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Microaggression Theory: Influence and Implications
Get to know the sociopolitical context behind microaggressions
Microaggressions are brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership (e.g., race, gender, culture, religion, social class, sexual orientation, etc.). These daily, common manifestations of aggression leave many people feeling vulnerable, targeted, angry, and afraid. How has this become such a pervasive part of our social and political rhetoric, and what is the psychology behind it?
In Microaggression Theory, the original research team that created the microaggressions taxonomy, Gina Torino, David Rivera, Christina Capodilupo, Kevin Nadal, and Derald Wing Sue, address these issues head-on in a fascinating work that explores the newest findings of microaggressions in their sociopolitical context. It delves into how the often invisible nature of this phenomenon prevents perpetrators from realizing and confronting their own complicity in creating psychological dilemmas for marginalized groups, and discusses how prejudice, privilege, safe spaces, and cultural appropriation have become themes in our contentious social and political discourse.
Details the psychological effects of microaggressions in separate chapters covering clinical impact, trauma, related stress syndromes, and the effect on perpetrators Examines how microaggressions affect education, employment, health care, and the media Explores how social policies and practices can minimize the occurrence and impact of microaggressions in a range of environments Investigates how microaggressions relate to larger social movements If you come across the topic of microaggressions in your day-to-day life, you can keep the conversation going in a productive manner--with research to back it up!
Microaggressions are brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership (e.g., race, gender, culture, religion, social class, sexual orientation, etc.). These daily, common manifestations of aggression leave many people feeling vulnerable, targeted, angry, and afraid. How has this become such a pervasive part of our social and political rhetoric, and what is the psychology behind it?
In Microaggression Theory, the original research team that created the microaggressions taxonomy, Gina Torino, David Rivera, Christina Capodilupo, Kevin Nadal, and Derald Wing Sue, address these issues head-on in a fascinating work that explores the newest findings of microaggressions in their sociopolitical context. It delves into how the often invisible nature of this phenomenon prevents perpetrators from realizing and confronting their own complicity in creating psychological dilemmas for marginalized groups, and discusses how prejudice, privilege, safe spaces, and cultural appropriation have become themes in our contentious social and political discourse.
Details the psychological effects of microaggressions in separate chapters covering clinical impact, trauma, related stress syndromes, and the effect on perpetrators Examines how microaggressions affect education, employment, health care, and the media Explores how social policies and practices can minimize the occurrence and impact of microaggressions in a range of environments Investigates how microaggressions relate to larger social movements If you come across the topic of microaggressions in your day-to-day life, you can keep the conversation going in a productive manner--with research to back it up!
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 2, 2018
10 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Derald Wing Sue
48 books47 followersDerald Wing Sue is a professor of counseling psychology at Columbia University. He has authored several books, including Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice, Overcoming our Racism, and Understanding Abnormal Behavior.
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July 25, 2023
Microaggression theory Influence and Implications (Wiley) edited by the inaugural research team that devised the classification of Microaggression: Gina C. Torino, David P. Rivera, Christina M. Capodilupo, Kevin L. Nadal and Derald Wing Sue, is an American psychologist renowned for his extensive and highly influential research on Asian American psychology, multicultural counselling, racism, and microaggressions (APA, 2013; Munsey, 2006). Sue is the most commonly cited author of multicultural publications, and his research has been highly influential in national discourses on race relations and social justice. He was the founding president of the Asian American Psychological Association and is currently a Professor of Psychology and Education in the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York.
Microaggression Theory is at the top end of a standard textbook page size at 400 pages and promises from the outset that promises to be an informative read for aspiring Psychologists and Counsellors and for fellow students with a passion for Psychology along with an important book to have on hand to dip and out of if we encounter any of the situations in the workplace or daily lives described in this compelling work or perhaps as an excellent revision tool in the future.
The book encompasses 19 chapters with six themes numbered in Roman numerals from I to VI. The first chapter has a curious and intriguing title to draw you into the world of discrimination and invalidations from a socio-political lens; “Everything you wanted to know about microaggressions but didn’t get the chance to ask”.
Each chapter has a generous reference list which is slightly longer than other textbooks that tend to have shorter lists per chapter and a longer reference list near the end of the textbook. As Psychology students or avid fans of all things Psychology, you may notice references to researchers that have already read about during your studies, for instance, Dovidio and Gaertner.
Derald blends an integrative and meticulous writing style that is both simple and complex at the same time to be accessible for anyone with a burgeoning interest in Micro and Macroaggressions regardless of knowledgebase. This style has the advantage of increasing the flow between each chapter rather than a back-and-forth approach that some books tend to have running throughout. Derald does this in such a way that is similar to Fred Toate’s approach which cites previous notions discussed to reiterate and combine similar points without having to go back and re-read previous chapters.
