Well actually, it's past time. But now is still good.
If you want to vote on this poll, (screenshot above taken at 11am) it's at this Stuff article.
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Monday, 14 May 2012
It's time
Well actually, it's past time. But now is still good.
If you want to vote on this poll, (screenshot above taken at 11am) it's at this Stuff article.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
PhD student seeks feminists for interviews, research & possibly coffee
Heaps of people have sent this to me, thanks so much, I hope that we can help:
Hello,
I am a PhD student at the Department of Sociology, University of Auckland. My research project is titled “Where have all the feminists gone? Searching for New Zealand’s women’s movement in the early 21st century” and it aims to investigate the current state, diversity and struggles of feminist activism and women’s agency work in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
I am currently looking for interview participants. Women (i.e. everyone who self-identifies as woman/female) of all ages and ethnicities in Aotearoa/New Zealand, who meet at least one of the following criteria, are welcome to participate:
a) You call yourself a ‘feminist’.
and/or
b) You engage in political activities focused on or related to women’s issues of any kind (or you have done so within the last 10 years).
and/or
c) You work for an organisation/group/institution that is involved in work concerned with women’s interests (e.g. an NGO, non-profit agency, activist group, governmental institution).
Such participation will involve two parts:
- filling in a sheet with personal demographic information (e.g. age, educational background)
and
- one interview (approximately 1-2 hours long) about your personal experiences of engaging with feminism and work around women’s political interests.
...If you are interested or have any questions, please email me at jsch136@aucklanduni.ac.nz and I will get in touch with you.
Feel free to forward this to anyone who might have an interest in participating.
Thank you kindly for your support!
Julia Schuster
Julia Schuster
PhD student
Department of Sociology
University of Auckland
jsch136@aucklanduni.ac.nz
(I cut out reference to an attachment which obviously isn't attached to this blog post)
Hello,
I am a PhD student at the Department of Sociology, University of Auckland. My research project is titled “Where have all the feminists gone? Searching for New Zealand’s women’s movement in the early 21st century” and it aims to investigate the current state, diversity and struggles of feminist activism and women’s agency work in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
I am currently looking for interview participants. Women (i.e. everyone who self-identifies as woman/female) of all ages and ethnicities in Aotearoa/New Zealand, who meet at least one of the following criteria, are welcome to participate:
a) You call yourself a ‘feminist’.
and/or
b) You engage in political activities focused on or related to women’s issues of any kind (or you have done so within the last 10 years).
and/or
c) You work for an organisation/group/institution that is involved in work concerned with women’s interests (e.g. an NGO, non-profit agency, activist group, governmental institution).
Such participation will involve two parts:
- filling in a sheet with personal demographic information (e.g. age, educational background)
and
- one interview (approximately 1-2 hours long) about your personal experiences of engaging with feminism and work around women’s political interests.
...If you are interested or have any questions, please email me at jsch136@aucklanduni.ac.nz and I will get in touch with you.
Feel free to forward this to anyone who might have an interest in participating.
Thank you kindly for your support!
Julia Schuster
Julia Schuster
PhD student
Department of Sociology
University of Auckland
jsch136@aucklanduni.ac.nz
(I cut out reference to an attachment which obviously isn't attached to this blog post)
Sunday, 2 October 2011
A ramble about unacceptable behaviour in activisty groups
Trigger warnings for rape, sexual abuse, violence, exploitation of power:
The other day Stef and I were having a chat about the Omar Hamed stuff that has come up here and elsewhere lately. Neither of us know Omar at all, but sadly the theme was familiar; sexist injustice and exploitation, hidden within activist groups supposedly overwhelming in their right-on expressions of gender equality and general comradely behaviour of The Highest Order.
We both knew of examples the other was unaware of, even in groups we had both been active in around the same time. I don't know about Stef, but I kept at least one story back, one I just still cannot share with people who know the rapist even vaguely. So often these stories feel like they are not our own to share because they happened to someone else, and we want to protect them, not the abuser. It's difficult to know what to do; the worry that by telling what the areshole did you will open the victim up to shame and recrimination.
Which is where leadership comes in. One of the responsibilities of leadership is dealing with the internal Hard Stuff too.
I've noticed it too many times now. When concerns are raised about a prominent member, a "Good Guy", who is behaving in a predatory sexist manner towards others in the group, the shutters come down on the faces of the political leaders and the problem becomes not the unacceptable behaviour, but the fact that people are labelling that behaviour as unacceptable and challenging it.
