Microaggression probably happens more than we realize to us and to others but we are not always aware of it because we have become accustomed to it or numb to it. One microaggression that I came across was thought to be humorous and was posted by a teacher. On a math test the student was to look at a math problem and find what the person in the problem had done incorrectly and they were supposed to correct the math. The person in the question was a woman so instead of figuring out the problem the student simply wrote that the problem with the math was because it was done by a women. That used to be the way people thought, that girls are not good at math and society has worked hard to change that image but unfortunately some people still think that way. This message was one that I got as a child in a subtle way so I was never confident that I could learn math and that I could understand it and solve the math problems.
Another microaggression that I remember is a 4 year old referring to the Mexican children in her class as those kids who don't speak English very well. She had categorized them all as not able to speak English even though their was only one child who did not speak English as well. The teacher told her that they all have names and she needed to use their names and that they did speak English as well as Spanish. The little girl did not mean this to be mean it is just what she has heard form the society around her. The comment the little girl made was disheartening because I thought that I lived in a community that much more accepting and it made me realize that prejudice is an issue and as a teacher I feel that it needs to be talked about with children in the classroom.
My observation of these microaggressions has shown me that stereotypes are still used in our society and that young children pick up on these at a very young age. If we want the perceptions to change then it needs to start with us, the adults and society. The effects of prejudice and stereotyping people can reach deep into a person and they may never be able to overcome the effects of this. It is important that we are educated on diversity and culture so that we are aware of how others live and learn in our society.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how comments that are made can have lasting affects on us. With practice, we all can be good at what ever we put our minds to. It should be that since we know how it feels be be a victim of micro aggression, we should not do it to others. I understand that at times, we do not realize that we are saying things that are hurtful. This week as really been helpful for me.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Yes it always been known for boys/men to be good in Math. I have heard that the whole time I attend public school including college. I still don't understand how that came about. I just beleive that some people are better in certain areas than others.
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ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteI have learned that microaggressions exist in our society in many forms. Some microaggressions are subtle remarks that are unintentional, and other microaggressions are intended microassults. As a result, I have learned to look for these microassults in my daily conversations. This week's material truly opened my eyes to the little things that we miss each week. As a result, it is evident that microassults to exist in our society because people allow stereotypes to influence their thoughts. Therefore, I can understand how you have been able to spot these little innuendos in your past.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI agree that microaggressions occur more often than we realize because we are aware of the offense. Prior to this week's topic I was unaware of the terminology microaggression. Now that I am aware of the term and meaning, I am able to identify subtle prejudices in my environment. Knowledge is power!