Equality: Fair Work

Microaggressions are so commonplace and insidious, that for most people they will be the norm, and operate beyond the radar. But microaggressions have the impact of reinforcing ‘othering’. Microaggressions signals who belongs, and who does not – and when digging a little deeper, microaggressions exposes commonplace racial prejudice and biases.

Because of the serious impact microaggressions have on individuals, and on maintaining a racist status quo, there is a need to decentralise the focus on intent. Far to often, there is an overfocus on whether harm was intended, however when it comes to equality-related impacts, this may be a distraction. It will be essential, rather, to consider what can be done to address the underlying dynamics present within this behaviour, and to make sure that people of colour are meaningfully visible in the workplace, and heard. Whether harm was intended, or not, the effect is harmful, therefore it is racist, and that must be addressed.

Professional isolation occurs when BAME teachers’ feel a poor sense of belonging, and their distinctive skills and abilities are undervalued, ideas are usurped by colleagues, or there is a lack of confidants to discuss experiences and challenges with. Unfortunately, the focus of many interventions often does not support individuals in overcoming the barriers that prevent them for being themselves in the workplace, but rather how they can change to fit in.

Racism is a significant barrier to the realisation of Fair Work for BAME people, impacting their access to opportunity, safety, fulfilment, respect and to have their voices heard. Unfortunately, microaggressions are often not well understood and there can be an overreliance on only reporting overt racist incidents, or expecting people of colour to speak up. It is important to also report racist attitudes and microaggressions, so that we can better capture that cumulative, whole picture of the impact of racism.