Addressing Implicit Bias
Be Alert to Micro-Aggressions
Micro-aggressions appear as brief and commonplace verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, that communicate, whether intentional or not, that communicate a hostile, derogatory, or negative slight or insult toward a targeted group. They may involve:
- Assumptions of inferiority
- Stereotyping
- Invisibility
- Objectification
- Target of jokes
- Denial of the reality of other’s experience
- Denial of bias
They may manifest as verbal statements and questions or gestural or facial expressions such as a quizzical look at a biracial person, interpreted as trying to ‘decipher’ them, or a look of disgust at a gender non-conforming couple in public. Micro-aggressions are also systemic and institutionalized such as when the majority of readings on a syllabus are from cisgender white men or when one is forced to use an industrial ‘service’ elevator because one uses a motorized wheelchair.
Microaggressions consist of microinsults, micro-assaults, and microinvalidations.
- Micro-assaults, perhaps the most insidious because they are so often unconscious, convey insensitivity and demean a person’s heritage or identity. ‘You throw well for a girl’ is a prime example. Or asking, ‘So, like, how do you have sex anyway?’ of a lesbian couple. Micro-assaults are usually conscious, containing an explicit degradation characterized primarily by a violent verbal or non-verbal attack meant to hurt. Examples include getting onto a subway car and sitting as far from a black man as possible or cat-calling a woman, being ignored and shouting at her that she’s so ugly no one would want to date her.
- Micro-insults are verbal and nonverbal communications that subtly convey insensitivity or rudeness that demean a person’s racial, cultural, or gender identity.
- Microinvalidations are also often unconscious and consist of verbal comments or behaviors that exclude, negate or nullify the thoughts, feelings, or experiential realities of the victim. Saying ‘You shouldn’t be annoyed. I meant that you must be smart because you’re Asian’ or, to a person of color, ‘You act so white,’ negates their felt daily realities.
Recognizing and responding to micro-aggressions is not about ‘political correctness’ but about cultivating inclusivity and equity and correcting interactions and practices that promote injustice. Micro-aggression is powerful and insidious and as hurtful as overt aggression. Faculty, students and staff should speak up when they witness micro-aggression. Acknowledging what happened is an important first step. Name the act, and state that it’s unacceptable. In the classroom, consider using the moment to explain what happened and why it was unacceptable. More information about the nature of micro-aggression and empowering students to recognize them, and to respond may be found here.
Responding to Microaggressions with ACTION
Micro-aggressions appear as brief and commonplace verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, that communicate, whether intentional or not, that communicate a hostile, derogatory, or negative slight or insult toward a targeted group. Below is a brief overview of the acronym, ACTION, a way to respond to microaggressions in the classroom.
A: Ask clarifying questions to assist with understanding intentions.
C: Come from curiosity not judgment.
T: Tell what you observed as problematic in a factual manner.
I: Impact exploration: ask for, and/or state, the potential impact of such a statement or action on others.
O: Own your own thoughts and feelings around the impact.
N: Next steps: Request appropriate action be taken.
With practice, ACTION can be a quick tool to pull from your mental toolbox in the moment, as microaggressions happen.