tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post981430811197459931..comments2024-03-10T20:46:19.274-04:00Comments on In the Middle: Medieval Studies, Sexual Harassment, and Community AccountabilityCord J. Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06224143153295429986noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-61119987689233574212014-11-07T14:08:25.363-05:002014-11-07T14:08:25.363-05:00A number of medievalists have been talking online ...A number of medievalists have been talking online in various spots about where would be a safe place to tell stories. We think this is a good spot and someone in our community has begun by discussing academic sexism in medieval studies: http://www.academicsexismstories.be/?p=697dorothyk98https://www.blogger.com/profile/01975465695724783981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-2784995308924261772014-11-05T15:30:25.805-05:002014-11-05T15:30:25.805-05:00Dorothy, I'm thinking about practical action a...Dorothy, I'm thinking about practical action and would suggest something I've seen done before:<br /><br />If one problem is silence, and another problem is the repercussions for breaking that silence, couldn't we use new media to remove that barrier for women who have experienced harassment? By which I'm proposing that a dedicated twitter or Facebook account anonymizes and posts experiences on behalf of women and men who have witnessed or been subjected to harassment/abuse. One could, as has been suggested on this feed, even use these collated experiences in some form of protest art, or for a study.5.thingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00982261528923675170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-43626956179825845792014-11-04T16:43:57.725-05:002014-11-04T16:43:57.725-05:00Thanks for moderating ITM group. But yes, conferen...Thanks for moderating ITM group. But yes, conferences and events are such gray areas b/c is it closed, is it open, who is in charge, what are the parameters? I love the mini-womanifesto. I also think that the labor of changing these things will only happen if we are a community and help carry the load. I feel from open discussions on Facebook and in other venues that a lot of people feel exhausted to have had to fight this (harassment, gender inequity, sexual assault, etc.) by themselves or in small groups for literally decades. I hope opening this up to a much larger public group also helps us see that others are willing to do the labor as well. That people are not alone either dealing with the fall out from encounters or dealing with fighting for others who have had things happen to them. A lot of work has been done in the decades around these issues. But I feel that now a lot more can be done openly with more hands helping. I am thankful Alexandra opened up her feed to the public because it allowed a large community to rally around it. I hope this post likewise is able to push discussions in as many circles as possible to continue finding more people to work to change academic culture. It is much easier to sustain momentum and activism to dismantle institutional sexism and oppression if there are many hands willing to help. I also hope the discussions help begin educating and actually allowing behaviors to transform.dorothyk98https://www.blogger.com/profile/01975465695724783981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-76296264808421538812014-11-04T13:55:07.567-05:002014-11-04T13:55:07.567-05:00A reminder to one and all of our ITM moderation po...A reminder to one and all of our ITM moderation policy. You can submit drive-by snark if you'd like, but do not expect it to appear in the comments:<br />http://www.inthemedievalmiddle.com/2012/06/itm-moderation-policy.htmlJeffrey Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17346504393740520542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-77303576945021744662014-11-04T13:35:19.998-05:002014-11-04T13:35:19.998-05:00Various Last Honest Men whose comments I'm not...Various Last Honest Men whose comments I'm not letting through* are afeared that what's being recommended in this post will institute a wave of terror or discreditation or something: let me assure you that other conversations happening elsewhere are exploring what's legally possible and, of course, what's impossible. Despite what you prefer to suspect, these issues are being explored.<br /><br />* Because why? Because tedium.medievalkarlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12440542200843836794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-9043969809809456362014-11-04T12:57:50.268-05:002014-11-04T12:57:50.268-05:00Thank you so much to all who have been writing and...Thank you so much to all who have been writing and commenting on these issues--the other horror show that is mid-semester, Halloween with a toddler, and overdue manuscript edits have kept my head down and I am so grateful to find all these energetic responses and thoughtful analyses. I admire you all and hope I can just catch up! <br /><br />I also hope that those of you attending the Medieval Congress at Kalamazoo this May will come to the SMFS session "Medieval Feminists at Work: Negotiating Complicated Workspaces (A Roundtable)" that I've organized as part of the SMFS Political Action subcommittee, with Dorothy's help. Since this is a roundtable the conversation will largely be determined by who shows up...and who speaks up. It would be great to have lots of people discussing harassment expressing sympathy, support, and solutions. I also hope that we'll have lots of folks live-tweeting the discussion.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16697996295992726958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-45645677308305044552014-11-03T12:06:17.608-05:002014-11-03T12:06:17.608-05:00Dorothy,
