Racial microaggressions refer to subtle insults directed toward people of color, often automatically or unconsciously. It has become a growing area of research, and in a study published in the journal Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Teachers College Professor Derald Sue Wing and four TC students explore racial microaggressions and how they play out in the classroom.

The qualitative study finds that difficult dialogues on race and racism are often triggered by racial microaggressions that result from classroom encounters or educational activities and materials. When poorly handled by teachers, these racial dialogues can assail the personal integrity of students of color while reinforcing biased worldviews of white students. The success or failure of facilitating difficult dialogues on race, the authors conclude, is intimately linked to the characteristics and actions of instructors and their ability to recognize racial microaggressions.

To read the journal article, go to http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/cdp/15/2/183.pdf.

Published Friday, Sep. 11, 2009