to protect self-esteem and form a distinct social identity. However, this can turn into discrimination when preferential treatment is given to the ingroup and as a result, leads to ingroup bias. Actions such as ignoring the outgroup’s presence, avoiding eye contact or even excluding them from getting certain opportunities are prompted by maintaining negative stereotypes and can shape overall behaviour towards these marginalised communities (Ramiah et al. 2010)
A more subtle form of discrimination arises in the form of microaggressions, which are defined as ‘subtle snubs, slights, and insults directed toward minorities, as well as to women and other historically stigmatized groups, that implicitly communicate or at least engender hostility’ (Sue et al. 2007). Due to their ambiguous nature, victims of microaggressions often find themselves in a catch-22 situation: ignoring the microaggressions might only encourage the offender and calling it out may result in the victim being blamed of hypersensitivity (Sue, Capodilupo & Holder, 2008).
Microaggressions can have severe psychological impacts on its victims such as deterring feelings of belongingness, and acceptance in work and learning environments (Wang et al. 2011). Even in scientific environments, individuals can feel isolated if they are part of a significantly underrepresented minority. This can lead to increased anxiety, depression and stress (Nadal et al. 2014). Comments such as ‘You’re so good at speaking English!’ to a minority student or ‘I can’t believe you scored higher than all the boys in your class’ to a female student are commonly reported by students. Even academics who are part of minority communities often express frustration with the lack of ethnic and gender representation in terms of leadership and faculty (Rodriquez et al. 2016). Therefore, it is harder to make students feel represented and heard when the staff itself are faced with this issue. As a result, women are often ignored by most male dominated faculty during the hiring process even if they possess similar qualifications (Sheltzer & Smith, 2014).
To combat this, a strategy put forward by Harrison and Tanner (2018) is based on acknowledging and validating the victim’s feelings towards microaggressions. This removes their cognitive load of analysing whether or not their feelings are valid (Gaztambide, 2012). Spreading awareness on the impact of microaggressions and how it can unconsciously permeate our cognitions is also encouraged.
References
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