Page 38 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

12 racial, gender, and sexual-orientation microaggressions

in behaviors that place women at a disadvantage, infantilize or stereotype
them, and treat them in such a manner as to deny them equal access and
opportunity (Benokraitis, 1997; Fiske & Stevens, 1993; Swim, Aiken, Hall, &
Hunter, 1995).
According to women, gender microaggressions occur frequently and they
devalue their contributions, objectify them as sex objects, dismiss their accom-
plishments, and limit their effectiveness in social, educational, employment,
and professional settings (Banaji & Greenwald, 1995; Benokraitis, 1997;
Morrison & Morrison, 2002). In the world of work, for example, many women
describe a pattern of being overlooked, disrespected, and dismissed by their
male colleagues. During team meetings in which a female employee may
contribute an idea, the male CEO may not respond to it or seemingly not hear
the idea. However, when a male coworker makes the identical statement, he
may be recognized and praised by the executive and fellow colleagues. It has
been observed that in classrooms, male students are more frequently called
upon to speak or answer questions by their teachers than are female students.
The hidden messages in these microaggressions are that women ’ s ideas and
contributions are less worthy than their male counterparts.
In the second vignette involving Kathleen ’ s job interview, several common
gender microaggressions were delivered to her by well - intentioned fellow
male commuters and the interviewer.
First, it is not unusual for attractive young women to get admiring glances
from men. Upon entering the subway train, Kathleen noted the looks that
she received from male passengers, seemed to enjoy being noticed, but also
experienced a few stares as “ lecherous. ” This is a double - edged sword that
some women seem to face: wanting to be attractive and desired, but also feeling

objectified and treated as sex objects. The overt expression of sexual objectifi -
cation is often communicated in forms ranging from whistles and catcalls to
more subtle ones such as “ stares ” that make a woman feel as if she were being
undressed in public.
Second, while one of the male commuters meant well and saw a “ damsel
in distress, ” the liberty he took in placing his hand on Kathleen ’ s back to guide
her to the exit is an intrusion of personal space. For a stranger to place one ’ s
hand on the small of a woman ’ s back or more boldly on her hips while pass-
ing and without her permission may be seen as a violation of her body. The
messages in sexual objectification microaggressions are many: (a) a woman ’ s

appearance is for the pleasure of a man; (b) women are weak, dependent, and
need help; and (c) a woman ’ s body is not her own. Some women are offended

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