Subtle Acts of Exclusion by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran, 2020

Reading List
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1

Subtle Acts of Exclusion

by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran, 2020

  • instead of using the term “microaggressions” you can use the term Subtle Acts of Exclusion
  • much like bias, we will all say and do things that might be considered SAE
  • subject (the person excluded), initiator (the person who says or does the SAE), observer (if they say something, they’re an ally; if they don’t they’re a bystander)
  • overall, this book is promoting the authors’ services for addressing SAE and bias in the workplace. it’s a short read and the take-aways are easy to understand. they’ll also be offering training sessions in 2023, might be worth attending

Guidelines For Speaking Up As The SAE Subject Or Observer:

  1. Pause the action.
  2. Assume good intent.
  3. Explain why the action was paused.
  4. Have patience but expect progress.

Guidelines For Responding As The SAE Initiator:

  1. Acknowledge the feedback with gratitude.
  2. Replace defensiveness with curiosity and empathy.
  3. Follow through and follow up.

Think before you speak. Ask yourself:

  • Is what I am about to say/ask based on stereotypes or assumptions about a marginalized group?
  • Is what I am about to say/ask unnecessarily intrusive?
  • Am I overstepping?
  • Is what I am about to say based in kindness and generosity or the opposite?
  • Do I have the authority/right to tell/ask this person to comply with my request?
  • Is this a good use of my authority/privilege?
  • Would I say the same thing to a person of a different gender/color/race, etc.?
  • Is this going to make the person feel inadequate or as if they don’t belong?
  • Does this question their normalcy or make them feel like a threat or a curiosity?
  • Will this make someone feel invisible, as if they are not an individual?

SAE Accountability in the workplace:

  • Expect SAE to happen
  • Communicate the norm
  • practice speaking up
2

What was her reasoning for making this change? ie, what is downside of using the term “microagression”?

:dart: [emphasis added]

3

That is useful to explain: “micro” minimizes the impact it might have on the subject and “aggression” can make the initiator defensive when someone calls it out.

4

I am familiar with Derald Wing Sue’s book, and always use the term “microagressions”, but I can see their point. I wonder if the research community will take up this new term.

5

One of the authors of the book quoted in this article. The closing paragraph (a quote from them) sums it up nicely:

“When we learn better, we do better,” says Jana. “The term ‘microaggression’ is an insult to everyone who’s ever been on the receiving end of it, and it’s a copout for the people who continue to initiate them.” Whatever term we land on — microaggression, subtle act of exclusion, racial abuse, or exclusionary behavior — Jana reminds us that “it needs to be something that doesn’t let people off the hook so easily and doesn’t minimize the harm that it causes to actual people.”