by Gudrun Hutchins
AAUW has produced a number of webinars (seminars conducted over the internet) on racial and diversity issues. Some of them are interviews or workshops with young academic women. An excellent webinar titled “Microintervention Anti-Bias Workshop” was presented on November 19, 2020 by Sarah Alsaidi, a woman of color, and a 2021 PhD candidate in Counseling Psychology at Columbia University.
The workshop featured verbal microintervention techniques that we can use to diffuse biased language or non-verbal body language in small group settings. In this article I would like to report what I learned by watching this webinar multiple times. You can watch it yourself by clicking the video below:
I have included some of the examples from the workshop in this review.
The everyday slights, put-downs, and insults that marginalized people experience in their daily interactions are called microaggressions. They are often linked to our implicit biases, often occur outside of our consciousness, and may be unintentional. Microaggressions may occur verbally (“you speak good English” said to an ethnic Japanese who was born in this country) or nonverbally (clutching one’s purse more tightly when passing someone on the street) and can make people feel ashamed and dehumanized. A microaggression can also be a negative comment or negative body language aimed at a target who is different from the aggressor in race, national origin, sex, or appearance. It is different from a macroaggression because no physical violence is involved.
There are three main types of microaggressions. A microinsult is often an unconscious verbal or non-verbal communication that subtly conveys rudeness and insensitivity that demean a person’s heritage or identity. Example: asking a student of color which scholarship they received for admittance to college. A microinvalidation is a communication that subtly excludes, negates, or nullifies the thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a person’s identity. Example: pictures that represent that all members of an organization such as AAUW are homogenous. A microassault is a conscious and intentional discriminatory action on one’s identity. Example: racial and sexual slurs.
The following interaction is an example of a non-verbal microaggression and how it can be diffused by the target. The meta-communication in this example is implied by the woman’s body language.
Scenario: A Black man enters an elevator occupied by a white heterosexual couple. The woman appears anxious, moves to the other side of her partner, and clutches her purse tightly.
Meta-communication: “Black men are dangerous, potentially criminals, or up to no good.”
The Target Asks for Clarification: “What was that all about? Are you afraid of me?”
Many targets would not be as assertive as this Black man and would need another person to be in the elevator to validate the target by starting a conversation with him or introducing him to the couple as a representative of XYZ Company and a guest at the hotel. This ally or bystander is typically a representative of a dominant group (e.g. white, male) who observed the scenario. The main intent of the ally is to diffuse the encounter and put the woman at ease.
The microaggression may be as simple as jokes told between students that are overheard by the target. To diffuse the microaggression, the ally, bystander, or target may want to note the good qualities of the aggressor and point out that the joke does not align with their values.
Scenario: A student in a chemistry class makes the following observation about an Arab-American student: “Maybe she shouldn’t be learning about making bombs and stuff.”
Meta-Communication: “All Arab-Americans are potential terrorists.”
An Ally, Bystander, or the Target contradicts the group-based stereotype by appealing to the offender’s values and principles: “I know you really care about representing everyone on campus and being a good student government leader but acting in this way really undermines your intentions to be inclusive.”
Similar situations may occur in offices or other places of work. For example: when someone is visibly handicapped, co-workers may assume that they obtained their position only because of their handicap and not because of their abilities, merit, or experience. Women may be paid less because they are mothers and not because of inferior ability or inefficiency. And employers can get away with it.
The simplest thing that you can do as an ally or bystander is to use an exclamation to indicate your disagreement with what you see and hear. A fairly loud “Ouch!”, “No!”, or “Yikes!” will typically stop the microaggression. The reaction may also give you a minute or two to decide what else to say or give the target an opportunity to defend him- or herself. Sometimes just making eye contact with the target will let them know that you saw or heard the action that is upsetting them.
The purpose of any microintervention is four-fold:
- To stop the microaggression.
- To make the “invisible” visible. Why is the comment or body language of the aggressor hurtful to the target? What is the background that influenced the negative interaction?
- To educate the offender so that the microaggression will not be repeated endlessly.
- The target, aggressor, and ally may also seek additional support or counseling if the microaggression is repeated numerous times. This often is not necessary.
Some Definitions Related to Microaggression
Targets are marginalized group members who are objects of racial, gender, or sexual orientation prejudice and discrimination expressed through micro- and macroaggressions.
Allies are individuals who belong to dominant social groups (e.g. whites, males, heterosexuals) and through their support of non-dominant groups (e.g. people of color, women, LGBTQ individuals), actively work towards the eradication of prejudicial practices they witness in both their personal and professional lives. This is not easy and takes commitment and work.
Bystanders can be anyone who becomes aware of and/or witnesses unjust behavior or practices that are worthy of comment or action. Bystanders may possess only a superficially developed awareness of racially biased behaviors.
Aggressors or offenders are typically members of a dominant or privileged group who act the way they do because of pride in their own status and lack of interest in marginalized groups. Some microaggressions are non-intentional because the offender is not aware of the norms and history of the target.
Barriers to Responding
- Reality check? – Did anyone else notice? Will they say I am just too sensitive?
- But what if? – What if I get fired? What if she stops being my friend?
- Catch 22 – If I respond there may be negative consequences. If I don’t respond it may have a psychological toll.