A positive aspect is that every chapter is exceptionally concise and not as lengthy as similar literary treasures considering how extensive a topic this has been throughout human history. For instance, one chapter is approximately 17 pages long. This guaranteed that my attention was fully focused on the content and present in each chapter without having the potential for melatonin release at the wrong moment while studying this topic.
In short, I found this a gripping and engaging book to read throughout as an excellent entry point into this area of research without reading a large amount of jargon or unexplained terminology from potentially new concepts encountered. I particularly enjoyed chapter 2 “Aversive Racism, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions” describing the history of microaggressions as a great foundation for the rest of the book. Conversely, a large percentage of cases presented as worked examples of real-life incidents surrounding the theme of the book as inspiring for future change across societies and the positive steps that could be made to address this in chapter 19 “Microaggression theory what the future holds”.
I can recommend this book as a brilliant read after purchasing this following attendance of an online Wiley webinar in 2020 focused on mitigating macro and microaggressions in our daily lives within the public and private spheres. The webinar was entitled “Microaggressions and Implicit Bias: Anti-Bias Strategies for Targets, Allies and Bystanders”.
Derald Wing Sue had an engaging talk complete with illustrating the distinction between all forms of microaggression and worked examples that included the seemingly pervasive use of the “where are you from” a phrase that is widely highlighted as a potentially racist response to multicultural diversity that Derald described he has encountered often throughout his life. For instance one of his techniques is to apply the use of “ouch, that hurts” “Aah cmon!” to challenge this by way of response. Taken from Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts. Sunshower Learning (2007).
Microaggression Theory is at the top end of a standard textbook page size at 400 pages and promises from the outset that promises to be an informative read for aspiring Psychologists and Counsellors and for fellow students with a passion for Psychology along with an important book to have on hand to dip and out of if we encounter any of the situations in the workplace or daily lives described in this compelling work or perhaps as an excellent revision tool in the future.
The book encompasses 19 chapters with six themes numbered in Roman numerals from I to VI. The first chapter has a curious and intriguing title to draw you into the world of discrimination and invalidations from a socio-political lens; “Everything you wanted to know about microaggressions but didn’t get the chance to ask”.
Each chapter has a generous reference list which is slightly longer than other textbooks that tend to have shorter lists per chapter and a longer reference list near the end of the textbook. As Psychology students or avid fans of all things Psychology, you may notice references to researchers that have already read about during your studies, for instance, Dovidio and Gaertner.
Derald blends an integrative and meticulous writing style that is both simple and complex at the same time to be accessible for anyone with a burgeoning interest in Micro and Macroaggressions regardless of knowledgebase. This style has the advantage of increasing the flow between each chapter rather than a back-and-forth approach that some books tend to have running throughout. Derald does this in such a way that is similar to Fred Toate’s approach which cites previous notions discussed to reiterate and combine similar points without having to go back and re-read previous chapters.
A positive aspect is that every chapter is exceptionally concise and not as lengthy as similar literary treasures considering how extensive a topic this has been throughout human history. For instance, one chapter is approximately 17 pages long. This guaranteed that my attention was fully focused on the content and present in each chapter without having the potential for melatonin release at the wrong moment while studying this topic.
In short, I found this a gripping and engaging book to read throughout as an excellent entry point into this area of research without reading a large amount of jargon or unexplained terminology from potentially new concepts encountered. I particularly enjoyed chapter 2 “Aversive Racism, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions” describing the history of microaggressions as a great foundation for the rest of the book. Conversely, a large percentage of cases presented as worked examples of real-life incidents surrounding the theme of the book as inspiring for future change across societies and the positive steps that could be made to address this in chapter 19 “Microaggression theory what the future holds”.
I can recommend this book as a brilliant read after purchasing this following attendance of an online Wiley webinar in 2020 focused on mitigating macro and microaggressions in our daily lives within the public and private spheres. The webinar was entitled “Microaggressions and Implicit Bias: Anti-Bias Strategies for Targets, Allies and Bystanders”.
Derald Wing Sue had an engaging talk complete with illustrating the distinction between all forms of microaggression and worked examples that included the seemingly pervasive use of the “where are you from” a phrase that is widely highlighted as a potentially racist response to multicultural diversity that Derald described he has encountered often throughout his life. For instance one of his techniques is to apply the use of “ouch, that hurts” “Aah cmon!” to challenge this by way of response. Taken from Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts. Sunshower Learning (2007).
Displaying 1 of 1 review