Experiences Of Microaggressions Research Articles

“Dangerous conceits”: Racial Bodies and Microaggression in Shakespeare’s Othello

Many scholars read Othello, written during England's entrance onto the global stage as a colonial power, as Shakespeare’s reflection upon the increasingly diverse population of England and the rise of a modern conception of race and racism. While conceptions of race and racism shift with culture, Othello is positioned at the inception of racism and systems of oppression that are still at work today. Similarly, subtle racial slights towards Othello mirror what Professor Chester Pierce first termed as microaggressions. Drawing on Kevin Nadal's clinical research and the poetry of Claudia Rankine that details the bodily experience of microaggressions, I argue that the barrage of subtle and explicit racism that Othello experiences provides context for what at first appears to be an unbelievably quick turn against Desdemona. Othello’s tragic demise, rather than resulting from an individual character flaw, demonstrates the devastating and accumulated impact of microaggressions on racialized bodies and their collective function within a system of oppression.

Colin in Black and White

Colin in Black and White

Exploring the Lived Experience of Diabetes Through an Intersectional Lens: A Qualitative Study of Adults With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

BackgroundOur aim in this study was to explore the lived experience of adults living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes through an intersectional sex- and gender-based analysis plus lens. MethodsQualitative interviews with 15 adults (9 women, 6 men) were conducted in February and March 2021. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed for semantic and latent themes noting differences in participants’ accounts of living with diabetes by gender, age, race and ethnicity, type of diabetes and other key demographics. ResultsParticipants’ experiences differed substantively by gender, age and racialization. “Resilience” was identified as a central feature in participants’ lives. Factors that contributed to resilience included supportive relationships, a feeling of agency and social acceptance; confounding factors included unsupportive relationships, a lack of agency and experiences of stigma, discrimination and microaggressions. ConclusionsLived experiences of diabetes can best be understood through an intersectional lens that considers peoples’ diverse socioeconomic locations and identities. Those who experience discrimination, including women, older individuals and racialized people, may also experience the compounding effects of multiple marginalization, requiring greater investment in factors that contribute to their resilience. Considering the varied needs of diverse individuals should be integrated into routine diabetes care.

Relationships between experiencing anti-fat microaggressions, body appreciation, and perceived physical and mental health.

This study examined whether body appreciation mediates the relationships between anti-fat microaggression experiences and perceived physical and mental health. Using a cross-sectional survey design, our study included 384 adult cisgender women in the United States. We found that anti-fat microaggression experiences had a negative association with body appreciation, and perceived physical and mental health. Body appreciation had a positive relationship to perceived physical and mental health. Our study further suggests that body appreciation is an important modifiable factor that mediates the relationships between anti-fat microaggression experiences and perceived mental and physical health. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

“Starting from Square One”: Results from the Racial Climate Survey of Writing Center Professional Gatherings

Though the conversation about race and racism in individual writing centers has developed in the last 30 years (Coenen et al., 2019; Condon, 2007; Dees et al., 2007; Denny, 2010; Faison, 2018; García, 2017; Greenfield, 2019; Greenfield & Rowan, 2011; Grimm, 1999; Kern, 2019; Lockett, 2019), scholars rarely discuss the racial climate of writing center professional spaces. This article reports on the findings from the Racial Climate Survey of Writing Center Professional Gatherings. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in spring 2019, when participants were asked about their experiences and perceptions of the racial climate of international, national, regional, and local writing center professional gatherings during the 2017–2018 academic year. Results show a statistically significant difference between White participants and BIPOC participants in relation to experiences of racial microaggressions, tensions/comfort in professional gatherings, and experiences in sessions about race/racism. Across multiple survey questions, the lack of diversity noted by participants was one of the most significant factors shaping their experiences of the racial climate of writing center professional gatherings. Based on the results, suggestions for how to improve the racial climate of writing center professional gatherings are provided.

Exploring the microaggression experiences of LGBTQ+ community for a culturally safe care: A descriptive qualitative study

