Microaggressions

Dr. Chester Pierce of Harvard University is credited with coining the term microaggression in the 1970s. His first research studied the depiction of African Americans in television commercials. Not until the beginning of the twenty-first century did study on microaggressions arise. This preliminary study examined the prevalence of microaggressions in higher education. Sue and colleagues released “Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice” in 2007. This 2007 paper, which was published in American Psychologist, expanded on the concept by constructing a taxonomy and providing numerous examples from the psychological literature. The term was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2017. Since 2007, research has been conducted on the incidence and impact of microaggressions across a variety of contexts. Microaggressions are brief, everyday, derogatory slights or insults that communicate hostility and bias (e.g., racism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, etc.) toward a marginalized person or group. They can be conveyed verbally, behaviorally, or environmentally. Oftentimes, microaggressions occur unconsciously but not necessarily. Their cumulative impact over time can have deleterious consequences upon individuals. For example, repeated microaggressions have been associated with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, negative educational and physical health outcomes, as well as higher rates of attrition in the workplace and decreased job satisfaction (just to name a few). Scholars have also developed, and managers have implemented, prevention and intervention strategies within organizations to minimize the potential impact that microaggressions can have upon individuals.