The term 'microaggression' was coined by Harvard University professor, Chester Pierce, to describe the subtle, everyday ways that black people experienced discrimination from their white counterparts.
Today, the definition has expanded to include prejudiced or insulting questions, comments, actions or assumptions, which undermine or insult an individual by targeting aspects of their identity (such as race, gender, age or sexuality). They are usually covert, rooted in unconscious bias, and targeted at underrepresented groups.
Due to their subtle nature they can be difficult to call out, often being labelled by the speaker as a misunderstanding.
Microaffirmations: A positive response to microaggressions
On the other hand, microaffirmations, a term coined by psychologist Mary Rowe, refer to small actions or comments that are used to intentionally promote respect and inclusion.
Examples include:
- Asking a more reserved team member for their opinion
- Publicly acknowledging the achievements of a colleague
- Recognising when someone gets interrupted, and asking them to continue
