In today’s workplace, being inclusive, valuing and respecting your employees, is a given. Yet, despite efforts to foster diversity and inclusion, subtle forms of discrimination known as microaggressions do persist in companies and social environments.
In last week’s article, I introduced the unconscious bias topic of microaggressions. They are understated, but often unintentional forms of discrimination or pejorative comments or behaviours that occur in our interactions.
Microaggressions often reinforce unhealthy power dynamics or perpetuate stereotypes, which can inadvertently cause strain and has a negative impact on our working or social relationships.
We can actively mitigate the effects of microaggressions, if we understand it correctly by educating ourselves on the topic, and recognizing how they show up. Proactive tools can then be used to foster a more inclusive and respectful environment for our peers, colleagues, and associates.
Psychology professor, Derald Wing Sue (2007) categorized microaggressions into three types, namely microinsults, microassaults and microinvalidations.
- Microinsults
Are often unconscious communication and messaging that convey rudeness, insensitivity, or demean an individual based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or other identities. They may include dismissive remarks, invalidation of experiences, or assumptions about capabilities and identity.
Examples:
- Asking a person of colour, ‘Where are you really from?’, implying that they are not from where the homogenous group is from.
- Assuming that a woman will take the secretarial responsibilities in a meeting.
- Making jokes or comments that belittle someone’s spiritual beliefs or practices.
- Microassaults
Involve direct attacks or behaviours intended to demean, exclude, or harm someone or a group, based on their identity.
Examples:
- Using racial / prejudiced terms or labels.
- Excluding certain individuals from social events or professional opportunities based on their identity.
- Making derogatory comments about someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Microinvalidation
These are subtle communication/ behaviors that dismiss or negate the experiences, feelings, or identities of a group of people or individual.
Examples:
- Dismissing a person’s concerns about discrimination by telling them that they are too sensitive or that it was a joke.
- Overlooking or failing to acknowledge the contributions and ideas of certain individuals in group discussions or meetings based on their identity or difference in comparison to the group.
- Making comments or behaving in a way that undermines or invalidate the lived experiences and identity of another.
Addressing and understanding microaggressions, is a critical step toward building a professional workplace and team where individuals can bring their whole-selves to work or participate in a group dynamic where they feel safe, valued, respected and empowered. It is up to us as individuals, leaders or contributors, to recognise how these unconscious bias behaviours show up in our interactions or discourse. That we all have unconscious biases irrespective of our best intentions. That we have to constantly reflect on our behaviour and communication in order to ease the impact of uncomfortable relationship dynamics / biases like microaggressions. We have to learn healthy behavioural practices that build healthy environments where we can thrive together and drive positive change in our organisations and communities.
Next week, I wrap up this series by sharing how you can make proactive change in your work or social environments. Watch this space.
