Page 261 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

Microaggressions in Education 235

MICROAGGRESSIONS IN EDUCATION

It is becoming increasingly clear that many inequities in education are
due to lower expectations, stereotypes, and a hostile invalidating climate for
people of color, women, and LGBTs (Bell, 2002; Cadinu, Maass, Rosabianca,
& Kiesner, 2005; Sue, Rivera, et al., 2009). In the last chapter we analyzed
how microaggressions operate systemically in worksites and their effects can
be found in the hiring, retention, and promotion of employees. This is also true
with respect to pre - K – 12 schools, institutions of higher education, and pro-
fessional graduate programs. The underrepresentation of women in science
and engineering in elementary levels, secondary schools, and in professorial
positions in colleges/universities may speak to possible discrimination. The
low representation of minority faculty can also be the insidious operation of
aversive forms of racism. Not only may such forces operate in an educational
institution, affecting which teachers, staff, and administrators are hired, but a
similar framework can be applied to students as well.
Microaggressions can affect the student body composition through recruit-
ment (which students are selected), retention (which students drop out), and
promotion (graduation rates) of students of color. If racial, gender, and sexual-
orientation microaggressions present a hostile and invalidating learning
climate, these groups are likely to suffer in any number of ways. Women, for
example, have been found to experience stereotype threat because of gender
microaggressions, may underperform in math and sciences despite having high
abilities, and/or may become segregated in their career paths or vocational
selections by well - intentioned educators (Bell, 2003; Gore, 2000; Morrison &
Von Glinow, 1990). Such factors speak to educational inequities that are present
systemically and may inundate the classroom environment.

Educational Disparities among Marginalized Groups

Despite parents of color encouraging their sons and daughters to develop
educational and career goals, racism and poverty continue to create disparities,
especially among African American, Latina/o, and American Indian students.
The high school graduation rates for African Americans are signifi cantly
below those of Whites and even worse for those going to college (14.3% vs.
24.3%) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005b); Latinas/os have fared poorly as approxi-

mately two of five aged 25 or older have not completed high school, and more
than 25% have less than a ninth - grade education (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003);
and Native Americans show an astounding pattern of dropping out beginning

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