MRR Exam

Question 1

What are Microaggressions?

Answer 1

a statement, action or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalised group in society.

Can occur due to class, sexual identity, age, disability, religion and race etc

Question 2

who coined the term microaggressions?

Answer 2

Chester M Peirce (1970)
dismissals he regularly witnessed non-black Americans inflict upon African Americans

Question 3

What is the importance of understanding microaggressions?

Answer 3

social scientists describe them as the ‘new face of racism’ suggesting that the nature of racism has shifted from direct expressions of hatred and acts of discrimination to become more ambiguous and subtle - often times being completely unintentional

Allows us to avoid acting in ways that can be perceived discriminatory

Question 4

What are the 4 forms of microaggression?

Answer 4

Microinsult
Microinvalidation
Microassualt
Environmental microaggressions

Question 5

Microinsult

Answer 5

rudeness or lack of sensitivity that can undermine a person’s racial heritage /identity

Question 6

Microinvalidation

Answer 6

the exclusion of the thoughts, feelings or realities of a person belonging to a minority group

Question 7

Microassault

Answer 7

The explicit act of racial derogation

Question 8

Environmental microaggressions

Answer 8

assaults, insults and invalidationsagainst a minority group that are manifested on a systematic level

Question 9

Criticisms of microaggressions

Answer 9

psychologists believe that ‘microaggressions’ are down to bias.

there is no way to tell whether a behaviour is due to a bias or a different factor

The term ‘micro’ has been criticised as often the avts attributed to ‘microaggressions’ re outright assaults and bigotry (many ending with criminal convictions) so this term belittles them

Question 10

examples of microaggressions

Answer 10

assuming POCs are foreigners

the denial of race reality

second class citizenship

ascription of intelligence

Question 12

What is intersectionality?

Answer 12

Oxford Dictionary - “the interconnected nature of social categorisation such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation to influence the extent of discrimination endured.

Question 13

who coined the term intersectionality?

Answer 13

Kimberle Crenshaw (1989 & 1991)

Question 14

What are the tenets (core beliefs) of intersectionality

Answer 14

Human lives are multidimensional and complex (experiences cannot be explained by taking single categories)

The ability for a social identity to result in discrimination can change over time an vary depending on geography

(Havinsky) - individuals can experience privilege and oppression simultaneously

Question 15

Criticisms of intersectionality

Answer 15

this theory makes it impossible to identify common causes of oppression and, therefore isn’t very useful when trying to construct policies to combat oppression in society.

intersectionality undermines other theories of feminism and their patriarchal struggle

Question 16

What is Tokenism?

Answer 16

including those from minority groups simply for the purpose of displaying a seeming lack of discrimination against them.

Tokenism can be based on a persons ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender or disability

Question 17

Examples of Tokenism

Answer 17

hiring someone just becasue they are a POC and the company doesn’t have anyone of that race (many employees who are recruited because of this are often mistreated)

putting POCs at a company in a more visible role

Question 18

Ways people are tokenized

Answer 18

false advertising, advertising the company as a diverse environment when it actually isn’t

many people are hired for roles that they are not qualified for simply so the company can tick a box (do not provide adequate training for them so they feel overwhelmed and typically suffer)

being asked to speak on behalf of their community

Question 19

Possible ways to combat tokenism

Answer 19

like the lone representative