1. Culture Clash
Fostering Cultural Awareness by Understanding the Invisible Harm of Microaggressions

2. Presentation Objectives
Define Microaggressions and various subtypes
Microinsults
Microassualts
Microinvalidations
Identify real world examples of microaggressions (including examples in advising scenarios)
Provide recommendations and skills on addressing microaggressions in advising

3. Noel Fuller-Presenter
Academic Advisor I – College of Education
Texas State University
MSIS in interdisciplinary Studies
Communication
Counseling
Leadership

4. What Are Microaggressions?

5. What are Microaggressions
“brief and common place daily verbal or behavioral indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults that potentially have a harmful or unpleasant psychological impact on the target person or group” (Sue & Sue 2013)
Tend to be subtle, unintentional, and indirect
Occur in situations where there are alternative explanations
Represent unconscious and ingrained biased beliefs and attitudes
More likely to occur when people pretend not to notice differences

6. Examples:

7. Subsets of Microagressions
Microassaults
Microinsults
Microinvalidations
Blatant verbal, nonverbal, or environmental attack intended to convey discriminatory and biased sentiments.
Similar to old-fashioned racism (Overt)
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
Hidden Messages
Verbal comments or behaviors that exclude negate, or dismiss the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of the target group
Ex. I don’t see religion/race

8. Group Activity

9. The Microaggression Dilemmas
Clash of Sociodemographic Realities
Belief that race and gender issues no longer exist
Limits credibility
Power Group versus Marginalized Group
Unintentional Expressions of Bias
Explain away experiences and interpretations
Creates an invisible psychological dilemma
Perceived Minimal Harm of Microaggressions
Tell victims to “Let it Go”
Can lead to feelings of powerlessness, invisibility, and loss of integrity
Students fail to return when they aren’t heard or understood
Students experience lower self esteem.
The Catch 22
The victim’s struggle (acknowledge incident or avoid the hassle)
Shouldering an invisible burden

10. What Can You Do?

11. Interventions and Skills
Verbal and Nonverbal interventions
Establish trust
Ex. Learn your student’s name
Avoid defining a student’s experiential reality
Empowerment through self validation and sanity checks
Making the invisible “visible”
Check you own bias. Ask, what underlying message does my comment convey?
Minimize your personal microagressions
Avoid defensive stances
Recover vs. Cover Up
Clarify the situation

12. But What If?
What If I’m the victim of microaggressions perpetrated by a student?
Address the issue as early as possible
Start a dialogue using X-Y-Z Formula (Ex. When you say X, in situation Y, I feel that Z)
Be honest and open
Maintain a positive example
Have a supervisor intervene
Follow up with your supervisor and colleagues

13. Group Activity

14. For More Information
Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice
Microaggressions in Everyday Life

15. Thank You

16. References:
Beebe, S.A., & Masterson, J. T. (2015). Communicating in small groups: Principles and practices (11th ed.). Boston: Pearson
Kohli, R., & Solorzano, D. G. (2012). Teachers, please learn our names!: Racial microagressions and the K-12 classroom. Race and Ethnicity and Education, 15(4),
Nadal, K. L., Wong, Y., Griffin, K. E., Davidoff, K., & Sriken, J. (2014). The adverse impact of racial microagressions on college students’ self-esteem. Journal of College Student Development, 55(5),
Sue, D. W., Sue, D., & Sue, D. W. (2013). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (11th ed.). New York: J. Wiley.
Vega, T. (2014, March 21). Students See Many Slights as Racial 'Microaggressions‘ The New York Times.