Week 7 Lecture - 2243F

Employment, Schools, and Sports

Core Objectives

Focus Areas:

Employment:

  • Frameworks and Intersectionality: Expanding on Hooks' frameworks and Crenshaw's intersectionality to explore how various social identities (such as race, gender, and class) interact and impact experiences of sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace.

  • Immigration Status: Discussing how immigration status is a significant factor influencing vulnerability to sexual harassment and abuse in workplaces, particularly for undocumented individuals who may fear deportation or retaliation.

Schools:

  • University Culture: Analyzing the cultural norms within universities that often enable a lack of accountability for sexual violence, and assessing the responsibilities institutions have toward their students and employees in creating safe environments.

  • Further Discussion: Examining broader entertainment and public spheres—including Hollywood, music industries, academic institutions, and sports—through the lens of potential reckonings highlighted by the #MeToo movement.

Guest Lecture

Guest: Professor Christian Ylagan

  • Affiliations: Currently affiliated with Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (GSWS) and Film Studies at Western University.

  • Academic Background: Pursuing a PhD in Comparative Literature with a specific focus on post-colonial representations of queerness in Filipino literature and film.

  • Teaching Areas: Engaging students in postcolonial queer literature, critical studies of masculinity, and analyses of cultural icons such as those found within the Disney franchise.

  • Leadership Roles: Vice President of the Northeast MLA Graduate Student Caucus, advocating for graduate student interests, and serving as the EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Education Coordinator at Western University.

Rape on the Night Shift (2018)

Focus on Intersectionality:

  • Analytical Framework: A critical examination of how race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status intersect to form complex dynamics that exacerbate issues of abuse, with particular emphasis on the unique challenges faced by individuals labeled as "illegal" immigrants.

  • Building on Previous Research: This analysis extends findings from "Rape in the Fields" which underscores the systemic sexual abuse of immigrant women working in agricultural settings, highlighting their exploitation and powerlessness.

Legislative Response:

  • California's Bill AB1978: A significant legislative initiative aimed at safeguarding female farmworkers against sexual abuse, showcasing the need for legal structures to protect vulnerable populations in the workforce.

Western University

Issues Reported:

  • Allegations of Sexual Violence: Acknowledgment of four formal allegations of sexual violence reported at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), bringing to light a pressing concern regarding campus safety.

  • Cultural Problems: The president's recognition of a systemic culture problem that necessitates immediate action to address and mitigate incidents of sexual violence on campus.

  • Task Force Creation: Establishment of a task force aimed specifically at addressing sexual and gender-based violence, indicating institutional commitment to change and accountability.

  • Mandatory Training: Introduction of mandatory training focused on understanding consent and sexual violence to educate students and staff effectively.

  • Safety Initiatives: Launch of initiatives including safety ambassadors who focus on promoting awareness and accountability within the campus community.

Frosh/O-Week

Concerns Raised:

  • Research Findings: Extensive research linking Frosh events to normalization of sexual violence within university culture, indicating a potential need for fundamental changes.

  • Debate on Event Management: Ongoing debate about the cancellation of Orientation Week events or the necessity of reconfiguring them to prioritize safety and inclusivity across campus.

Suggestions from the Article

Recommendations Proposed:

  • Orientation Week Management: Consideration of canceling or significantly restructuring Orientation Week programs to enhance student safety and reduce the risk of sexual violence.

  • Alcohol Regulations: Implementing a ban on alcohol sales during university events to minimize risky behaviors associated with excessive drinking.

  • Advisor Position: Appointing a full-time sexual and gender-based violence advisor to provide targeted support and guidance to students affected by violence.

  • Collaborative Campus Approach: Fostering stronger connections with campus police, health services, and the broader community for a unified response to sexual violence.

  • Inclusive Education: Incorporating inclusive and intersectional messaging into curriculum courses to promote awareness and understanding.

