Manifestations of racial microaggressions in library education: focusing on racial trauma

Abstract

The study investigates manifestations of racial microaggressions, with an emphasis on measuring racial trauma experienced by black students enrolled in Library Science courses. The overall goal is to understand how racial microaggressions manifest in this context. Specific objectives include: a conceptual definition of racial microaggressions and their characteristics; categorization of the ways in which these microaggressions manifest in interactions; and application of the Racial Microaggression Scale in Library Science Education. From a methodological point of view, it is applied qualitative research that uses documentary, bibliographic, exploratory and descriptive methods. The study is divided into three phases: 1) literature review; 2) application of questionnaires and analysis of results; and 3) development and application of the scale. The analysis and application of the scale reveal the presence of microaggressions, which are manifested through subtle practices and verbal and non-verbal messages full of contempt, sexism and racism, perpetuated by white teachers and colleagues in the classroom. The most common microaggressions fall into the categories of Delegitimization/Invalidation and Threat/Intimidation, and forms of oppression intersect with gender, racial, and sexual oppression in the educational experience of black students in higher education. With the scale, racial microaggressions were found to have traumatic consequences and, along with the categories of oppression observed, have a lasting impact on the lives of the Black students observed.