Blog: Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

• Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another timeIn what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression? .According to Dictionary.com, microagression is "noun
  1.

  a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or other nondominant group that is often unintentional or unconsciously reinforces a stereotype: microaggressions such as "I don't see you as black.".
  2.

  the act of discriminating against a nondominant group by means of such comments or actions:(Dictionay.com). 
• I feel like that even though a woman can do a job as a man,  sometimes in clergy people are prejudice against women in ministry. We are suppose to have a woman pastor at our church in July, however, a person said "a woman." I just wonder why not. Even though I am a woman minister I kind of looked down on her because she was a woman. Society has brain washed us to believe that a man can do it better. I know I do not want anyone to look down on me because I am a woman when I become a pastor, but I instinctively I did  as some men perhaps thought toward this female pastor. I was disappointed because she was a woman, but you know what I am getting rid of this bias and say this woman needs to be judged on ability not gender. I am not going to be brainwashed by society on women.I know this means that I will be a target of discrimination because I am a woman when I become a pastor. I know this means I have to pray more, prove myself worthy of my calling more than a man.I know I will have to research women in ministry, so people will believe that I am called by God. One day I am going to write a book on women ministers and clergy.  I know if I was a man I would not write a book about women ministers and clergy, but since I am a woman I will write a book on women ministers and clergy, so I can help others to believe in women clergy and women ministers.I know if I was the target of this discrimination when I become a pastor, I would be highly upset. I also would be resentful against society in general.Society is not going to brainwash me against women pastors anymore because that means I am against myself.
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• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people
• My observation makes me feel that microaggression can cause racism, predjudice, discrimination, resentment, and belittlement just because what someone has brainwashed me to believe. It makes me think that the whole human race is perhaps dysfunctional because of microaggressions.This may also be the reason why there is such a failure rate of children in school and dwindling membership in church.Sometimes I have to try to make sure I treat all children equal in the classroom because my perception of a certain ethnicity, gender, and culture can make me bias in the treatment of others.I do not want any child to fail because of any biases toward them.

Reference

Microagressions, Retrieved from Dictionary.com on June 03, 2017.

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