Page 196 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

170 gender microaggressions and sexism

men; women are reduced to their physical appearance and/or sexuality
(Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997; Buchanan, Fischer, Tokar, & Yoder, 2008).

Pornography, for example, leaves little doubt of how it sexually objectifi es
women. Yet, sexual objectification by men through verbal, nonverbal, and

environmental mediums can vary in their degree of consciousness and sub-
tlety. Staring at a woman ’ s breasts while talking to her, making catcalls or
whistling, prolonged staring or leering, “ checking out ” another woman in
your partner ’ s presence, hanging pin - ups of nude women in an offi ce, forcing
unwanted sexual attention toward a woman, touching or rubbing up against
a woman without her permission, making crude remarks about women ’ s

bodies, and telling sexual jokes are all examples of sexual objectification (Hill &

Fischer, 2008). Women report that sexual objectification is a common and
continuing reality in their day - to - day experience.
“ Every day, when I come to work, I do my best to show I ’ m competent and hard-
working. I want that promotion as well. But my male coworkers never seem to recog-
nize that I do much more work than they do. Yet, when I wear my hair differently or
wear a new dress or sweater . . . I get remarks . . . ‘ Oh, you look different, I like it . . .
You really look sexy today, what ’ s the occasion?' Or ‘ That dress really shows off your
body well . . . ’ What gives them the right to comment on my body anyway? Is it so

hard to say, ‘ You ’ re doing a fine job . . . that last report was outstanding. ” Do they
even notice? No, only my body and appearance matter to them . . . . What gets me is
other women do the same thing, but usually in a negative way. ‘ Boy, that ’ s a terrible

outfit she has on. It makes her look frumpy. ’ ”

The quote also points to another sexual objectification dilemma: self -

objectification. The more women report being gazed at, encountering remarks
about their appearance, garnering unwanted sexual attention, and experienc-
ing sexual harassment, the more they also objectified themselves and other

women as separate sexual beings (Hill & Fischer, 2008; Swim et al., 2001).
Thus women, who are evaluated in an objectifi ed culture regarding physical
appearance, come to evaluate their own worthiness or self - esteem based

upon appearance and physical attributes. Self - objectification has been found
to be negatively related to mental health, happiness, and subjective well - being
(Frederickson & Roberts, 1997).

2. Second - Class Citizenship — This category of gender microaggressions
involves verbal, behavioral, or environmental communications indicating
that women do not deserve the same opportunities, benefi ts, or privileges
afforded to men (Capodilupo et al., in press; Sue & Capodilupo, 2008). When
a group of women at a restaurant are seated at a table next to the kitchen door

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