Subtle Acts of Exclusion — The New “Microaggression”
Microaggressions are a term used for brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative prejudicial slights and insults toward any group, particularly culturally marginalized groups.
Microaggressions reinforce ideals that isolate entire groups of people and cause hostility. Now, this isn’t done on purpose (most of the time). Most microaggressions are involuntary and unconsciously expressed. The key is to be aware of your behaviors, to understand why they are problematic, and then to work to consciously fix them. In March, Penguin and Random House books will release a new book centered on microaggressions, “Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions”. This book aims to rebrand the term “microaggression” with “subtle acts of exclusion”. The reason for the rebranding is simple: it’s less hostile and more straightforward, allowing for a better understanding of the action.
The book is co-authored by two diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultants, Dr. Tiffany Jana and Dr. Michael Baran. Dr. Jana is the founder and CEO of TMI Consulting, Inc. and is an award-winning speaker and author on the topic of bias, privilege, and inclusion. Their previous books include “Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships across Differences”, “Erasing Institutional Bias: How to Create Systemic Change for Organizational Inclusion”, and “The B Corp Handbook, Second Edition: How You Can Use Business as a Force for Good”. Dr. Baran has been working in the DEI field for over 20 years, researching, writing, speaking, and facilitating in order to build deeper understanding, more equality, and more inclusion. He is a Senior Partner and Digital Solutions Lead at inQUEST Consulting. Dr. Baran brings innovation and deep understanding to a wide range of audiences, helping them think, lead, and interact inclusively. In addition to his consulting, Dr. Baran has taught at Harvard University and worked as a Principal Researcher at the American Institutes for Research.
Together, they have written a book that brings attention to this often invisible behavior that perpetuates stereotypes and oppression. Dr. Jana and Dr. Baran demonstrate that the common reaction to being told you may be enforcing oppressive stereotypes is defensiveness. This book was designed for people who want to make a difference but either don’t know where to start or don’t know how to intervene. If we can all better understand why we say what we say, what it actually means, and who it actually affects, our world will be more peaceful and inclusive. Each person can make a difference when it comes to diversity and inclusion. This book seeks to explain that and, more importantly, shows you how you can become an ally by simply watching what you say.
Dr. Jana and Dr. Baran are no strangers to microaggressions or the painful experiences they cause. Their book provides a practical and nuanced look at microaggressions, offers readers a chance to acknowledge the unconsciousness of these acts, and gives them the tools to stop SAEs in the future. In anticipation of the release of this book, we have created a series covering different SAEs. Every few weeks we will be releasing a new blog. These blogs just scratch the surface of what an SAE is. For an in-depth look into the world of SAEs, be sure to check out the book for yourself!
