Exploring the Toxicity of Lateral Violence and Microaggressions

Poison in the Water Cooler

Christine L. Cho, Julie K. Corkett, Astrid Steele, Christine L. Cho, Julie K. Corkett, Astrid Steele, Christine L. Cho, Julie K. Corkett, Astrid Steele

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9783319747606
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Theory
• Index: Social Sciences

Examining the subtle forms of aggression, violence, and harassment that occur in our society and manifest in institutions and places of work, the expert contributors collected here describe the experience of social marginalization and expose how vulnerable individuals work to navigate exclusionary climates. This volume explores how bodies disrupt the status quo in multiple contexts and locations; provides insights into how institutions are structured and how practices that may cause harm are maintained; and, finally, considers progressive and proactive alternatives. This book will be a key resource for academics and professionals in education, sociology, nursing, law, business and political science, as well as organizations and policymakers grappling with aggression in the workplace.

© The Author(s) 2018

Christine L. Cho, Julie K. Corkett and Astrid Steele (eds.)Exploring the Toxicity of Lateral Violence and Microaggressionshttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74760-6_1

Begin Abstract

1. Introduction

Christine L. Cho¹ , Julie K. Corkett² and Astrid Steele²

(1)

Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University, Brantford, ON, Canada

(2)

Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, Canada

Christine L. Cho (Corresponding author)

Julie K. Corkett

Astrid Steele

End Abstract

We appreciate the numerous voices that have been raised in our exploration of microaggression, lateral (horizontal) violence and incivility. As a result of our contributors’ chapters, we have come to a deeper understanding of how nuanced this work is. The ways in which aggression is manifested can take many forms and is dependent upon context. It is not always easy to name. Overt acts of violence can overshadow and, perhaps, even trivialize the daily violence and aggression that many experiences within the workforce and in their communities. This oversight may be embedded in the cyclical nature of microaggression and lateral/horizontal violence, which enables seemingly innocuous acts to go unnoticed and simply be accepted as “part of the job” (Ceravolo, Schwartz, Foltz-Ramos, & Castner, 2012). Microaggression, lateral/horizontal violence and incivility can be overt and/or covert manifestations of social exclusionary tactics. The violence and discomfort that is exhibited and/or understood is enacted through the perception and reception of biased interactions. The chapters contained herein build on Augoustinos and Every’s (2007) description of modern subtle and covert forms of discrimination: “discursive strategies that present negative views of out-groups as reasonable and justified while at the same time protecting the speaker from charges of racism and prejudice” (p. 124). As you read the chapters, it becomes apparent the relationship between silence and trauma. This relationship exposes the ways in which aggressive acts impact an individual’s vulnerability, as a strategy to undermine a person’s legitimacy. There is a cumulative effect to repeated transgressions. Power is the central vortex around which all these forms of harassment circulate.

Terminology

While various authors offer definitions in their respective chapters, the following are our common understandings of the terminology used in the book:

Microaggression is a term coined by psychiatrist Chester Pierce in the 1970s to describe acts of racism so subtle that neither the perpetrator nor the victim is even fully conscious of what is happening. As Sue et al. explain, microaggressions are “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of colour” (Sue et al., 2007, p. 273). Several authors extend this definition to include gender, ability, sexual orientation, nationality and religious affiliations and refer to Sue et al. subcategories of microinsults, microassaults, microinvalidations.

Lateral violence and Horizontal violence are terms used interchangeably to explain workplace incivility or “collegial” conflict. As McKenna, Smith, Poole, and Coverdale (2003) explain, horizontal violence is, “psychological harassment, which creates hostility, as opposed to physical aggression. This harassment involves verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, humiliation, excessive criticism, innuendo, exclusion, denial of access to opportunity, disinterest, discouragement and the withholding of information” (2003, p. 92).

Incivility is often defined as social behaviours that show a lack of respect for societal norms. As Andersson and Pearson (1999) suggest, incivilities are “low intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude, discourteous, displaying a lack of respect for others” (p. 457). Be it as an instigator, target or onlooker, a person’s perception of an event as being uncivil, is impacted by their cultural and social location.

The Organization of the Book

We have organized the contributions in this book according to three interrelated themes: Explorations of Disruption, Hierarchical Layers and Practices; and Towards Systemic Change. As we worked to determine the organization, we were interested in the ways in which the contributors spoke from their social location and how the chapters related and conversed with each other and revealed what Augoustinos and Every (2007) refer to as “recurring and pervasive patterns of talk” (p. 125). Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) is a theme that runs throughout the book and so it was difficult to impose categorization as we know that readers will come to this book with a variety of purposes and outlooks. We did not wish to fall into an essentialist portrayal of the viewpoints; rather, we were compelled to consider the ways in which the chapters gave insights into various perspectives: how bodies disrupt the status quo (Explorations of Disruption); insights into how institutions are structured and practices that may cause harm are maintained (Hierarchical Layers and Practices); and finally, we wished to end on an optimistic note, considering progressive and proactive alternatives (Towards Systemic Change). The thread that runs throughout all the chapters is the notion of power. In the first section, Explorations of Disruption, we hear the voices of historically oppressed individuals in relation to the White hegemonic narrative and have the opportunity to explore the ways in which, to draw from Wetherell and Potter (1992), some individuals work to “dodge the identity” of privilege.

