Perspectives Special Issue: Call for Papers

 

Microaggressions: State of the Science and New Directions

Guest Editor: Dr. Monnica Williams, University of Ottawa

Advisory Editor: Dr. Laura A. King, University of Missouri, Columbia

Deadline for Letter of Intent Submissions: May 31, 2020


As overt and blatant expressions of prejudice have declined over the last several decades, increasing attention has been paid to how more subtle forms of prejudice may be enacted in everyday situations. Racial microaggressions have been described as “brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to people of color because they belong to a racial minority group” (Sue et al., 2007, p. 273). The term was originally coined by Dr. Chester Pierce as a way to describe the more subtle types of racial maltreatment commonly experienced by African Americans (Pierce, 1970), but many racial and ethnic groups are subject to microaggressions as well, including Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans/American Indians, Arab Americans, and others. Additional types of microaggressions have also been documented, such as LGBTQ, gender, and religious microaggressions. Microaggressions have been identified other countries as well, including Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, and Israel.

Although microaggressions often appear harmless, they are considered a form of everyday discrimination. Microaggressions and everyday discrimination have been linked to numerous mental health problems, as well as physical health problems and poor quality of life. However, many people are completely unaware of the presence of microaggressions occurring all around them or that they may even commit themselves. Psychology as a discipline can benefit from a better understanding of microaggressions to improve research, training, and clinical practice. Although the harms of microaggressions are well-documented, there are still many unanswered questions and areas in need of new research. This special issue is intended to advance the scientific dialogue surrounding this important topic.

Manuscript Submissions

This issue will accept the following types of articles:

  • Theoretical articles
  • Integrative reviews
  • Program overviews
  • Meta-analyses
  • Commentaries
  • Book reviews

Articles should advance psychological science in important ways that are relevant to a wide range of readers. All articles should be original works, well-written, accessible to psychologists across subdisciplines, and scientifically rigorous. This issue is open to submissions from all areas of psychology, as well as from related behavioral sciences and education.

Prior to manuscript submission, a Letter of Intent should be submitted to the guest editor. Letters should include the proposed manuscript title, author names and affiliations, and a 500-word (maximum) abstract of the proposed submission. Letters of Intent should be submitted as an Article Proposal via the manuscript portal at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pps. Potential contributors whose Letters of Intent have been approved will be invited to submit a full manuscript. Please note that all papers will be peer reviewed and there is no guarantee of acceptance. All inquiries about the special issue should be sent to monnica.williams@uottawa.ca. The deadline for letters of intent has been extended to May 31, 2020. Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis until the issue is full. The suggested target publication date for this issue is January 2021, but accepted articles will be available online in advance of the special issue publication date.