BackgroundMicroaggressions, stigma and minority stress still occur among sexual and gender minorities on an individual, interpersonal, and structural level. Cultural immersion may therefore be an effective strategy in order to find potential healthcare approaches and foster more comprehensive, critical, intersectional, and inclusive care practices. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop insight into the experiences of LGBTQ+ community members to obtain in-depth perceptions of microaggressions and an understanding of their healthcare needs to provide a culturally safe and sensitive care. DesignA qualitative descriptive study was conducted between September to November 2021. SettingsThis study was conducted at the University of Almeria with LGBTQ+ community members. ParticipantsTwenty-one LGBTQ+ individual participated in this study, aged between 18 and 56 years old. MethodsParticipants were recruited using a purposive sampling. Responses from semi-structured interviews were studied using a thematic analysis. Methods and findings are reported in line with Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research recommendations. ResultsThree themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (i) experiences to understand the impact of a heteronormative society, (ii) perceptions of engaging with health education and promotion, and (iii) healthcare access, use and experiences within the LGTBQ+ community. ConclusionsThis study yields findings about the difficulties that LGBTQ+ community members face in the healthcare system in order to ensure equal care for vulnerable communities and integrate a culturally safe care approach into nursing practice. Certain microaffirmation strategies against social determinants of health such as school-based nursing strategies can help to raise awareness and knowledge among heterosexual peers and reduce cultural invisibility, microaggressions, stigma and minority stress. In order to provide culturally safe care, educators might also explore the inclusion of gender and sexual minority care content in both in-faculty education and ongoing continuing education for nurse practitioners.

Revealing hidden experiences: Gendered microaggressions and surgical faculty burnout

BackgroundStudies report higher burnout in women faculty surgeons compared to men. However, few studies have examined underlying mechanisms for these gendered differences. Gendered differences in microaggression experiences may explain part of the relationship between gender and burnout. We aimed to investigate the relationship between gender, gendered microaggressions, and burnout and test the hypothesis that microaggressions contribute to the relationship between gender and burnout. MethodsIn this 2021 study, a survey was distributed to surgical faculty at 7 institutions. Variables included gender identity, race, average hours worked recently, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and a modified Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale to assess gendered microaggressions. To assess the relationship between surgical faculty gender and burnout, and if this relationship could be explained by microaggressions, a mediation model was tested. ResultsA total of 109 participants (40% female) completed the survey and were included in analysis. The hypothesized indirect effect of gender on burnout (M = 2.70/5, SD = 0.81), through gender-based microaggressions (M = 1.7/5, SD = 1.9), was significant, B = −0.25, SE B = 0.09, confidence interval (−0.44 to −0.09): women surgeons reported higher levels of gendered microaggressions, which predicted higher levels of burnout. The overall model was significant (R2 = .16, F[6,102] = 3.33, P < .01). Race, specialty, hours worked, and years of experience were all not significant in the model. ConclusionGendered microaggressions mediate the relationship between gender and burnout, providing a potential mechanism for the higher rates of burnout in women surgeons evident in prior research. These multi-institutional data provide a focus for targeted initiatives that could decrease both burnout rates and the impact of gender bias on surgical faculty.

Microaggression Experiences of Queer Science Students in Their Departments

This study explored how the feelings of comfort and safety of LGBTQ+ undergraduate science majors in their departments at a mid-size Midwestern university affected their academic success. The literature provides a number of studies about LGBTQ+ STEM faculty, campus and departmental climate studies for LGBTQ+ students, and microaggressions experienced by a variety of students and faculty from historically underrepresented groups. There is little literature directly connecting campus climate work to STEM departments’ climates and the experiences of LGBTQ+ undergraduates. This study utilized a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of STEM majors who identified as LGBTQ+. A narrative approach to the research emphasized the voices of these marginalized students. Three participants participated in one interview per semester over two subsequent semesters for a total of six interviews, which were then coded using emergent themes. The most interesting findings were related to potential microaggressions experienced by the students, such as specific passive negative experiences or general negative feelings about expressing their identities. This study found that LGBTQ+ undergraduates in science departments may experience microaggressions because of their sexual orientation but may lack the language to describe these situations in detail or identify them as harmful. Thus, there is a need to examine and potentially improve science students’ language tools to better identify and describe these experiences.

The effects of race and workplace racism on nurses’ intent to leave the job: The mediating roles of job dissatisfaction and emotional distress

BackgroundThere is scant evidence of quantifiable effects of workplace racism on nurses’ job-related outcomes. PurposeThe study aimed to examine associations among race, workplace racism, emotional distress, job dissatisfaction, and intent to leave among hospital-based nurses. MethodsThis study used a correlational design with six measures in a statewide sample of 788 hospital-based nurses. FindingsNon-White nurses intended to leave the job at a higher rate than White nurses. Non-White nurses reported negative racial climates, multiple racial microaggression experiences, and high job dissatisfaction and emotional distress. Non-white race and workplace racism had significant individual effects on intent to leave. Job dissatisfaction and emotional distress significantly mediated indirect effects of non-White race, negative racial climates, and racial microaggressions on nurses’ intent to leave. DiscussionIn efforts to retain nurses of color in hospitals, there is an urgent need to mitigate workplace racism in these settings.

