Cope

Project for Parsons Thesis

Spring 2020

Cope is an app that helps people cope with and navigate through microaggressions in their everyday lives. Microaggressions are ways in which verbal and non-verbal behavior reveal implicit biases, hidden prejudice and discriminatory attitudes towards marginalized groups. Quite common in today’s society, they hold a lot of power as they are often subtle and can manifest in a variety of contexts. Unfortunately, this can create and enforce uncomfortable, unsafe and even volatile environments for people belonging to marginalized groups. Hence, the aim of this project is to create a portable guide that would equip people with a set of tools and strategies that would allow them to resist, cope with and confront sexism, discrimination and biases in their everyday lives. 

Focusing mainly on gender microaggressions, Cope is separated into two modes: Advice and Learn. In the advice mode, users can pick specific scenarios from the categories of Family, Workplace, Friends and Public and rate their level of discomfort. Based on those factors, the app would generate a selection of suggestions on what they can say or do in those situations. The learn mode acts as a supplement and provides more detailed information and further resources for each category, such as where and how to seek external support in delicate situations. 

The goal is for people to feel safe and be able to empower themselves in the moment and ultimately learn how to recognize these transgressions and combat them in the future—whether that is through de-escalation or confrontation.