We all want to be better people. As a part of the Woolwich community, we are proud to be kind, welcoming, and supportive of one another. Although we all have the best intentions in mind, we still must reflect on unintentional biases that we may have.
‘Microaggressions’ is a term that you may have seen floating around lately. What are they, and why are they harmful?
Microaggressions are indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group-- often feeding into stereotypes. Incidents of microaggressions can be hidden in compliments or jokes. Unfortunately, they are often seen as trivial. This leaves those who experience microaggressions feeling uncomfortable and unsure if they want to speak up.
It is hard to speak up for many reasons. Am I overreacting? Speaking
up won’t solve anything, right? What do I even say? If I speak up, will others believe that people like me are too emotional/impulsive?
Oftentimes, microaggressions arise from implicit biases. These incidents are uncommon and unrecognisable by most people. For those who are affected, these microaggressions form patterns which quickly become noticeable.
Some examples of microaggressions include:
“You’re smart/good at [something] for a [race]!”
-- Implies that people of a certain race aren’t usually smart/good at certain tasks.
“I can’t be racist! I have a [race] friend!”
-- Implies immunity to racism while invalidating someone's experiences.
Implying that a person of a marginalized group got their job only to fill a quota system.
-- Automatically assumes that the person of a marginalized group isn’t as qualified. It also implies that people of colour have unfair privileges.
Clutching your bag when a person of colour is near.
-- Automatically assumes that a person of colour is untrustworthy.
Learning about microaggressions and becoming aware of these subtleties is a step in the right direction to limit bias in our community. If you notice a microaggression, kindly notify the person in question—they may not have realised the implied message in what they have just said.
There are excellent online resources about microaggressions. Some resources include:
· American Psychological Association (click on the image below to read a featured article).
· Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life by D. W. Sue et al. (2007).
Most importantly, we must listen to others’ experiences and be willing to learn. You may not be seeing a pattern of bias because you aren’t experiencing it. By considering other perspectives, we can continue to make Woolwich a more inclusive community.
Although we may not be able to change who we were yesterday, we are responsible for the community that we will be tomorrow. Progress can be slow, and we shouldn’t scrutinize those who are putting in an effort to do better. Our community is changing, and it’s changing for the better. Thank you for taking the time to learn.