Remington Stoddard

Tara O’Neill

EDU 210

30 November 2015

Microaggressions in the Education System

What I did:

I was talking with my boss this week about my research assignment, and he brought up the topic of microaggressions. Being the 19 year old white girl who grew up in a small town that I am, I had not heard of them. The topic piqued my interest though, and I decided to look into the subject more and later concluded that I would like to do my research project on it. I picked this because it seems to be a very relevant and current issue in higher education. Since working in higher education is something that I would like to do, I thought it would be helpful for me to educate myself on the matter.

What I found:

What is a microaggression?

So from my research, what I have gathered is that a microaggression is a subtle comment or action made to someone else that, whether the intention was to do so or not, indirectly alienates the receiver from the commenter or actor, and makes the sender of the comment or action seem or feel like they think they are in some way better than, or looking down on who the comment or action was directed at, implying that they are inferior. They’re basically “subtle forms of aggression based on discrimination” (Longwood). For example, if someone were to say to me, “Wow, you’re pretty smart for a community college student!” I would be offended by that. But why is that offensive? They called me smart. It’s a compliment, right? Well, yes and no. You see, even though they called me smart, there was the “for a community college student” clause, implying that I have been placed on a different scale of “smart” than most people. A scale that is below average, and on that one I am fine but placed on a normal one, I would probably not measure up (side note: this didn’t actually happen to me, but it does happen to people! I just wanted to give an example that would be fairly relevant to the whole class). Microaggressions are most commonly directed at minority groups, but are certainly not limited to them. In one study done, students were asked to share their experiences with microaggressions and examples “include a male subtly rushing a female using workout equipment, students at a nearby table making rude comments while a student was praying before a meal in the dining hall, and a student with a country accent before referred to as "stupid"” (Longwood).

Think it’s not a common thing? Think again.

The majority of survey respondents had experienced microaggression. Also, many had experienced microaggression frequently. "Microaggression is commonplace, and it tends to happen to the same people multiple times," said Walls-McKay. "We are concerned about how students and bystanders are affected. We want to better know how students who have experienced microaggression are coping, and we want to educate and empower them." (Longwood)

Here is a video that I watched that talks more about microaggressions, describes them in a basic way and gives lots more examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCN_mlL1vE

Although this term “microaggression” may seem new, it has actually been around since the 1970’s and has recently gained attention and the status of a buzzword in the higher education community (Campbell). It’s an old concept with a new name, and prejudice, which has been around as long as mankind, is at the root of it.

Argument for the legitimacy of the concept:

The most popular side to the argument is that miroaggressions are a legitimate concept and unacceptable in any way, shape, or form. They are understood to be hurtful, alienating, and harmful to the overall wellbeing of the receiver. Many arguing “the concept say that even though the offenses are minor and sometimes unintentional, repeatedly experiencing them causes members of minority groups great harm, which must be redressed” (Campbell). Some colleges take the matter so seriously that they “have moved toward an institutionalized recognition of microaggression. The student government of Ithaca College, for example, passed a bill calling for a campuswide online system through which students could anonymously report microaggressions” (Campbell). Very much like the sociological concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy, or the canary effect that we discussed this semester, many believe that if these microaggressions are allowed to go unchecked and built up, they can have severe and lasting consequences on the receiver. If you are treated like or told that you are a certain way, over and over again, eventually you cannot help but begin to believe, feel, and act like it is true.

These subtle remarks and actions can also be much more difficult for victims to defend against because they are not direct. The victim may not always even know why they are feeling upset by these things, making microaggressions difficult to identify at times.

Argument against the legitimacy of the concept:

Some people may be surprised at the opposition that this anti-microaggression movement has faced. Many believe that it is not a major issue, and the attention that it receives is not justified.

We can better understand complaints about microaggression and the reactions to them if we understand that each side of the debate draws from a different moral culture. Those calling attention to microaggressions have rejected the morality dominant among middle-class Americans during the 20th century -- what sociologists and historians have sometimes called a dignity culture, which abhors private vengeance and encourages people to go to the police or use the courts when they are seriously harmed. Less serious offenses might be ignored, and certainly any merely verbal offense should be. Parents thus teach their children to say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." (Campbell)

Some might even admit that these comments and actions of microaggression are harmful, but argue that the senders rarely intend them to be prejudice or harmful and that the receivers need to learn to deal with things like that.

Here is a video that criticizes a UCLA article on the negative effects of microaggressions (please excuse the foul language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyZhi9q0Vs4

My thoughts:

I think that microaggressions are a huge issue in not only higher education, but society as a whole. They are hurtful, and unnecessary. You can always effectively send and receive information from others that are not like you in a respectful way. I understand both sides of the argument, and I think they each have many valid points, but I lean towards agreeing that microaggressions are a big problem. I have concluded that not only from my research, but also from life experience. I have seen microaggressions happen, experienced them myself, and as much as I hate to admit it, I have probably sent them out.

What you can do about it:

There are lots of things that you can do to prevent microaggressions from happening. Here are some tips:

1.      Spread the word

I told a friend about my research project and her response was “Wow, I knew that was a thing, but I never knew there was a name for it”. And you can bet that now that she knows, she is going to be more aware of her words and actions. Which brings me to my second suggestion…

2.      Be aware

Simply being aware of your preexisting prejudices, and where you tend to slip up can make a world of difference. Think before you speak, and remember to respect others in every situation.

3.      Take a hint

Not sure how to approach a situation with someone whose culture you don’t understand? Try taking a look at how they treat it and the differences, and if you’re still not sure, humbly ask for help in understanding.

Here are a few more interesting and fun videos I found:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPRA4g-3yEk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_85JVcniE_M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meT-8a83Pfw

Works Cited

Campbell, Bradley, and Jason Manning. "Microaggression and Changing Moral Cultures." The

Chronicle of Higher Education (2015)ProQuest. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.

"LONGWOOD RESEARCH ON MICROAGGRESSION SPURS DEVELOPMENT OF

OUTREACH PROGRAM." US Fed News Service, Including US State NewsJul 08 2011.

ProQuest. Web. 2 Dec. 2015 .

My Grade:

I think I deserve full points on this assignment. I met all of the requirements listed for it in Canvas, and spent WAY more than 5 hours working on it. Originally I set out to write a research blog to fulfill a requirement, but at the end I was just enjoying myself and leaning a ton of things that I will use in the future. It was a pleasant surprise how easily critical thinking came and how much I enjoyed doing it. 

Lesson Plan: 

Grade Level: High School

Activity: Putting yourself in someone else's shoes (roleplay)

Objectives:

- gain perspective on someone else's point of view

- gain respect for someone else's point of view

- use critical thinking skills to learn more about someone different than themselves without being hurtful

Directions:

1. Break into small groups

2, Each student draws a perspective card (example: female, male, Asian, Hispanic, so on. Students should draw a new one if they relate to the one they draw first)

3. Think of a question, or something they would like to know about the person to their left's character, and find a way to ask it in a microaggressive way, and then in a kind and respectful way, then ask the question. 

4. Go around the circle so each student has a turn in their group.

5. Discuss withing groups the differences between the mircoaggressive questions and the ones that were not, and how the receiver of the question felt in each situation.