ECPN LUNCHEON: CRITICAL DIALOGUE SKILLS TO ADDRESS MICROAGGRESSIONS IN PREVENTION SCIENCE

Welcome and Introductions: Sarah Lindstrom Johnson, PhD, Arizona State University

Chair/Co-Chairs:

• Jessika Bottiani, PhD, MPH; University of Virginia
• Katrina Debnam, PhD, MPH; University of Virginia
• B.K. Elizabeth Kim, PhD; University of Southern California
• Elise Pas; PhD; Johns Hopkins University

Speaker:

Jyotsna Vanapalli, SPHR, University of Maryland

Description:

As prevention scientists, we are committed to work that fosters well-being and builds inclusion and equity. To do this well, we need to develop the important early career professional competency of promoting dialogue on difficult and complex social issues. Specifically, microaggressions can present challenging and emotionally-fraught situations for everyone involved. We have all experienced, witnessed, or even perhaps unwittingly perpetrated microaggressions in our everyday work environments with colleagues, students, supervisors, or community partners. Microaggressions can be rooted in implicit biases or stereotypes related (but not limited) to racism, nationalism, heterosexism, transphobia, ableism, sexism, sizeism, marital status, and religious stereotypes. The capacity to handle these incidents fruitfully, as teachable moments, is critical to building emotionally safe learning spaces and work team dynamics (e.g., research labs, classrooms, work communities, collaborative partnerships). Designed to promote cross-group dialogue among all ECPN members with respect to our myriad and diverse identities, this skill-building session presents an opportunity for participants to learn specific strategies to recognize, interrupt, and address microaggressions (whether in the role of victim, offender, or bystander). Scenarios will also highlight sensitive situations in the context of power differentials (e.g., professor-student or supervisor-supervisee relationships). Interactive activities will support participants’ skill development and sense of agency to take action when microaggressions occur by recognizing and respecting boundaries, promoting critical consciousness raising, supporting empathy development, and building mutual trust. These skills are broadly applicable to productive engagement in collaborative prevention science efforts.

Schedule:

11:45-12:00 Pick up lunch and select a table

12:00-12:15 Introduction

12:15-12:45 Table discussions

12:45-1:00 Closure activity