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INTERSECTIONAL MICROAGGRESSIONS AND CYNICAL ATTITUDES AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

As institutions work toward fostering inclusive environments, students from marginalized backgrounds- particularly racial, gender, and sexual minorities- continue to experience microaggressions that shape their academic and social experiences. Guided by Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionality framework, this study investigates how race-, gender-, and sexuality-based microaggressions influence students' self-esteem and attitudes toward college. One hundred and eleven undergraduate students attending a public university in the Southeast USA completed measures of microaggression exposure, self-esteem, and cynical attitudes toward college. Results showed that students with minority racial and sexuality status reported significantly greater exposure to microaggressions (race: t(109) = 3.01, p = .003; sexual orientation: t(104) = 3.12, p = .002) compared to their majority peers. Although no group difference was found for self-esteem and cynical attitudes based on racial or gender status, students with minority sexual orientations reported more cynical attitudes toward the institution than their majority peers, t(104) = 2.65, p = .009. Additionally, on-campus employment further exacerbated microaggression experiences based on sexual orientation (employment x sexual identity: F(1, 102) = 6.40, p = .013, η² = .06). These findings underscore the importance of institutional policies aimed at reducing microaggressions and fostering a more inclusive collegiate campus.

Acknowledgements

KSU Office of Undergraduate Research

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