Microaggressions: Intervening in three acts

Teaching Race and Racial Justice: Developing Students’ Cognitive and Affective Understanding

“…First, instructors can model and motivate racial reflexivity, or the process by which one evaluates the ways race shapes our knowledge of ourselves and others, as well as our biases and our beliefs (Delano-Oriaran and Parks 2015; Matias and Mackey 2015;Rothschild 2003;Smele et al 2017). Second, instructors can help students prepare for and welcome difficulty, encouraging students to embrace discomforting and interpersonally challenging discussions about race and racism as part of a transformative learning experience, and to practice critical reflection on the process in writing and classroom discussions (Estrada and Matthews 2016;Kumashiro 2000;Leonardo and Porter 2010;Rothschild 2003;Thurber and DiAngelo 2018). Third, instructors can meet students where they are by anticipating or surveying their varied misconceptions (Kandaswamy 2007), and scaffolding lessons and assignments to enhance knowledge and skills (Leonardo and Porter 2010;Lichty and Palamaro-Munsell 2017;Zembylas 2012).…”

“…This said, he also encouraged embracing discomfort in the context of a respectful and physically safe learning environment where all members acknowledged one another's humanity and disavowed bullying, threats, abuse, or violence. He also endeavored to be highly responsive to the uncomfortable and conflictual dialogue to facilitate questioning and reflection, bridge understandings, and when necessary, help repair ruptures in relationships among students (Thurber and DiAngelo 2018).…”

Exploring the Domestic Abuse Narratives of Trans and Nonbinary People and the Role of Cisgenderism in Identity Abuse, Misgendering, and Pathologizing

“…Both misgendering and pathologizing are microaggressions which target a person’s gender identity or expression. Microaggressions are commonplace within everyday interactions and serve to denigrate and other people ( Thurber & DiAngelo, 2018 ). Microaggressions permeate everyday reality for marginalized groups.…”

“…Offering a different perspective, Ally described his mental ill-health as resulting from his experiences of frequent microaggressions and living in a perpetual state of tension and confusion. Poor mental health as a negative outcome is a common result of living with abuse, as there is ample testimonial and empirical evidence portraying the deleterious impacts of microaggressions ( Thurber & DiAngelo, 2018 ).…”

Should psychotherapists apologise after microaggressions? An empirical analogue study of perceptions of therapists

“…In the Owen et al (2014) study, those clients who discussed the microaggression with their therapist almost unanimously reported that the discussion enabled them to 'work it out' (p. 285), but it is unclear how often, or to what extent, the discussion included an apology by the therapist. Separately, a few scholars have explored the question of how to most effectively apologise after committing a microaggression, but their recommendations are general, rather than therapist-specific (Holling, Moon, & Jackson Nevis, 2014;Jackson, 2019;Thurber & DiAngelo, 2018). In fact, there is little research on therapists apologising at all, and what exists is more often theoretical than empirical (e.g., Goldberg, 1987).…”