In today's class, 10-30-17, we continued discussing the question “what/how does this text converse with ___?” We filled that blank with a focus on racial studies and how micro aggression can affect it. Micro aggression basically means a small act of malice or flexing of power that can indicate a deeper issue beneath the surface. The class further discussed how people don't always intend what they’re saying to be harmful but intention is less important than impact. In the article we read in our groups today, Microaggressions Matter, we were presented with an example in which the author of the article experienced microaggression. He tells the audience of a time a classmate compared him to a dog, as they shared the same name Simba. This incident itself wasn’t exactly offensive, but if we take a deeper look, we can see the underlying issue of the remark, because his name was Simba and he has an African background, Americans often associate the name with animals, making the remark seem “debasing and culturally insensitive.” The class was assigned to answer the questions related to the article added to the assignment “#9 Get Out” and submit the response before class tomorrow.
A good example of microaggression involving racial studies that’s seen in another text is in “The Office”. Michael Scott, the main character and the boss of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company often informs others that he is not racist, but in a particular episode called “diversity day”, the employees of the office are called in for a meeting to discuss diversity in the workplace. Michael Scott feels that the office doesn’t need diversity training because it is already a “color-free zone.” He later sets up a game in the office in which he tells the employees to guess which race they are by asking fellow office workers to give stereotypes associated with that race, based on the cards that are placed on their foreheads. These incidents allow the audience to view the ignorance of Michael Scott when it comes to racial studies.
Excellent post! This is a great example of how to balance the class’ daily learning with a relevant extension to the outside world. Especially as you consider the real-world implications of racial studies, the extension seems to justify the work done in the first half of the post. The first half is also effective, and gives your audience a great sense of what went down during class on Monday. Nice work!
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