Evaluating the Thematic Nature of Microaggression among Racial and Ethnic Minority Surgeons.

It is well documented that surgeons who identify as racial and ethnic minorities experience discrimination while navigating the surgical environment. There is evidence to suggest that the most prevalent form of discrimination experienced is microaggressions. This study sought to identify common microaggressions experienced in the surgical workplace by racial and ethnic minority surgeons with the use of a validated scale. A one-time, deidentified survey was administered to surgeons who identified as a racial and ethnic minority via email. The survey included demographic questions and a shortened version of the Racial Microaggressions Scale, a validated 32-item scale developed to measure microaggressions in everyday life. Subscale means were calculated and compared using sample t-tests along with an analysis of variance. A total of 185 surgeons completed the survey with 166 included in the final analysis (97 male-identifying, 67 female-identifying). Significantly different microaggression experiences between race and ethnicity were found on the environmental (p < 0.001), foreigner/not belonging (p ≤ 0.001), low achieving/undesirable (p < 0.001), criminality (p < 0.001), and invisibility (p < 0.001) subscales with higher scores denoting more frequent experiences. Black and African American surgeons scored higher than Asian and Asian American and Hispanic and Latino surgeons on the low achieving/undesirable subscale (1.7 vs 0.9 and 1.2, respectively) and the invisibility subscale (1.5 vs 0.8 and 0.8, respectively). In addition, Asian and Asian American and Hispanic and Latino surgeons scored significantly higher on the foreigner/not belonging subscale compared with Black and African American surgeons (1.6 and 1.6 vs 0.9, respectively). The current study suggests that surgeons who identified as a racial and ethnic minority experience microaggressions in various ways. Understanding the specific experience of racial and ethnic minority surgeons is important as the surgical workplace strives to create more inclusive environments by acknowledging the lived experience of its diverse workforce.

Navigating multiple identities in the American workplace: Microaggression and the caribbean diaspora

While the issue of microaggressions has been studied for marginalized groups, research on microaggressions directed at Caribbean and Central American immigrants, a population whose identities are merged in the more visible Latinx, African American or Asian-American identities, is rare. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants – fourteen immigrants and six American-born adult children of immigrants. This research explores how ethnic and racial identification of black and brown immigrants and their American born children connect to experiences of daily microaggressions in the workplace. The results revealed that due to their intersecting identities they pay a heavy emotional price to assimilate into the workplace. This research has implications for organizations, human resources and organizational development.

Perspectives on Anti-Black Racism and Mitigation Strategies Among Faculty Experts at Academic Medical Centers

Black faculty and trainees remain underrepresented in academic medicine because of systemic racism. Years of diversity and inclusion efforts have not succeeded in eliminating the unique challenges faced by Black faculty in academic medicine. To elicit expert faculty perspectives on anti-Black racism in academic medicine based on lived and/or professional experience and to solicit recommendations for an intervention for faculty to dismantle anti-Black racism within academic medical centers. This qualitative study included semistructured interviews with experts in understanding and dismantling anti-Black racism within academic medical centers. Participants had expertise in anti-Black racism through their lived experience as a Black faculty member and/or professional experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Participants were recruited from academic medical centers from around the United States. Interviews were conducted through an online meeting platform, audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subsequently coded following an inductive qualitative description approach. Interviews were completed between October 2020 and March 2021. Outcomes include the experiences of Black faculty and trainees in academic medicine and recommendations for developing an intervention to dismantle anti-Black racism within academic medicine. A total of 16 participants completed this study; most identified as Black or African American (9 [56%]) and female (10 [63%]). Results were sorted into 2 content domains, with several themes within those domains: (1) barriers faced by Black faculty and trainees and potential solutions and (2) recommendations for an intervention directed at faculty to dismantle anti-Black racism in academic medicine. Barriers faced by Black faculty and trainees included lack of representation; challenges with the recruitment, retention, and promotion of Black faculty; and experiences of microaggressions and overt racism. Participants suggested that an intervention should have a comprehensive learning objective; be mandatory for all faculty, with the exception of Black faculty; draw from outside expertise; and receive allocation of resources and funding equal to other important training modules. The findings of this study affirm prior work about the unique challenges faced by Black faculty and trainees in academic medicine because of interpersonal and institutional racism and build on this prior work by soliciting recommendations to guide intervention development. An intervention to dismantle anti-Black racism within academic medicine is urgently needed and will require leadership buy-in and financial commitments from institutions for effective development and implementation.

Racial Discrimination and Alcohol Problems: Examining Interactions with Genetic Risk and Impulsivity among African American Young Adults.

