New study illustrates impact of social class microaggressions on individuals

Although overt expressions of hostility are considered to be ill-mannered and undesirable behaviors, covert discrimination and degradation continue to be directed at individuals, communicating that recipients are less than dominant culture individuals, that they do not belong, and that their realities are invalid. These hostilities are known as microaggressions. A new Counselor Education & Supervision study explored doctoral-level counseling students' encounters with social class microaggressions (SCMs) during counselor education training.

The study's findings suggest that SCMs are an observable phenomenon that has multiple negative consequences for recipients. The investigators present six unique yet intersecting themes that arose from the data, illustrating the impact these experiences had on participants and the meaning they constructed from those experiences.