Exploring Systemic Macroaggressions and Community Colleges Dr. Luca Lewis Dr. Ata Karim

Exploring Systemic Macroaggressions and Community Colleges Dr. Luca Lewis Dr. Ata Karim

Introduction Welcome Who We Are Training Overview Rules of Engagement Collaborative Exploration

Outcomes Learn how privilege, oppression, and biases are psychologically and organizationally created and re-produced in the form of macroaggressions. Explore systems perspectives to help support them as leaders in effective and meaningful interpersonal and organizational change.

Introductions Name Role Institution Identify and discuss at least one thing hope to learn from this session.

Taking a Systems Perspective Systems are not dysfunctional All systems perpetuate culture All cultures have power/privilege stratification Cultures resist change* Culture change is essential for systemic change You are not in a culture, you are the culture

Taking a Leadership Perspective Ability to influence change Maintain or disrupt status quo Creating disequilibrium Capacity to influence direction of Policy decisions and distribution of resources Processes, procedures, and practices

Exercise #1 Cultural Norms Identify and describe your institution s cultural norms Attitudes toward students and their degree of motivation Perceptions about the system in which we operate Relationships with colleagues

DOMINANT/AGENT MARGINALIZED/TARGET Normal and Right Define Truth how it should be Often unaware of dominance Know less about marginalized group than vice versa More comfortable with others who share behavior/values (e.g., I don t even see you as...) Hold beliefs without examination Seen as less than/inferior Try to fit in Experiences/truth invalidated Know more about dominant culture than vice versa Struggle to find balance between who we are and who we are told we should be

Agents Identity Targets Whites Race Ethnicity People of Color Men Gender Women Transgender Heterosexuals Sexual Orientation Lesbian Gay Queer Bi Christians Religion Spirituality Religious Minorities Able Persons Ability Status People with Disabilities Owning and Middle/Upper Class Social Class Poor Working Class Middle Age Adults Age Young Elderly

Enculturation Teaches expectations for operating in a CTC system that effects: Self concept as leaders Attitudes toward constituents and their degree of motivation Perceptions about the system in which we operate Relationships with colleagues

Critical Inquiry Think about your own enculturation process to the CTC system: Think about specific critical moments or experiences during your enculturation process that led to feelings of disempowerment. Reflect using a framework of identity and target/agent relationships.

Defining Microaggressions The brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities (whether intentional or unintentional) that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial, gender, sexual orientation, and religious slights and insults to the target person or group.

Types of Microaggressions Microassault: an explicit racial derogation; verbal/nonverbal; e.g.: name-calling, avoidant behavior, purposeful discriminatory actions. Microinsult: communications that convey rudeness and insensitivity and demean a person's racial heritage or identity; subtle snubs; unknown to the perpetrator; hidden insulting message to the recipient of color. Microinvalidation: communications that exclude, negate, or nullify the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a person belonging to a particular group.

Avoid thinking bad thoughts or exploring bad feelings A conscience effort to preserve a nonprejudiced selfimage Behaving in a discriminatory way toward marginalized/target Active Suppression of Bias

List and describe 1-2 experiences in which you have experienced a microaggression as a perpetrator, someone on the receiving end, or an observer. Describe the situation What was your role? What was the impact? What would you do different? Exercise #3 Identifying Lived Experiences

What comes to mind when you hear the word Macroaggression?

Macroaggressions Organizational and structural biases, indignities, and behaviors which minimize, otherize, and oppress target persons or groups.

Exercise #2 Power and Privilege Identify who is perceived to hold power on your campus in the following categories? Individuals Groups Institutional Identify examples of earned and unearned privilege as it occurs on your campus

Identify Macroaggressions what are the different barriers at each step? Entry Admission Application Process Application Process for Employees New Employee Orientation Progression/Persistence Satisfactory Academic Progress (Students); Employee Evaluation Process Completion Graduation Exiting the institution Job placement Promotions

Exercise #4 Shifting Cultural Norms Think of and describe a norm that would help your constituents (i.e., students, faculty, staff, etc.) be more adaptable to addressing macroaggressions. What new behaviors will be required to shift norms?

Final Reflection What did you learn in this workshop? Taken 5 minutes to formulate and compose your response How are you going to put this learning into action when you go back to your respective campus?

Closing Debrief Acknowledgement