"brief everyday indignities that are verbal, behavioral or environmental, that they may be intentional or unintentionally communicated to women, to people of color, to gay/lesbians that have an insulting message behind them that often time causes severe psychological distress and harm" (Sue, 2010). As I listened to those around me, and to myself, I was surprised to hear the number of times that a comment or conversation could be considered a microaggression. The example that impacted me the most was from a television show where a white man calls his assistant, who is from India "Mogli". The show was a comedy and so the laugh track started right after the comment. I was amazed at the comment and thought that it was a blatant assault on another person that was perpetuated by the media. I felt embarrassed for the individual even though it was a fictional character. How many young children may have seen that episode and now think that it is funny to call someone of that race a name like that?
As we study this topic further, I know that my sensitivity to these interactions will become heightened. My challenge will be to monitor my own expressions and interactions and find a way to communicate more appropriately and effectively.
References
Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. New York, NY: Wiley.
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with you children learn a lot from TV and the fact that microaggressions are seen as funny and a form of humor are rubbing of on the youth today. I work school aged children they use mircoaggressions all the time as a form of humor.
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that example of microaggression. The media is definitely highlighted as a place to show microaggressions. I often frown upon alot of actions done on t.v. and other media programs that will affect our future generations towards different cultures.
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up an excellent point, that the media plays an important role in what is acceptable. There are so many shows on that really teeter that line of what is appropriate and not. Unfortunately, people have become couch potatoes and children are watching way to much television, that we as a society have lost perspective on how our words impact others. People just know that it gets a laugh on tv so why not in real life!