The person with the problem, the person who acts unacceptably, might not be an out-front leader, they might be someone who delivers lots of leaflets, or has a great hoarding spot, or is one of the few in paid employment for the group. Whatever role they fill there seems to be some protection afforded, some reason to not rock the boat in case they decide to jump out and take their contribution with them.
But what about all the contributions withdrawn by others because of that person and the fact that their behaviour is tacitly accepted by the leadership? What about the women who don't go to SlutWalk in case the man who raped them is there? What about the men who just never come back to another planning meeting? What about the discussions had over a few beers at the pub that a whole heap of the activists just never seem to participate in?
It terrifies me that when I start talking to people about this stuff more and more comes out. Stories with statements like:
Yes someone accused has rights; in the criminal justice system these include a presumption of innocence. I support that. In a legal system we do need to come from a position, most of the time, of proving guilt. Being found guilty in the courts has massive repurcussions for the individual in the dock; not least often a serious loss of liberty. Our society needs to be really really certain before enforcing that.*
But in activist groups we don't need to have mock trials and legal representation at the table. The first thing we need to do is believe and trust women. The second thing we need to do is put in place structures to address these types of concerns when they are raised. With mechanisms already in place when something comes up there is already a clear path to follow in that immediate period when as a leader you are flailing around going "oh shit, I really wish that I hadn't heard that." It changes the instant response from Make It Go Away *puts heads in hands* into This Needs To Go To There First *starts doing something*.
We basically rely on gossip to keep people safe in our activist groups. That's not good enough. When someone's behaviour is unacceptable it needs to be raised with them. The earlier it is done the more likely it is that change will happen and harm will be lessened. No one should have to confront an abuser alone. Anyone should be able to approach others for support, and receive it, particularly amongst a group's leaders.
My experience to date has been male political leaders (not exclusively, but mostly) putting concerns raised by women (not exclusively, but mostly) to one side. A sexist mathematical calculation which continues to see women's concerns about a man < the man's contribution to the cause.
This is the personal mainfestation of a broader political equation: Women's issues < so-called "mainstream" issues. Abortion law reform, low rates of prosecutions and conviction for rape, pay equity, women's political representation. They're all so-called "side issues." We're told to roll our dainty sleeves up, put on the kettle, and help the fellas fix the Big Problems first, then we'll all pitch in on that other stuff. The Cause is more important than the issues of any members within The Cause, or something.
It's bullshit.
The very fact that we've been having a public conversation about these matters shows a commitment to change. The bravery of those raising these issues (as they multitask and work on heaps of other great stuff too) gives me heart. This is change we can make, we must make, and we are starting to make. Let's keep going.
* Actually I'm pretty dubious about how our criminal justice system approaches sentencing, but that's a bit off topic.
The other day Stef and I were having a chat about the Omar Hamed stuff that has come up here and elsewhere lately. Neither of us know Omar at all, but sadly the theme was familiar; sexist injustice and exploitation, hidden within activist groups supposedly overwhelming in their right-on expressions of gender equality and general comradely behaviour of The Highest Order.
We both knew of examples the other was unaware of, even in groups we had both been active in around the same time. I don't know about Stef, but I kept at least one story back, one I just still cannot share with people who know the rapist even vaguely. So often these stories feel like they are not our own to share because they happened to someone else, and we want to protect them, not the abuser. It's difficult to know what to do; the worry that by telling what the areshole did you will open the victim up to shame and recrimination.
Which is where leadership comes in. One of the responsibilities of leadership is dealing with the internal Hard Stuff too.
I've noticed it too many times now. When concerns are raised about a prominent member, a "Good Guy", who is behaving in a predatory sexist manner towards others in the group, the shutters come down on the faces of the political leaders and the problem becomes not the unacceptable behaviour, but the fact that people are labelling that behaviour as unacceptable and challenging it.
The person with the problem, the person who acts unacceptably, might not be an out-front leader, they might be someone who delivers lots of leaflets, or has a great hoarding spot, or is one of the few in paid employment for the group. Whatever role they fill there seems to be some protection afforded, some reason to not rock the boat in case they decide to jump out and take their contribution with them.
But what about all the contributions withdrawn by others because of that person and the fact that their behaviour is tacitly accepted by the leadership? What about the women who don't go to SlutWalk in case the man who raped them is there? What about the men who just never come back to another planning meeting? What about the discussions had over a few beers at the pub that a whole heap of the activists just never seem to participate in?
