In 2018, UNO staff, faculty, students, and community partners embarked on a journey to explore their own implicit biases and microaggressive behaviors.
A campus presentation delivered by Cynthia Ganote, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville, provided microresistance strategies to combat those issues and sparked an interest in the university to continue this work.
The campus-wide effort resulted in microaggressions trainings led by collaborative teams representing Academic Affairs, Service Learning Academy (SLA) and the Center for Faculty Excellence.
The SLA took the baton and continued leading microaggressions workshops on campus as well as nationally at conferences and virtually for peer institutions. We are working to enhance this work by creating online modules for student service learning course preparation about implicit bias and avoiding microaggressions in service learning and community engagement work.
Defining Microaggressions and Microresistance
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Microaggressions [ mahy-kroh-uh-gresh-uhn ] 1 |
"Brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative . . . slights and insults.” |
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Microresistance [ mahy-kroh-re-sis-tance ] 2-3 |
"Individual and/or collaborative efforts that empower targeted people and allies to cope with, respond to, and/or challenge microaggressions to ultimately dismantle systems of oppression." |
References
1. Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271– 286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271
2. Irey, S. (2013). How Asian American women perceive and move toward leadership roles in community colleges: A study of insider counter narratives, PhD. Diss., University of Washington.
3. Ganote, C. M., Cheung, F. Souza, T.J. (2016). Responding to microaggressions with microresistance: A framework for consideration. Featured article in POD Diversity Council White Paper. https://podnetwork.org/content/uploads/DC-white-paper-2016_Final2.pdf