Experiences of racial discrimination have been shown to increase risk for alcohol problems. Some individuals may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of racial discrimination. However, little research has examined interaction effects between racial discrimination and individual characteristics, such as genetic predispositions and personality, in relation to alcohol outcomes. This study examined whether genetic risk and dimensions of impulsivity moderate the association between racial discrimination and alcohol problems among African American young adults (n = 383, Mage = 20.65, SD = 2.28; 81% female). Participants completed online surveys and provided a saliva sample for genotyping. Results from multiple regression analyses indicated that both blatant and subtle forms of racial discrimination (i.e., experience of racist events and racial microaggressions) were associated with more alcohol problems. Racial microaggressions interacted with dimensions of impulsivity in relation to alcohol problems, such that racial microaggressions were associated with more alcohol problems when negative urgency was high or when sensation seeking was low. There was no significant interaction between alcohol use disorder genome-wide polygenic score and experience of racist events or racial microaggression in relation to alcohol problems, which may partly reflect low power due in part to limited representation of African-Americans in genetic research. The findings highlight the need to increase the representation of African Americans in genetically-informed research in order to better characterize genetic risk and understand gene-environment interaction in this understudied population, as well as the importance of examining impulsivity as a multidimensional construct that interacts with racial discrimination in relation to alcohol outcomes.

“From All Sides”: Black-Asian Reddit Communities Identify and Expand Experiences of the Multiracial Microaggression Taxonomy

The purpose of this paper is to examine the identity narratives of online Black-Asian communities concerning their multiracial microaggression experiences. As we are investigating an under-explored population, we utilize a purposive sampling method to narrow forum engagement by Black-Asian users on the popular social media network, Reddit. Our research is guided by multiracial critical theory (MultiCrit) which highlights monoracism as a ubiquitous element of the monoracial paradigm of race. In our research, we employ a content analysis using Black-Asian microaggression narratives to test the existing multiracial microaggression taxonomy. Our findings demonstrate that Black-Asian subreddit communities identified all of the existing multiracial microaggression categories: (1) exclusion or isolation; (2) exotification and objectification; (3) assumption of monoracial or mistaken identity; (4) denial of multiraciality; (5) pathologizing of identity and experiences; and (6) microaggressions based on racial stereotypes. Our analysis also found an emerging microaggression category entitled (7) white-mixed superiority. These multiracial microaggressions drew on monoracist ideologies and the monoracial paradigm of race, which exclude Black-Asian people and aid the maintenance of white supremacy in the United States. As such, we suggest further inquiry and expansion of the multiracial microaggression taxonomy to include how racism, particularly the monoracial paradigm of race, influences non-white multiracial identities.

School-based racial microaggressions: A barrier to resilience among African American adolescents exposed to trauma.

African American adolescents experience disproportionate rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which heightens their risk for negative social, behavioral, and health outcomes. Schools may be a source of support for adolescents exposed to ACEs; however, for many African American adolescents, schools are a source of additional stress due to experiences of racial/ethnic microaggressions. The current study examined the relationship between ACEs, school-based racial/ethnic microaggressions, and resilience after violence exposure in African American adolescents. Participants included 189 African American adolescents with an average age of 15.15 (SD = 1.27, range = 13-18). Fifty-one percent identified as female. Participants reported an average ACE score of 5.81 (SD = 3.63). Moderation analyses were conducted using the three subscales of the School-based Racial and Ethnic Microaggression Scale (academic inferiority, expectations of aggression, and stereotypical misrepresentations; Keels et al., 2017). ACEs were negatively related to resilience after violence exposure in all three microaggression models. The microaggressions subscales academic inferiority (b = -.05, t(183) = -2.05, p = .04) and stereotypical misrepresentations (b = -.08, t(183) = -2.04, p = .04) significantly moderated the relationship between ACEs and resilience after violence exposure, such that the inverse relationship between these two variables was stronger at higher levels of endorsed microaggressive experiences measured with these two subscales. The moderation model was not significant for the expectations of aggression subscale. Findings suggest that school-based racial/ethnic microaggressions negatively impact resilience after violence exposure among African American adolescents exposed to multiple ACEs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Witnessed Microaggression Experiences of Internal Medicine Trainees: a Single-Site Survey.

Witnessed Microaggression Experiences of Internal Medicine Trainees: a Single-Site Survey.

