Title: How Does Oppression (Microaggressions) Affect Perpetrators? | Psychology Today
Headings: How Does Oppression (Microaggressions) Affect Perpetrators?
Derald Wing Sue Ph.D.
How Does Oppression (Microaggressions) Affect Perpetrators?
The cognitive, affective, behavioral, and spiritual costs of oppression.

Content: In essence, an imbalance of power acutely affects perceptual accuracy and diminishes reality testing. In the corporate world, women must attune to the feelings and actions of their male colleagues in order to survive in a male culture. People of color must be constantly vigilant to read the minds of their oppressors lest they incur their wrath. Oppressors, however, do not need to understand the thoughts, beliefs or feelings of various marginalized groups to survive. Their actions are not accountable to those without power and they need not understand them to function effectively. Affective Costs of Oppression
As we have seen, when racism, sexism or heterosexism is pushed into the consciousness of oppressors, they are likely to experience a mix of strong and powerful disruptive emotions. These intense feelings represent emotional roadblocks to self-exploration and must be deconstructed if oppressors are to continue in their journey to self-reckoning. 1. Fear, anxiety and apprehension are common and powerful feelings that arise when race, gender or sexual orientation related situations present themselves. The fear may be directed at members of marginalized groups;