Microaggressions Cause Macro Harm
Microaggressions are sexist, racist, or otherwise discriminatory actions or comments that are often not recognized as discriminatory by the majority population. Examples include interrupting women during meetings, assigning work based on gendered assumptions, attributing a woman’s idea to her male colleague, or questioning the judgement of women more often than that of their male co-workers. It also includes undermining or marginalizing comments like, “How did you get into that university?” and exclusionary language like “businessmen” instead of “businesspeople,” or the term “Fellow” as a professional or academic honor.
Often the result of unconscious bias, the harm caused by microaggressions is undeniable even if unintended. It can harm businesses as well as the individuals experiencing the microaggressions at work. “[W]omen who experience these microaggressions are three times more likely to think about leaving” than those who do not, Bianca Barratt reports.
Philosopher Christina Freidlaender writes of the cumulative harm these slights cause, illustrating their impact with the example of the pain caused if you accidentally step on someone’s foot. If people have been accidentally stepping on that person’s foot all day, their foot is already in pain when you step on it. Your accidental misstep, while to your mind causing limited damage, will cause greater harm than if you were the only one stepping on that person’s foot.
This cumulative impact is one reason why microaggressors might perceive a disproportionate response to an unintended transgression. Instead of growing defensive and telling someone they are “too sensitive” or “over-emotional,” offenders should try to understand the pain they caused and how to avoid doing so again. Equity and inclusion consultant Ella F. Washington suggests individuals follow the sequence below:
“Pause, breath, and reflect” so you can respond constructively.
If you’re not sure what you did, ask for clarification.
Then, “Listen for understanding.” Washington suggests paraphrasing what you hear and asking if you have understood correctly.
“You must acknowledge what you have done and sincerely apologize for your statement.… You could say something like, ‘I can now better understand how I was wrong in this situation. I will work to become more aware of ____.’”
Leave the door open to talking more in the future.
If you observe someone else transgress, you can intervene—if your intervention would be welcomed, if you have the necessary understanding, and if it is safe to do so. Washington suggests taking the offender aside for a private conversation. “Sometimes simply highlighting the gap between intent and impact can be enlightening for the other person,” Washington writes.
Intervening can be tricky, especially when a power imbalance exists. Journalist Sara Reardon suggests the following options based on her interviews with experts:
“[C]riticize the behaviour and not the person”
Point out “inconsistencies between behaviours and workplace values”
Ask what the offender meant by their comment, and start a dialogue
Redirect the conversation or create a diversion to allow a target to escape.
The art room at Century Magazine, 1889. (Frances Benjamin Johnston, LOC)
Observers are more likely to act if they have practiced intervening in different situations. Active Bystander training can help provide this practice through role playing and virtual reality simulations. Ultimately, firm leadership must act to change the culture of an organization through example and a demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion. But until that happens, both targets and bystanders can help unwitting offenders reduce harmful microaggressions.
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Sources
Bianca Barratt, “The Microaggressions Still Prevalent in the Workplace,” Forbes, October 28, 2018.
Christina Friedlaender, “On Microaggressions: Cumulative Harm and Individual Responsibility,” Hypatia vol. 33, no. 1 (Winter 2018): 5 – 21.
Sara Reardon, “Bystanders can Push Back on Bias and Bigotry,” Nature Vol. 608 (18 August 2022): 633-635.
Ella F. Washington, “Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions at Work,” Harvard Business Review, May 10, 2022.