What makes someone racist? Is what they say at all indicative of that, or can it be brushed away as a one-off mistake or misperception?
But a new study backs up those who speak out against microaggressions and questions the attitudes of the people that deliver them.
The study, published in the journal Race and Social Problems, defines microaggressions as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial slights and insults to the target person or group.” Focusing on those who use microaggressions, rather than those who are on the receiving end, the study found a positive correlation between uttering microaggressions and harboring racist attitudes.
