How to Take Offense: Responding to Microaggression

A microaggression is a small insulting act made disproportionately harmful by its part in an oppressive pattern of similar insults. How should you respond when made the victim of a microaggression? In this paper I survey several morally salient factors, including effects upon victims, perpetrators,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Philosophical Association 2018-09, Vol.4 (3), p.332-351
Main Author: RINI, REGINA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Anger
Injustice
Oppression
Psychiatrists
Psychologists
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Summary:A microaggression is a small insulting act made disproportionately harmful by its part in an oppressive pattern of similar insults. How should you respond when made the victim of a microaggression? In this paper I survey several morally salient factors, including effects upon victims, perpetrators, and third parties. I argue, contrary to popular views, that ‘growing a thicker skin’ is not good advice nor is expressing reasonable anger always the best way to contribute to confronting oppression. Instead, appropriately responding to microaggression involves difficult application of practical wisdom that does not easily fall under a simple prescription.
ISSN:2053-4477
2053-4485
DOI:10.1017/apa.2018.23