Students at Virginia Tech have compiled a list of 50 “microaggressions” that they find unacceptable for use in conversation. The phrases were gathered by members of the campus NAACP student group, the Muslim Student Association, and the Jewish Student Union. Some of the “microaggressions” were plastered around campuses on posters, each of which displayed a different phrase deemed to be unacceptable by the student groups.
Interestingly, Derald Wing Sue, a professor of psychology at Columbia University and an early architect of microaggression theory, claims that students and administrators have misunderstood his theory. Professor Sue claims that he doesn’t necessarily believe people who commit microaggressions are bigoted or prejudiced. He expressed concern that microaggression theory was being used to shame and punish those who have made questionable remarks that weren’t maliciously-intended. He claims that his goal was to educate people, rather than punish them. READ MORE
