Question

the concept of 'Microagressions,' which can occur on the basis of race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, and so on. At first blush, microaggressions might be seen as instances of one individual saying something to another that is offensive, to a greater or lessor extent. So in that sense, what separates microagressions from the typical social faux paus in which someone says something we'd consider to be in bad taste? In your response explore what might make microagressions seem something more than just individual infractions.

Answer 1

Structural oppressions such as racism and elitism have diverse ways of manifesting themselves more explicitly through state-owned actions and the media, taking as an example the perpetuation of stereotypes of a people and police violence; or even more "light" as some comments, "opinions" and somewhat harsher attitudes toward a particular social minority - especially racial ones - the latter being the most visceral, because of their difficult identification and how it affects in medium and long-term mental health of victims.

Explanation:

In this context arises the term microaggressions, which is defined by professor Derald Sue as: "brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color."

Such actions tend to repeat and affirm common sense understandings, limiting these minorities (whether racial or sexual) to very vague and obviously already contradicted prejudices. As unconscious and impulsive as certain comments may be about one's behavior or aesthetics, they may have the power to marginalize and offend the individual.

To better illustrate this question, we can put it when someone touches a black person's hair without permission. Even if the intention was "sympathetic", this act perpetuates the idea that people in this group are free of emotion and / or reaction, putting them in the place of mere object. The same logic arises when these people's surveys are not really taken into consideration (especially in the case of women and it becomes more aggressive according to the melanin tone); or when unsolicited opinions are expounded on any phenotypic characteristic of the individual such as "your hair is not so bad, but it is very bulky", "you have dark skin but are beautiful", "with such a body can achieve anything ", and other endless indigestible phrases.

Precisely because it acts in a simple and naturalized way, this type of aggression has an unquestionable power to shape and polish thoughts and attitudes, as well as organizing individuals to their "proper places", following the secular racist logic. In mostly white spaces such as universities and private clinics, the issue becomes even more latent when black people have free access to these places and services without cleaning the floor or serving coffee.

Unfortunately, we still live in a unequal society and often, even unintentionally, we can reproduce wrong actions and speech. Our role is to recognize this over time, to reflect on certain behavioral patterns and to practice empathy. People who develop consciousness slowly begin to pay attention to these "slips" and put themselves more in the shoes of others. It may sound like an empty speech, but being more careful about what you say and caring about the other will not hurt anyone!