Explorations of Disruption

We begin this section with David Starr-Glass’s chapter, which provides a framework of key terminology. Starr-Glass examines the shift in prejudice-based and discriminatory aggression, which has also been accompanied by a spiral of general workplace incivility. Starr-Glass suggests that racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. remain rooted in societal interactions but have undergone a metamorphosis which makes recognizing, describing, and/or denouncing such acts more problematic as they now occur under the guise of microaggressions, lateral violence and incivility. As Starr-Glass explains, “the violence that lies at the heart of prejudice-based violence remains present and potent, but has undergone a metamorphosis” (Chapter 2, p. 13). We lead with this chapter as it offers a global overview of how historical “racism” has morphed into contemporary microaggressions. The shift from blatant forms of prejudice to more subtle and covert expressions of negativity is at the heart of understanding contemporary social hostilities (Augoustinos & Every, 2007). As Starr-Glass argues, the form may change but the substance remains constant.

We follow with Roberta Hunte’s chapter as she explores the experiences of Black women in nontraditional roles as tradeswomen, some of whom have been in the industry for many decades. Hunte uses Black Feminist Theory to offer an examination of nontraditional roles and the ways in which microaggressive acts arise to subvert and undermine workers. She asks the compelling question: “is it your race or your gender” when exploring microaggressions in the construction industry, as she draws from the subtle and not so subtle ways in which power and control are exercised in a field that is White male-dominated. Recognizing how multiple layers of identity impact the ways in which women work to navigate challenging work environments, despite an exclusionary climate, sheds new light on the importance of understanding intersectionality in relation to experiences of microaggressions.

Continuing to share historically unrepresented voices and counter-stories, in Chapter 4, Nadal, Eraxo, Fiani, Murillo Parilla and Han focus on the types of discrimination and bias transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people encounter and how those experiences impact their perceptions and interactions with different sectors of the criminal justice system. This chapter also presses the reader to consider intersectionality when exploring experiences of microaggression and considers the links between physical and mental health as related to the effects of microaggression.

As Canadians work through the trauma of residential schooling and move towards reconciliation with Indigenous people, Renée Mzinegiizhigo-kwe offers us insights into the tensions between the push to Indigenize higher education institutions and the microaggressions experienced by Indigenous academics trying to forge new paths. Mzinegiizhigo-kwe Bédard considers her responsibility as an Anishinaabe-kwe woman, as a keeper or protector of the water, and what this means when there is poison in the metaphorical water cooler in the form of lateral violence in the academy. Using the imagery of the “Indian in the Cupboard”, she argues, “I could be brought out on special occasions as long as I had the appropriate attire (beads, feathers, and buckskin)” (Chapter 5, p. 75). As institutions of higher learning work to build capacity with the Indigenous population, this chapter offers an important and relatively unheard perspective.

In Chapter 7, Nelun Obeyesekere continues the conversation of identity in relation to the diasporic, negatively racialized urban teacher and student. She explores how shadeism informs identity and, in particular, how negatively racialized people perceive themselves and how others perceive them as a result of colonization and White hegemony. Nelun Obeyesekere offers analysis into the more nuanced aspects of colour and its impact on teachers and students.

Finally, as we consider the role of the institution, particularly institutions of higher education, we turn to Ruder, Plaza, Warner, and Bothwell to expose the White, male hegemonic culture in STEM departments. The authors discuss the institutional and derisive betrayal of women, and expose the myth of meritocracy in the field of science research. The concept of “institutional betrayal” comes in many forms including, but not limited to, different understandings of work assigned, tenure and promotion processes, and/or a lack of formal reporting mechanisms for grievances between leadership and faculty. We end this section with this chapter as it serves to make linkages between the concepts of identity and the role of the institution, which is taken up in greater detail in the next section.

Hierarchical Layers and Practices

In the second section, Hierarchical Layers and Practices, the contributors explore the ways in which power is played out in institutions and serves to maintain systemic patriarchal structures. What stands out for us as we organized this section is the amount of hostility and negative interactions found in what are typically considered “helping” or “caring” professions: nursing, teaching, early childhood care and even those working to rehabilitate young offenders. Instead, these places of care become sites of aggression where backstabbing, putdowns and culture of harassment are propagated.

Reio and Reio begin this section with a chapter that exposes how stress in the workplace, particularly in K-12 schools, results in uncivil behaviours which, if allowed to fester, can escalate into bullying, forms of intentional aggression and physical violence. What was touched upon in Nadal et al.’s chapter is further explored here, namely, the link between social hostility and physical and mental health. The authors discuss professional burnout and turnover as related to lateral violence. The concept of professional burnout is explored by many of the contributors in this section and speaks to ways in which self-esteem, professional aspirations and community can be eroded by experiences of microaggressions, lateral/horizontal violence and incivility.

In Chapter 9, concepts of power are further teased apart as Daniel and Antoniw ask if lateral violence is a necessary rite of passage for student teachers. That is, is being in a subservient role a required aspect of the progression to becoming a teacher? The contributors argue, that, “although power dynamics between novice and veteran teachers cannot be totally eradicated (nor is it advisable to d...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Introduction
• Part I. Explorations of Disruption
• Part II. Hierarchical Layers and Practices
• Part III. Towards Systemic Change
• Back Matter