Schools: Cisheteropatriarchy and LGBTQ+

Frameworks Analyzed:

  • Exploration of responses to violence shaped predominantly by a cisheteropatriarchal lens, specifically within the contexts of the United States and Australia.

  • Discussion on the urgent need for alternative frameworks that address LGBTQI+ experiences of violence, challenging dominant narratives regarding gender and power.

Continued Exploration of Cisheteropatriarchy

Defining the Problem:

  • Addressing how assumptions about power relations predominantly center on heterosexual dynamics, often perpetuating harmful stereotypes about gender norms.

  • Investigating how the cisheteropatriarchal perspective marginalizes both femininity and non-conforming gender identities, leading to exclusion within discussions of sexual violence and misconduct.

Further Discussions

Duggan's Insights:

  • Highlighting the absence of alternative theories regarding power dynamics that inform discussions on sexual assault and its societal implications.

  • A critical examination of the #MeToo movement's focus on individual perpetrators, challenging it to move beyond personal accountability toward addressing systemic issues of power and violence.

Media Framing and Responses

Case Study:

  • Analysis of how media narratives, such as those portrayed in The New York Times, can frame LGBTQ+ individuals in ways that obscure the realities of sexual violence they face.

  • Discussion on how significant media narratives influence the institutional responses to accusations, often perpetuating stereotypes rather than addressing the core issues.

Australian Context on Sexual Violence

Risks for LGBTQ+ Populations:

  • Acknowledgment of the heightened vulnerability of LGBTQ+ individuals to experiencing sexual violence within university environments.

  • Advocacy for institutions to collect specific data regarding LGBTQ+ experiences of violence to craft targeted, effective solutions.

The Role of Sport

Childhood Importance:

  • Emphasizing that the welfare of athlete children should take precedence over the competitive success of sports programs.

  • Critiquing the historical context of the Canadian sports system, which has often lacked the necessary protections for young athletes, focusing instead on achieving medals and victories at any cost (especially post-WWII).

Historical Cases in Sport
Sheldon Kennedy Case:

  • Illustrating the exposure of sexual abuse by junior coach Graham James, which led to significant changes in how sports organizations handle allegations of misconduct.

  • Highlighting the profound psychological impacts on victims, including struggles with substance abuse and experiences of guilt following their abuse.

  • Notable publication: Dr. Celia Brackenridge’s seminal work, "Spoilsports," focusing on preventing sexual exploitation within sports environments.

Recent Cases in Sport
Notable Incidents:

  • The conviction of Darren Sharper for drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women, which has drawn attention to how the sports industry handles abusive behavior among elite athletes.

  • Controversy surrounding Brock Turner’s lenient sentencing for sexual assault, exposing systemic failures regarding accountability and justice in investigations of sexual violence within academic settings.

Addressing Sexual Grooming

Definition and Concerns:

  • Understanding sexual grooming as a systematic method of preparing children for abuse, involving manipulation to gain access, compliance, and secrecy surrounding the abusive situations.

Looking Ahead in the Sport Industry

Research Insights:

  • Findings from Elizabeth Taylor specific that while there may be broader claims of improvements in workplace culture in sports, issues of sexual harassment and misconduct persist, especially among women.

  • Conducting interviews with female professionals within the sports industry to capture their ongoing experiences with harassment and violence to facilitate change.

Ongoing Harassment Issues in Sport

Participant Experiences:

  • Documenting widespread accounts of harassment, microaggressions, and severe incidents—including rape and physical assault—that have led many women to exit the sports industry entirely, underscoring the urgent need for systemic reforms.

Discussion Questions

Prompts for Discussion:

  • What systemic changes can be implemented to effectively prevent sexual harassment in night shifts across various industries?

  • How does the intersectionality of race, gender, and immigration status play a role in perpetuating sexual violence, and what can be done to address this?

  • What stronger policies can universities adopt to better prevent sexual misconduct and support survivors in their communities?

  • In what ways has the #MeToo movement changed societal perceptions toward athletes accused of sexual violence?