Ch 4 Flashcards
microagressions: implications for counseling and psychotherapy
microagressions
the everyday slights, indignities, putdowns, insults, and invalidations that marganilized group members experience in their day to day interactions with well intentioned people who often are unaware they have engaged in an offensive and demeaning manner
reflections of implicit bias
often send hidden demeaning or humiliating messages
aversive racism
manifested in individuals who consciously assert egalitarian values but unconsciously hold anti minority feelings
studies find that LGBTQ persons in the workplace….
between 15 to 43 percent experience discrimination or harassment
7-41 percent report verbal or physical buse of have their workplace vandalized
10-28 percent have not been promoted because they are gay or transgender
antigay harassment
verbal or physical behavior that injured, interferes with, or intimidates lesbian women, gay men, and bisexual individuals
transphobia
en emotional disgust toward individuals who do not conform to society’s gender expectations
macroagression
refers to systemic and institutional forms of discrimination that impact an entire class of individuals
reside in policies, programs, practices, and structures of institutions
microagressions…
tend to be subtle, unintentional, and indirect
often occur in situations where there are alternative explanations
represent unconscious and ingrained biased beliefs and attitudes
are more likely to occur when people pretend not to notice differences, thereby denying that race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or ability had anything to do with their actions
three types of microagressions
microassualt
microinsult
micro invalidation
microassualt
refers to blatant verbal, nonverbal, or environmental attack intended to convey discriminatory and biased sentiments
related to over racism and such
use of slurs
most perpetrators with conscious biases will engage in overt discrimination only under three conditions
when some degree of anonymity can be insured
when they are in the presence of others who share or tolerate their biased beliefs and actions
when they lose control of their feelings and actions
microinsult
unintentional behaviors or verbal comments that convey rudeness or insensitivity or demean a person’s racial heritage/identity, gender identity, religion, ability, or sexual orientation identity
micro invalidation
verbal comments or behaviors that exclude, negate, or dismiss the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a target group
EX: all lives matter BS
the study of microagressions presents
a couple scientific challenge because it deals with both explicit and implicit bias, explores the lived realities of marginalized groups in our society, frames microagressive dynamics as an interaction between perpetrator, target, and the external environment, pushes powerful emotional buttons in the actors, and is difficult to separate from the sociopolitical dimensions of oppression, power, and privilege
racial battle fatigue
the cumulative effect of microagressions has been show to impede learning by depleting cognitive and psychological resources
four major psychological dilemmas microagressions subject marginalized groups
- the clash of sociodemographic realities
- the invisibility of unintentional expressions of bias
- the perceived minimal harm of microagressions
4.the catch-22 of responding to microagressions
- the clash of sociodemographic realities
where the marginalized doubt how they perceive their experience while the majority perceive do not perceive it at all
- the invisibility of unintentional expression of bias
the microagression is practically invisible to the perpetrator or disregarded
- the perceived minimal harm of microagressions
when the perpetrator accuses the victim of overreacting or being hypersensitive
the cumulative effect of microagressions….
feelings of self-doubt, frustration, isolation, powerlessness, and invisibility
(homonegative) low self-esteem, negative feelings about ones sexual orientation identity, and obstacles to developing ones sexual identity
- the catch-22 of responding to microagressions
you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t
the multicultural oreintation framework (MCO)
can be used to help therapists engage in a discourse on race, culture, racism, and microagressions
three pillars
1. cultural humility
2. cultural opportunities
3. cultural comfort
the MCO pillars involve therapists to be…
aware of their own cultural values and those of others
curious about others cultural identities and values
at ease and comfortable with discussions that involve race, racism, and culture
counselors who score higher on cultural humility are…
less likely to microagress
have more positive therapy outcomes
micorintervention
everyday words or deeds, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate to targets of micro aggressions….
validation of there experiential reality
values as a person
affirmation of their racial or group identity
support and encouragement
reassurance that they are not alone
four strategic goals of mirointerventions
- make the invisible visible
- disarm the microagression
- educate the perpetrator
- seek external reinforcement or support
disarm the microagression
say ouch
interrupt and redirect
seek external reinforcement or support
a strong power differential exists between perpetrator and target
the microagression is blatant and immediately harmful
it would be risk to respond personally
institutional changes must be implemented
three major beneficial impact of micro interventions
- they serve to enhance psychological well-being and provide targets, allies, and bystanders with a sense if control and self-efficacy
- they counteract, change, or stop microagressions by subtly or overtly confronting and educating the perpetrator
- they have been found to create an inclusive and welcoming environment, discourage negative behavior, challenge false consensus, and reinforce norms that value respectful interactions
