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Bearing Psychic Weight and Accountability: Navigating Racism and Microaggressions in Creative Work

Author

Listed:
  • Alanna Stuart

    (Queen’s University, Canada)

  • Kim de Laat

    (University of Waterloo, Canada)

Abstract

This article examines how Indigenous, Black, and people of colour (IBPOC) music industry workers navigate moments of racism and microaggressions. Through interviews with musical artists and industry workers ( N = 55), the article identifies two strategies for navigating situational acts of racism: alleviation and confrontation . Those choosing to alleviate reactions to racism express a psychic weight that stays with them, while those choosing to confront racism report that social accountability guides their actions. These strategies reveal both the persistence of and resistance to the music industry’s somatic norm – the corporeal baseline of whiteness against which non-White bodies are perceived and judged. They also result in a longer-term mental load that becomes constitutive of career advancement efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Alanna Stuart & Kim de Laat, 2025. "Bearing Psychic Weight and Accountability: Navigating Racism and Microaggressions in Creative Work," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 39(2), pages 361-379, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:39:y:2025:i:2:p:361-379
    DOI: 10.1177/09500170241254325
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicole M. Deterding & Mary C. Waters, 2021. "Flexible Coding of In-depth Interviews: A Twenty-first-century Approach," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 50(2), pages 708-739, May.
    2. Ana Alacovska & Trine Bille, 2021. "A Heterodox Re-Reading of Creative Work: The Diverse Economies of Danish Visual Artists," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 35(6), pages 1053-1072, December.
    3. Allyson Stokes, 2021. "Masters of None? How Cultural Workers Use Reframing to Achieve Legitimacy in Portfolio Careers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 35(2), pages 350-368, April.
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