It terrifies me that when I start talking to people about this stuff more and more comes out. Stories with statements like:
- "Oh yeah, someone told me to watch out for him because I'm an attractive young blonde and apparently he has a bit of history."
- "I always make sure I don't put any young women in a car alone with that guy, just in case."
- "He said if I gave him a blow-job he'd back my friend in the election, but I figured he was just joking and I laughed it off. But he never did write anything nice about my mate."
- "The only reason he stopped following me around campus was because someone threatened to break his legs."
- "Well he's a bit of a groper, but some young gay men like that, so I guess it's ok."
- "Best to billet men with them."
- "So then I said 'it's probably best I walk home with you both,' and it was alright."
- "Everyone thinks he's so sweet and adorable but I shake whenever I see him and apparently I'm overreacting."
- "There was this time in the carpark where I had to lock my car doors and drive away."
Yes someone accused has rights; in the criminal justice system these include a presumption of innocence. I support that. In a legal system we do need to come from a position, most of the time, of proving guilt. Being found guilty in the courts has massive repurcussions for the individual in the dock; not least often a serious loss of liberty. Our society needs to be really really certain before enforcing that.*
But in activist groups we don't need to have mock trials and legal representation at the table. The first thing we need to do is believe and trust women. The second thing we need to do is put in place structures to address these types of concerns when they are raised. With mechanisms already in place when something comes up there is already a clear path to follow in that immediate period when as a leader you are flailing around going "oh shit, I really wish that I hadn't heard that." It changes the instant response from Make It Go Away *puts heads in hands* into This Needs To Go To There First *starts doing something*.
We basically rely on gossip to keep people safe in our activist groups. That's not good enough. When someone's behaviour is unacceptable it needs to be raised with them. The earlier it is done the more likely it is that change will happen and harm will be lessened. No one should have to confront an abuser alone. Anyone should be able to approach others for support, and receive it, particularly amongst a group's leaders.
My experience to date has been male political leaders (not exclusively, but mostly) putting concerns raised by women (not exclusively, but mostly) to one side. A sexist mathematical calculation which continues to see women's concerns about a man < the man's contribution to the cause.
This is the personal mainfestation of a broader political equation: Women's issues < so-called "mainstream" issues. Abortion law reform, low rates of prosecutions and conviction for rape, pay equity, women's political representation. They're all so-called "side issues." We're told to roll our dainty sleeves up, put on the kettle, and help the fellas fix the Big Problems first, then we'll all pitch in on that other stuff. The Cause is more important than the issues of any members within The Cause, or something.
It's bullshit.
The very fact that we've been having a public conversation about these matters shows a commitment to change. The bravery of those raising these issues (as they multitask and work on heaps of other great stuff too) gives me heart. This is change we can make, we must make, and we are starting to make. Let's keep going.
* Actually I'm pretty dubious about how our criminal justice system approaches sentencing, but that's a bit off topic.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Howard Zinn 1922-2010: "I Never Died" Says He
The first book I ever read by Howard Zinn was SNCC: The New Abolitionists. I've read a lot of his writing since then, and I think it's his most powerful book.
Howard Zinn wrote an essay The Optimism of Uncertainty. He argued that history should give us hope, not because it guaranteed that the powerless would win (it really doesn't), but because it showed extraordinary, unpredictable change is possible. The Civil Rights Movement, particularly SNCC, is an example of the unpredictability of hope. On the 1st of February 1960, Ezell A. Blair Jr., David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain, sat down at the counter of their local Woolworth's and refused to be served. Nobody could have predicted what would grow out of that action.
There have been so many attempts to hide the history of collective resistance, including the reduction of the the freedom movement SNCC was part of to someone sitting down on a bus and someone else giving a great speech. Howard Zinn wrote history like it mattered, because he wanted to cultivate the hope that history brings.
Howard Zinn wrote an essay The Optimism of Uncertainty. He argued that history should give us hope, not because it guaranteed that the powerless would win (it really doesn't), but because it showed extraordinary, unpredictable change is possible. The Civil Rights Movement, particularly SNCC, is an example of the unpredictability of hope. On the 1st of February 1960, Ezell A. Blair Jr., David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain, sat down at the counter of their local Woolworth's and refused to be served. Nobody could have predicted what would grow out of that action.
There have been so many attempts to hide the history of collective resistance, including the reduction of the the freedom movement SNCC was part of to someone sitting down on a bus and someone else giving a great speech. Howard Zinn wrote history like it mattered, because he wanted to cultivate the hope that history brings.
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