Thank you for writing this and placing i...Dorothy,<br /><br />Thank you for writing this and placing it in such a public forum. And, Elaine, thanks for your comments, which lead me to think about the following:<br /><br />I hate in particular the culture of obligate defensive postures: as with rape, its expected that the victim must defend themselves--ie. not walk down the wrong street, etc., whereas the thing is, HEY MEN, DON't HARASS PEOPLE. <br /><br />And still, I find myself wondering about the defensive, but at least collectively, and in solidarity: ie. what sort of ways are best to 'speak up' or to support or defend that do not worsen or agitate potentially serious trauma/shame/embarrassment etc. for an individual being harassed.dan remeinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13011645541207076650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-68430123784019234052014-11-03T00:10:48.854-05:002014-11-03T00:10:48.854-05:00Mini-womanifesto: I'll try and help students a...Mini-womanifesto: I'll try and help students and colleagues who are having any kind of professional difficulty. This would include watching out for them, supporting and defending them, speaking up for them. Better still, as a group we can probably develop our own strategies and tactics to identify and begin to minimise ethical and professional infringements. That would be a great start. If we don't begin to find a way to address harassers and bullies, they (and others who learn from their behaviour) will continue to harass and bully with impunity. And indeed, I'm sure it's true that communities and integrity can succeed where institutions and policies fail. Elaine Treharnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08771494133960076143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-89075024089361548832014-11-02T22:00:10.228-05:002014-11-02T22:00:10.228-05:00I just closed the thread that Dorothy refers to he...I just closed the thread that Dorothy refers to here, but pledged to restart my part of the conversation elsewhere. Here's my last contribution to that thread, which is something I am still thinking about myself. Thanks to Dorothy and ITM for providing this space for this discussion.... Punitive measures and formal processes for the problems described here exist. Harassment is a breach of the codes of conduct of most of our institutions and of the policy of many of our professional organizations; the institutions in particular have very clear procedures for dealing with situations as they arise. And yet the system fails almost completely. It doesn't stop the behaviour; it has to a significant extent failed to change the culture that enables the behaviour; it traumatizes those who adopt its measures; it focuses energy on specific accusations and individuals' response to these, and does little to address generalized harm - the misery and grief, regret and frustration and exhaustion - of all those involved, friends, colleagues, onlookers, loved ones on both "sides". It makes enemies of natural allies. It fosters suspicion and defensiveness; it prevents those who need help from seeking it; it silences and shames everyone. It really sucks. I imagine we all agree about that. But of course we will have different ideas about the best way to effect change. As a - ahem - 'survivor' of this and that, I would like more openness, acceptance, understanding, community, support. For that, I need safe places to speak about my experiences with those who empathize. I believe that this will, in time, change the cultures I inhabit profoundly. I am willing to be patient. But I speak only for myself... Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08624771366686560907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-84368430669966931672014-11-02T21:48:30.242-05:002014-11-02T21:48:30.242-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08624771366686560907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-4844625725731926922014-11-02T21:24:36.591-05:002014-11-02T21:24:36.591-05:00Thanks Ben for posting. That's a good question...Thanks Ben for posting. That's a good question. I have thought about that a lot. I think people have to feel comfortable and ready to speak but it needs to be about their choice. But as a group, I wonder if more vocal forms of protest as a community would help. Petitions, letters, even possibly later more art performance protests. I have been thinking about what is possible for different people to do together so they don't feel isolated and alone and also what is possible that would allow them to have others, yes, literally help carry the burden, but also the potential push back. I think it's good to talk about all these things and see what people suggest so we can consider. i think it's also good to start by having conversation.dorothyk98https://www.blogger.com/profile/01975465695724783981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-44381092007826489962014-11-02T20:29:00.593-05:002014-11-02T20:29:00.593-05:00Thank you so much, Dorothy, for this, especially i...Thank you so much, Dorothy, for this, especially in plotting such a needed, no-holds-barred set of actions for us all to not only contemplate but *implement*! <br /><br />I really appreciated you mentioning here (or in your August post, it may have been?) the difficulties and potential (professional) dangers of speaking out from the low rungs on the academic ladder — I continue to think it is necessary of those of us in these positions to take (at least some of) these risks. <br /><br />As a tandem strategy, though, I am wondering what tactics, rhetorical and otherwise, we from below might take up in compelling those senior/tenure-track faculty and administrators above us to do as you say: to ask them to speak out and act against these violations? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14392179897132726823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-37924865765242867412014-11-02T14:49:43.796-05:002014-11-02T14:49:43.796-05:00I really want to thank Elaine Trehearne for her co...I really want to thank Elaine Trehearne for her courage, strength and caring for others. It is her example I want to follow. <br /><br />People who have never intervened in a similar context should get their own thread.<br /><br />Let us not forget that the worst excesses of homophobia are in the name of "protecting the children" -- let us not become the left that joins the extreme right in its comments or policies or actions.