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Published on: February 16, 2011
Racial microaggressions in everyday life: implications for clinical practice.
Derald Wing Sue1, Christina M Capodilupo, Gina C Torino
1Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA. dwingsue@aol.com
The American Psychologist
|May 23, 2007
Summary
Racial microaggressions are subtle daily indignities harming people of color. Understanding these common slights, including microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations, is crucial for effective communication and therapeutic relationships.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Racial microaggressions are frequent, subtle indignities impacting people of color.
- Perpetrators are often unaware of their harmful communications.
- Existing literature on aversive racism and personal narratives inform understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define and categorize racial microaggressions.
- To examine their manifestation in everyday life.
- To illustrate their impact on therapeutic alliances.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of social psychological studies on aversive racism.
- Analysis of personal narratives from counselors.
- Development of a taxonomy of racial microaggressions.
Main Results:
- Racial microaggressions occur in three forms: microassault, microinsult, and microinvalidation.
- These indignities are prevalent in interracial encounters.
- They significantly impair the development of therapeutic alliances, particularly in White counselor-client of color dyads.
Conclusions:
- Awareness and education on microaggressions are vital in the helping professions.
- Further research is needed to address their impact and mitigation strategies.
- Training should focus on recognizing and responding to microaggressions to foster inclusive environments.
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