Topic 3 Gender microaggressions
Types of Gender microaggressions
Sexual objectification
Second-class citizenship
Use of sexist language
Assumption of inferiority
Restrictive gender roles
Denial of the reality of sexism
Denial of individual sexism
Invisibility
Sexist humor/jokes
Environmental invalidations: macro level aggressions that happen on systemic and environmental level (unequal pay; glass ceiling; media images)
Imagine these scenarios
You are a member of a faculty search committee hiring an assistant professor in biology. The committee is just starting a face-to-face interview with a candidate named Maria Vasquez. One of your colleagues makes comments about her appearance calling her ”beautiful” on a frequent basis. He also asks her to “smile” if she does not have a smile on her face. She finds this very uncomfortable and nervously laughs.
A search committee hiring a department chair in environmental science is meeting to discuss the final list of candidates, which includes two men and one women. During the discussion, a male committee member says, “I think we should hire one of the men. I won’t work for a woman.”
A man named Alex is a candidate for a tenure-track job in chemistry. During his on-campus interview, the chairperson (a woman) of the search committee is giving him a tour. As they walk through the department labs, Alex makes a point to let the chairperson know that because he is a man, he feels he could make a great candidate for some of the top positions of the committee due to his determination, strength and assertiveness. The chairperson does not appreciate that he thinks this is a characteristic of a man, rather than a characteristic that all persons can possess.
Why are these comments and behaviours problematic? These are examples of “microaggressions”
Defining Microaggressions
Microaggressions:
Are verbal and nonverbal behaviours
Communicate negative, hostile, and derogatory messages to people rooted in their marginalised group membership (based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.)
Occur in everyday interactions
Can be intentional or unintentional
Are often unacknowledged
Three Forms of Microaggressions:
1.Microassaults: “old fashioned” discrimination
Name-calling, avoidant behaviour, or purposefully discriminatory actions
Likely to be conscious and deliberate
2.Microinsults: subtle snubs that communicate a covert insulting message
Convey stereotypes, rudeness, and insensitivity that demean a person’s identity
Are frequently unknown to the person
3.Microinvalidations: disconfirming messages
Exclude, negate, or dismiss the thoughts, feelings, or experiences of certain groups
May be the most damaging form of the three microaggressions
Detrimental Impact of Gender Microaggressions
Negative impact on standard of living
Unequal wages
Higher levels of poverty
Negative impact on physical health
Migraines, heart disease, autoimmune disorders
Negative impact on psychological health
Depression
Anxiety
Body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders
Moving Forward: How to Overcome Microaggressions
Individual Intervention
Develop an honest awareness of our own biases, prejudices, and stereotypes
Organisational Intervention
Make sure policies, practices, and procedures allow for equal access and opportunity
Create a welcoming communication climate
Provide professional development opportunities
Make accountability central
Societal/Cultural Intervention
Critically assess cultural communication (education, mass media, institutions, etc.)
Create social policy and law to rectify discrimination and promote equal access
Promote multi-cultural education
Source: Photo by Caleb Oquendo from Pexels