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When ‘Can I help you?’ hurts : Roma experiences of everyday microaggressions in retail outlets
Title / Series / Name
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Pages
Editors
Keywords
Roma
microaggressions
misrecognition
shopping
surveillance
Social Psychology
microaggressions
misrecognition
shopping
surveillance
Social Psychology
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/27236
Abstract
The concept of microaggressions alerts us how majority group members' everyday behaviour can impact minorities negatively. Recently, some researchers have questioned the criteria for identifying microaggressions and rejected the concept's utility. We maintain that attending to minorities' everyday experiences is important and illustrate this through a three-phase study with Roma in Hungary. First, we conducted interviews exploring their everyday interactional experiences (Phase 1, N = 17); second, Roma participants filmed (naturally occurring) interactions with majority group members (Phase 2, N = 10); third, we showed such filmed interactions to Roma focus groups and recorded their discussions (Phase 3, N = 28). Analysing these discussions, we focused on how the experience of surveillance when shopping (even when manifested in apparently helpful attention from shop assistants) impacted participants in ways that majority group members likely have little awareness of. Specifically, participants reported their need to (a) reflect on (and manage) their emotional reactions; (b) weigh a variety of strategic considerations as to how to respond; and (c) engage in in-the-moment interpretation as to the nature of the interaction. Such experiences negatively impact the use of public space and illustrate the value of adopting the minority's vantage point concerning the identification of microaggressive treatment.
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Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2025-01
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1111/bjso.12789