The Logic of Microaggressions Assumes a Racist Society

This commentary draws attention to core assumptions about the nature of society that underlie the current debate on microaggressions. For proponents of microaggression research, the starting assumption is one of a racist society. That is, microaggressions have their source and power within an inequitable, racially stratified society. In contrast, critics of microaggressions begin with the assumption of an equitable society, or at least would not endorse the assumption of a racist society. These two different starting assumptions lead to dramatically different conclusions about the concept of microaggressions. As long as these assumptions are not explicitly recognized, debates on methods, findings, and so on will never be reconciled.