Micro-aggression and Me
This week we are talking and thinking about
micro-aggression. This kind of
aggression is when someone makes am assumption about the social constructs of
another person or group of people. This
happened to me not long ago. I was at
the doctor’s office and upon weighing me the nurse commented “good you have
lost some weight” I felt this was said with the assumption that I saw myself as
overweight and needed to lose weight. I know
she was not meaning to hurt my feelings but I did have a pause at her
comment. In fact this upset me more than
the assumptions about my being lesbian.
Perhaps it is because in the wider context my being lesbian is a more
social paradigm and any comments about it are expected. Whereas the comment of
the nurse was more personal and hit closer to home. I know I am overweight and I also know I am
in my sixties and older people tend to gain some weight in middle age. I just found it annoying that day. I have many things about me that can and have
been used in micro-aggression. I am
blond, short, have a learning disability, am on the Autism Spectrum and have
been a dancer (read airhead).
As far as
noticing the micro-aggression in societal context I saw it on the television
show Law and Order I was watching. It
was very clear who had the power in the detective team, the white male, who had
assumptions about poor people and African Americans again the white male. Even the African American half of the
detective team was clearly marginalized when his ideas did not line up with the
assumptions the white detective made about the case. I see the objectifying of women every day in
the media forms of television and on the Internet. I hope I never cease to see these things
because they keep me honest when I fall into that hole. I do hope one day there will be enough awareness
about this sort of thing that the social construct will have flipped and micro-aggression
and any other form of aggression will have largely disappeared from society but
until then I want to have it hit me in the face from time to time to make me
take a look at my own assumptions about it.
Have a good week.
Peace and all good
Thanks for dropping by
Hi Linda
ReplyDeleteI have had experiences like you had with the nurse, I do believe that they haven't got a clue how rude that is, especially if you are not buddies. I just find it so amazing that there is a name for these behaviors and that they are many times not meant to be offensive. It reminds me of some people who do things that are unkind and makes the excuse that this is how they are. They will say something that is not necessary because it isn't very nice and may be the truth but but all truths needs to be announced.
I agree with you on paying attention to all types of aggression so that I may be thoughtful and sensitive about what I say to others and how I think about someone else's issue, that we will help to bring up the awareness levels of such issues in view of social change.