What is a microaggression?
Microaggression is a term used for commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.
Microaggressions signal disrespect and reflect inequality.
What is the impact of microaggressions?
Microaggressions can be difficult to address - they are often subtle, are behaviours that are ingrained in social discourse, and each one can be a small slight. Confronting these can seem like an over-reaction, but their impact on the receiver builds up over time, creating a hostile environment and eroding self esteem.
What can I do about microaggressions as:
1. The perpetrator
The onus is on you to better your interactions with the diverse group of talented individuals who are your colleagues, be they faculty, staff, or students.
Unintentionally committing microaggressions does not make you a bad person, it simply means that you need to be more aware of your biases and impact on other people. In many cases, just being aware of which behaviours are perceived as insults or harmful by others is enough to help you adjust your actions. Here are examples of race-based, gender-based, ageism, and other icroaggressions you can practice avoiding.
If you are having trouble determining if a behaviour is appropriate, a suggestion is to imagine a person who does not embody the traits associated with increased microaggressions in the place of the person you are interacting with, as an internal check on your actions. This requires you to consider the dynamics of bias between you and the recipient, which should help as well.
Example questions to ask yourself:
Would you send that same email to a person of the opposite gender? If they were from a different ethnic background? Or would you phrase it differently if the person you were sending it to holds more social power than your current recipient?
If someone points out that your actions are being received as microaggressions, apologize and endeavor to improve - don’t belittle the person or dismiss their concerns. It takes nerve and energy to confront discrimination - endeavour to see this as a learning opportunity.
2. An observer
If you observe a microaggression taking place, you can:
a.
Address
it
directly
with
the
perpetrator,
using
the
OTFD
model
b.
Interrupt
the
microaggression
c.
Be
an
ally
and
support
the
individual
affected
i.
Amplify
their
ideas
if
they
are
being
talked
over,
with
credit
ii.
Correct
mis-pronunciation
or
mis-titling
iii.
Confirm
to
the
affected
individual
that
the
behaviour
was
not
appropriate
3.
The
impacted
individual
If you have the energy and are in a position to address a microaggression (i.e., in a position of authority), interrupt the microaggression.
Find others in your sphere who share these experiences - this can be affirming that the behaviours are systemic and not personal.
Microaggressions can wear down your sense of competence and self esteem. Find a group of supportive colleagues who can counteract this effect. Limit time with those who are consistent microaggressors.
We are not an exception - the Department of Biology has an active problem with microaggressions.
Common examples of microaggressions seen in the Department of Biology:
•
Interrupting
and
talking
over
the
person
speaking
•
Using
titles
for
men,
not
for
women
or
racial
minorities
•
Not
recognizing/respecting
power
differentials
•
Assuming
lower
professional
level
(PI
assumed
to
be
grad
student,
grad
student
assumed
to
be
undergraduate)
•
Questioning
the
expertise
of
a
woman/racial/gender
minority
on
a
topic
that
they
have
knowledge
in
•
Not
respecting
the
requested
pronoun
of
the
individual
•
Mispronouncing
names,
not
asking
how
to
pronounce
a
name
in
advance
•
Offloading
work
that
is
their
responsibility
to
women
staff
members
•
Talking
down
and
being
dismissive
of
women
staff
members
Email etiquette in the Department of Biology is rife with microaggressions. Women and racialized individuals, even those in positions of relative authority over the sender, receive more aggressive, impolite, and angry emails.
Some examples, anonymized but inspired by real emails from our Department:
Male faculty member to female faculty member (female member has seniority):
1.
“make
sure
you
are
using
positive
words
to
describe
the
situation”
–
6
other
people
included
on
the
email
2.
“You
need
to
use
a
semi-colon,
not
a
colon
in
that
sentence”
–
correcting
a
small
error
and
including
numerous
others
on
the
email
3.
“Make
this
edit
and
send
it
back
to
me”
(it
was
their
error
and
responsibility)
Male student to female instructor:
Upon correction of title:
1.
Personally,
I
prefer
to
be
addressed
as
X
(he/him),
where
the
pronouns
are
said
aloud.
Or
alternatively,
"sir",
but
this
changes
day
to
day
so
it's
always
best
to
ask
how
to
address
me
before
addressing
me,
even
if
you're
not
likely
to
hear
from
me
again.
Not
for
professional
reasons,
but
out
of
respect.
2.
I
apologize
for
the
initial
unprofessional
address,
but
personally
I
think
it
might
confuse
most
people
as
they
might
assume
you're
a
doctor
of
medicine,
so
I
prefer
not
to.
Since
you
asked,
however,
I
have
no
issue
making
an
exception
for
you,
doctor.
Unsolicited feedback:
1.
I
understand
it
was
probably
a
lot
for
you
to
make
these
lectures,
but
you
have
to
redo
them
with
a
Mac
and
add
more
animations
to
make
the
lecture
more
easily
digestible.
I
am
willing
to
help
in
whatever
way
I
can!!!
You
have
to
see
that
this
quality
of
teaching
is
unacceptable.
2.
Seriously
you
could
never
present
new
information
like
this
(it's
new
to
us
the
students)
at
a
conference
with
actual
experts
in
the
field
…
I
KNOW
YOU
MUST
KNOW
THIS.
3.
Here
is
your
chance
to
represent
and
embody
an
elite
institution.
You
have
a
problem;
let's
work
on
the
solution.
4.
You
and
your
colleagues
need
to
chill
out
with
all
the
assignments
and
things.
Some of these may seem very minor. Others may seem easily laughed off. It is the sheer volume of these interactions, and the persistent messaging that one does not belong or is not respected in their role, that causes issues over time.
Curious
to
know
more?
Check
out
the
hyperlinked
articles
in
this
fact
sheet
and
the
EDI
committee’s
resource
page.
Check your own unconscious biases with the Harvard Implicit Association Test
Questions or comments? Reach out to the EDI committee.
Revised: 2022-04-01