"Didn't Mean to Mean it That Way": The Reduction of Microaggressions to Interpersonal Errors of Communication Among University Resident Assistants

• Published in: Journal of diversity in higher education 2022-10, Vol.15 (5), p.548-559
• Main Authors: Foste, Zak, Ng, Jennifer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggression; Campuses; College Students; Communication Problems; Concept Formation; Conflict; Cultural Differences; Cultural Sensitivity; Diversity; Dormitories; Female; Foreign Countries; Human; Inclusion; Interaction; Interpersonal Communication; Interpersonal Relationship; Knowledge Level; Language Usage; Male; Microaggression; Oppression; Racism; Resident Advisers; Responsibility; School Environment; Sexism; Social Justice; Student Attitudes; Training
• ISSN: 1938-8926; 1938-8934
• DOI: 10.1037/dhe0000297

Originally conceptualized by Chester Pierce (1970), microaggressions have taken on increasing utility in recent years as a tool to teach undergraduate students about everyday forms of oppressive behavior. As the concept gains increased currency in educational contexts, however, it is important to consider the ways in which individuals understand the nature and meanings associated with the term. This multi-case study draws on data from two departments of residence life at American universities where microaggressions were a central tool used to educate students in on-campus housing. The study was guided by three questions: (a) how do Resident Assistants who received training on microaggressions understand the concept, (b) how do these individuals describe the perceived utility and application to their work related to diversity and inclusion, and (c) what are the consequences of these understandings on the broader project for racial and social justice? The results of the study highlight two primary understandings of microaggressions: (a) language that could offend someone, somewhere, under particular conditions and (b) assumed, predictable forms of ignorance on the part of others. The primary utility of microaggressions, then, is as a tool to correct language and external presentations in the presence of others. We discuss the ways in which such understandings reduce microaggressions to forms of interpersonal communication divorced from larger structural and historical analysis. In doing so, individuals minimize the personal responsibility of the microaggressor and severely underestimate the severity of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.