Racial Microaggressions and African American Undergraduates’ Academic Experiences: Preparation for Bias Messages as a Protective Resource

Using a sample of 108 African American undergraduates at a minority serving institution, this quantitative study investigated the relationships among aspects of parental racial socialization messages, on-campus racial microaggressions, and academic outcomes. The analysis indicated a negative relationship between academic inferiority microaggressions and school belonging. Results showed a positive intercorrelation between the academic outcomes (academic engagement and school belonging). Findings from multiple linear regressions, using Hayes PROCESS model, revealed the frequency of receiving preparation for bias messages (PBM) moderated the relationship between academic engagement and academic inferiority microaggressions. For undergraduates who reported receiving a low amount of PBM from their parents, experiencing high amounts of academic inferiority microaggressions predicted lower academic engagement. In contrast, among students who reported receiving a high amount of PBM, experiencing more academic inferiority microaggressions predicted higher academic engagement. These results indicated PBM can serve as a protective factor for the extent to which African American undergraduates’ academic engagement is harmed by experiences of academic-related racial microaggressions.

Changing Eyes and Ears: Using Racial Lifemaps to Address Microaggressions with Interracial Couples

Microaggressions can adversely impact the relational quality of interracial couples comprised of Black women and White men. Microaggressions are verbal, non-verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that convey negative racial slights to individuals of color (Sue et al., 2007). Although couple and family therapists are implored to discuss microaggressions within therapy, a specific intervention to explore this dynamic is lacking. However, a lifemap could be utilized by therapists who assist interracial couples. Lifemaps are a client-constructed pictorial detailing the life events of a specific personal trajectory (Hodge, 2005b). This intervention has been used to ascertain an individual’s spiritual awareness, but they have not been modified in the clinical literature to assess an individual’s racial awareness. The theoretical framework for modifying spiritual lifemaps into racial lifemaps is Critical Race Theory (CRT). The themes of endemic racism and voices of color within CRT are particularly insightful for exploring the experiences of interracial couples. This paper will provide a composite case study of Black women married to White men demonstrating the use of racial lifemaps to address unresolved microaggressions and strategies for future microaggressive experiences.

The role of alcohol demand on daily microaggressions and alcohol use among emerging adult bisexual+ women.

Objective: Bisexual women drink more and have more alcohol consequences than heterosexual and lesbian women. This higher risk may in part be attributable to sexual orientation microaggressions. Drinking to cope motivations and alcohol demand may influence the association between microaggressions and alcohol use. The present study used a daily diary design to examine the association between microaggressions and same-day alcohol use (yes/no, quantity) and consequences, and if drinking to cope and alcohol demand moderate this association among bisexual+ (i.e., bi+) women. Method: Participants were 103 emerging adult bi+ women who completed a baseline assessment, including an alcohol purchase task to measure alcohol demand. Subsequently, participants reported their experiences of microaggressions, alcohol use, and alcohol consequences for 28 days. Multilevel model analyses were conducted. Results: Microaggressions were associated with a higher likelihood to drink and greater same-day alcohol use and consequences. The association between microaggressions and alcohol quantity was stronger for those who had a lower price associated with the highest expenditure (lower P max). For those who would stop drinking at lower price values (lower breakpoint), reported spending less overall on alcohol (lower O max), and had lower P max values, microaggressions were associated with more consequences. For those with higher breakpoint, O max, and P max microaggressions were not associated with consequences. Conclusions: Microaggressions may have a deleterious impact on alcohol use and consequences for bi+ women, particularly for those with lower alcohol demand. Clinicians should encourage bi+ clients to consider how microaggressions influence their drinking and support clients to engage in positive coping skills. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Sexual Orientation Microaggression Inventory Short Form (SOMI-SF): Validation in Three Samples of Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sexual Minority Youth.

The Sexual Orientation Microaggression Inventory (SOMI) has been used to measure sexual orientation-based microaggression experiences. However, at 19 items, the SOMI may be difficult to fit into survey batteries where microaggressions are not the primary predictor or the time researchers have with each participant is very limited. We sought to identify an eight-item short form of the SOMI (SOMI-SF) in a sample of sexual minority (SM) youth (N = 879) and confirm the validity and reliability of the SOMI-SF by administering both versions to separate cohorts of male-assigned (N = 533) and female-assigned (N = 430) at birth SM youth. Data was collected from April 2018 to May 2020. We found high reliability (α > 0.80) and validity (significant association with SM victimization, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and internalized stigma) in all three samples for the SOMI-SF. For researchers looking to conserve time and limit burden, the SOMI-SF is a high quality option for measuring sexual orientation microaggressions. The greater ease of administering the SOMI-SF means that sexual orientation microaggressions can be measured in a greater number of contexts. With a growing literature linking these experiences to poorer health outcomes for SM populations, measuring these experiences quickly and accurately can improve our understanding of the mechanisms creating those links and impact policy necessary to alleviate them.