2016 CCSA
Objectives
Micromessaging:
Little Things Mean A Lot
• Identify how our thought processes affect male
and female students;
• Strategies for overcoming our gender
stereotypes in order to increase non-traditional
enrollment.
Shannon Baker
Career and Technical Education Consultant,
Special Populations/Civil Rights/Equity
shannon.baker@dpi.nc.gov
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2016 CCSA
What we know….
• Culture shapes our biases and beliefs about
people.
• We communicate our biases in our world
through micromessages.
• The accumulation of micromessages over
time impacts a person’s belief in his or her
own ability to be successful in a course,
class, college or career.
Cultural Stereotypes
Cultural
Stereotypes
Behavior
Bias
Self-efficiacy
Micromessages
Accumulation of
(Dis)advantage
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2016 CCSA
Identify cultural stereotypes
Identify cultural stereotypes
Activity:
Culture:
• Culture is defined as the shared patterns of
behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs
and affective understanding that are learned
through a process of socialization.
• These shared patterns identify the members of
a culture group while also distinguishing those
of another group.
As you view the following pictures, respond to the
following:
1. What are the cultural stereotypes that you
see in the images?
2. From where do these cultural stereotypes
originate?
3. Can you draw conclusions on the cultural
impact of the cultural stereotypes on our
students?
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2016 CCSA
Identify Cultural Stereotypes
Cultural Stereotypes
Strategies:
What other cultural
stereotypes can you
identify as it relates to:
• STEM?
• CTE?
• Nontraditional
careers?
• Race/ethnicity?
• Class?
• Sex/gender?
• Be diverse in the examples used in the classroom to
illustrate concepts, ideas and models.
• Inventory family concerns, perspectives and ideas.
Plan a series of activities/interactions based on the
survey findings.
• Be careful of “helpful” classifications that may
inadvertently alienate students. (ie. “All girls like to
shop” or “All boys like sports”)
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2016 CCSA
Cultural Stereotypes
Strategies: (con’t)
• Develop lessons and activities that reflect your
awareness and acceptance of multiple cultures
and perspectives.
• Watch for and challenge student behaviors and
relationships that reflect stereotypical roles.
Cultural
Stereotypes
Bias
Behavior
Bias
Self-efficiacy
Micromessages
Accumulation of
(Dis)advantage
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2016 CCSA
Unconscious (or Implicit) Bias
Social stereotypes that we form out of our own
unconsciousness:
Stems from our brain’s
adaptations
Unconscious (or Implicit) Bias
Influences how we reach
decisions from gathering,
sorting and filtering of
information.
Influences our evaluations of
people and their value.
Creates unconscious
barriers in the classroom
Impact how we relate to
people
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2016 CCSA
Unconscious/Implicit Bias
Unconscious/Implicit Bias
IAT Reflection
https://implicit.harvard.edu
Which IATs did you take?
What result did your data suggest?
Was this what you expected? Why?
How do your results make you feel?
Consider the influences in your life (family,
friends, media, etc.), reflect on your own
experiences, and deduce why your result was
what it was.
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2016 CCSA
Unconscious/Implicit Bias
Micromessages
Cultural
Stereotypes
Strategies:
• Become aware of your own unconscious biases
through peer observation, asking your students,
videotaping your class.
• Take the implicit bias test at
https://implicit.harvard.edu
• Create an awareness of gender-bias behaviors
• Become aware of cultural biases in assessments
through training so you can minimize them.
Behavior
Bias
Self-efficiacy
Micromessages
Accumulation of
(Dis)advantage
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2016 CCSA
What are micromessages?
• Small, subtle, semi-conscious
messages we send and receive when
we interact with other.
Types of
Micromessages
Micromessages
Micro-Affirmations
People feel:
VS
Micro-Inequities
People feel:
Valued
Included
Micro-inequities
Micro-affirmations
Negative
micro-messages
Positive
micro-message
Encouraged
Intentional
Positive
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2016 CCSA
Micromessaging (Key Elements)
Micromessages
What is said
Verbal
Feedback
messages
How it’s said
Praise and
Criticism
Paraverbal
• Be cognizant of “little issues”; don’t allow them to
damage relationships.
Micromessages
What is not said
or done
Body
language
Omission
Who or what else
is present –
culture, artifacts,
etc.
Non-verbal
Contextual
Strategies:
– Speak and spell a person’s name correctly
– Make eye contact when conversing
– Be friendly and attentive
• Don’t let micro-inequities go unnoticed. Find a way
to acknowledge the occurrence, and address in a
positive way.
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2016 CCSA
 Culture shapes our biases
and beliefs about people.
•
 We communicate our biases
in our world through
micromessages.
•
Know & Do!
•
Reflect on past words and
behaviors,
Learn to be mindful of
communication and behavior, and
Anticipate how decisions, words,
and behaviors impact student
engagement and success.
References
• National Partnership in Equity
(www.napequity.org)
 The accumulation of
micromessages over time
impacts a person’s belief in
his or her own ability to be
successful in a course, class,
college or career.
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