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05516783559603883158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-59941769639153159292014-11-02T14:37:35.875-05:002014-11-02T14:37:35.875-05:00Hi everyone, Alex Gillespie's Facebook thread ...Hi everyone, Alex Gillespie's Facebook thread is now closed for comments. So feel free to post here. You can do so anonymously if you so choose. This thread will be moderated.dorothyk98https://www.blogger.com/profile/01975465695724783981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-71163967862163686612014-11-01T10:37:05.230-04:002014-11-01T10:37:05.230-04:00Re: burdens of proof, As Thomas MacAulay Millar wr...Re: burdens of proof, As Thomas MacAulay Millar wrote the other day over on https://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/ghomeshi-the-developing-story-and-predator-theory-observations/<br /><br />"With lesser power comes lesser responsibility." <br /><br />We are not a court. We are not bound y court-like procedures. The right step is to believe the victim as a default. Lollardfishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10493927638326680610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-69537606119889271532014-11-01T10:21:30.205-04:002014-11-01T10:21:30.205-04:00Gilbert," thanks so much for helping us compl...Gilbert," thanks so much for helping us complete our Men's Right's Activist BINGO card. We've already moderated out a 'AMERICAN WOMEN ARE THE WORST' comment, and I'm expecting someone to come through and post 'EUROPE IS FAR MORE ENLIGHTENED WHEN IT COMES TO SEXUAL MATTERS' and a 'IN THE OLD DAYS, LIFE WAS MORE FUN' comment.<br /><br />Some reading: <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/01/08/the_enliven_project_s_false_rape_accusations_infographic_great_intentions.html%22" rel="nofollow">here for one takedown of the MYTH of false rape accusations</a>; <a href="http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Adoption" rel="nofollow">here for a presumably incomplete list of cons</a> that have anti-harassment polices in place (and by all means, if you can demonstrate that these policies have led to the liquidation of the kulaks, try to post here again), and here, for <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/07/02/my-new-convention-harassment-policy/" rel="nofollow">John Scalzi</a> doing the right thing (which leads to liquidating the kulaks etc), if you want to carry on the conversation somehow. <br /><br />to Elaine and Danica: thank you for your comments, VERY much. I hope to see more like them here. Don't worry about having to argue your way past men like "Gilbert." This comments thread isn't going to turn into that kind of argument.medievalkarlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12440542200843836794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-74170514507542923312014-10-31T21:44:03.193-04:002014-10-31T21:44:03.193-04:00"We do not have to adhere to their evidentiar..."We do not have to adhere to their evidentiary requirements. We do not have to assume innocence. We don’t have to build a ‘case’ against someone. We don’t, in actual fact, require ‘proof’ that would hold up in a court of law. We don’t need to gather evidence and conduct investigations."<br /><br />“Don’t ask for ‘proof’. Don’t treat ‘both sides of the story’ as if they hold equal weight. Do not engage in any type of victim blaming behaviour. Listen to the victim. Do it. And don’t judge.” <br /><br />I never thought I'd read the totalitarianism that underlies political correctness spelled out in such explicit detail. No, you're not a court of law, but fundamental fairness suggests that THE ACCUSED HAS RIGHTS TOO. If you want to create a regime in which an accusation is as good as a conviction, you're incentivizing the making of false claims, and placing the anti-sexual harassment cause on the same moral level as those accused of "hoarding and wrecking" in the old Soviet Union. <br />Gilbert Ratchethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13448063418910836848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-84408041588411440112014-10-31T14:10:35.455-04:002014-10-31T14:10:35.455-04:00I'm really happy to read this. I'm a femal...I'm really happy to read this. I'm a female grad student who attended the Portland conference and received totally inappropriate attention from a certain older, married man also. I wasn't assaulted, but I did feel unsafe.Danicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14886656416543352707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-69191025237984253652014-10-31T10:14:48.467-04:002014-10-31T10:14:48.467-04:00Dorothy, I agree with what you're saying and a...Dorothy, I agree with what you're saying and asking for; all medieval conferences could benefit from a policy on Harassment. The ALA (I think) has formulated such a policy, though it wasn't an easy process. It isn't the case, though, that all of us have been always silent. About twelve years ago, a Leeds University colleague and I made it our business (because it is our business) to make public the names of those colleagues who practice sexual harassment as a matter of course. At the Vagantes conference at OSU, I had occasion to make a public statement about a known serial abuser of graduate students--a man at the top of his field, who has persistently abused female graduate students, such that a couple left the field altogether. I have subsequently warned every female colleague about him and others, whom I have named and whose actions I described. Other female professors in the UK, particularly, have also been very active in trying to draw attention to this issue. The silence is profound, however: those who *appoint* or *promote* harassers do so with FULL knowledge of that person's reputation. In other words, those on appointments' committees (including senior women, I might add) deliberately set aside the 'personal' lives of these men (I'm sure--in fact, I know--there are women harassers, too). This is heinous, of course, because it makes the known abuse of power an irrelevance, when it is not. At conferences, years ago (I am too old to be subjected to abuse now) I was persistently hit upon. I use these experiences as first-hand examples to all and any female colleagues I get the chance to talk to. These are not 'whisper circles'; these are real and useful actions. These are the moral duties of all of us: to be responsible to our colleagues, and, indeed, caring of them. First and foremost, the harassers should just bloody well stop it; secondly, interviewers--those who appoint and promote--should consider the known activities of harassers; thirdly, conference organisers should, indeed, explicitly condemn harassment through public policies; fourthly, we are all obliged throughout our professional lives to care for our colleagues. Elaine Treharnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08771494133960076143noreply@blogger.com