APA Newsletters NEWSLETTER ON FEMINISM AND PHILOSOPHY Volume 11, Number 2 Spring 2012 FROM THE EDITOR, Margaret a. CrouCh ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER ON FEMINISM AND PHILOSOPHY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION NEWS FROM THE COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN ARTICLES Janet a. Kourany “Sexual Harassment in the Academy: Opening the Discussion” Margaret a. CrouCh “Benevolent Sexism, Implicit Bias, and Sexual Harassment in the Academy” Kathryn Forbes “Growing Their Profession, Interpreting the Law: Human Resources and the Management of Sexual Harassment Complaints in the University” Janet slagter “Tracking Audit Culture: Sexual Harassment Policy, Faculty Governance, and ‘Transformation’ in the Corporatized University” Jeanine WeeKes sChroer “Campus as Community: A Better Approach to Sexual Harassment Policy” bonnie Mann “Creepers, Flirts, Heroes, and Allies: Four Theses on Men and Sexual Harassment” anonyMous “Notes from the Underground: Observations of a First Year Philosophy Graduate Student” CONTRIBUTORS © 2012 by The American Philosophical Association ISSN 2155-9708 APA Newsletter oN Feminism and Philosophy Margaret A. Crouch, Editor Spring 2012 Volume 11, Number 2 From the editor submissioN GuideliNes ANd iNFormAtioN Dear Readers, This is my first issue as editor of the APA Newsletter on Feminism and Philosophy. I want to thank Christina M. Bellon for her term 1. Purpose: The purpose of the Newsletter is to publish as editor, and for making the transition so easy for me. Dr. Bellon information about the status of women in philosophy and had already agreed to publish an issue on sexual harassment to make the resources of feminist philosophy more widely in academe before I took over the position, and Janet Kourany available. The Newsletter contains discussions of recent graciously offered to provide an introduction to the issue. In developments in feminist philosophy and related work in other this issue, we explore the subject of sexual harassment in disciplines, literature overviews and book reviews, suggestions academe over thirty years after the concept, and law addressing for eliminating gender bias in the traditional philosophy it, were created. The papers included here approach the curriculum, and reflections on feminist pedagogy. It also informs issue from different perspectives, but all are inspired by the the profession about the work of the APA Committee on the authors’ experiences with sexual harassment in their roles as Status of Women. Articles submitted to the Newsletter should professors. Many of us, perhaps most, have experienced sexual be limited to ten double-spaced pages and must follow the APA harassment ourselves, as students or faculty, or have counseled guidelines for gender-neutral language. Please submit essays students, colleagues, and staff. Since Dr. Kourany is providing electronically to the editor or send four copies of essays via an introduction to the main theme of this issue, I shall say no regular mail. All manuscripts should be prepared for anonymous more about it here. However, also included is a first-person review. References should follow The Chicago Manual of Style. report on the experience of graduate school. Like Dr. Bellon, I 2. Book Reviews and Reviewers: If you have published a book intend to continue the inclusion of material on the profession, that is appropriate for review in the Newsletter, please have and the piece published here, anonymously, is an important your publisher send us a copy of your book. We are always contribution to understanding how our students experience seeking new book reviewers. To volunteer to review books philosophy so that we can make that experience better for them. (or some particular book), please send the editor a CV and letter of interest, including mention of your areas of research and teaching. Margaret A. Crouch 3. Where to Send Things: Please send all articles, comments, suggestions, books, and other communications to the editor: Dr. Margaret A. Crouch, Department of History and Philosophy, 701 Pray-Harrold, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, About the Newsletter oN 734-487-0908, [email protected]. 4. Submission Deadlines: Submissions for Spring issues are FemiNism aNd PhilosoPhy due by the preceding September 1st; submissions for Fall issues are due by the preceding February 1st. The Newsletter on Feminism and Philosophy is sponsored by the APA Committee on the Status of Women (CSW). The Newsletter is designed to provide an introduction to recent philosophical work that addresses issues of gender. None of the News From the Committee varied philosophical views presented by authors of Newsletter articles necessarily reflect the views of any or all of the members oN the stAtus oF womeN of the Committee on the Status of Women, including the editor(s) of the Newsletter, nor does the committee advocate any particular type of feminist philosophy. We advocate only Members of the APA Committee on the Status of Women that serious philosophical attention be given to issues of gender (CSW) met during the Eastern Division Meeting of the APA on and that claims of gender bias in philosophy receive full and December 28, 2011. The following summarizes the discussion fair consideration. at this meeting. Website: The CSW committee members discussed their disappointment in the APA’s website and their dismay that all previously — APA Newsletter, Spring 2012, Volume 11, Number 2 — posted materials on the CSW website have disappeared. quantitative and qualitative information they need to assess the The committee understands that the APA has been having climate for women or minorities in the host facility. more general difficulties with its website and is aware that After the Site Visit: the APA board is actively working to address these issues, The team will write a report for the department chair, detailing but the committee is also aware that it may take some time the findings of the visit and offering simple, practical suggestions to get fully resolved. A subset of the committee agreed to on improving the climate for women. The chair is encouraged to work together to create a new website for the CSW that will share the report with the rest of the department. Approximately link to the APA website. Members discussed possible content eighteen months after the visit, the department chair will be for the committee’s website and agreed that it should be asked to respond in writing to the team, describing actions a clearinghouse for information of relevance to women in taken to improve the climate. philosophy. It should include: Site Visits that Assess the Climate for other Underrepresented • recent data on women in philosophy (summaries and Groups: by department) Once the CSW-sponsored site visit program is successfully • information on what departments are doing to warm established, the CSW hopes to coordinate with other APA the climate for women inclusiveness committees, so that site visits may assess • information on programs that emphasize feminist departmental climates for other underrepresented groups in philosophy philosophy. • links to implicit bias information CSW Next Steps: • information on best practices for warming departmental The chair of the committee (DesAutels) agreed to develop a climates for women proposal from the committee to the Executive Board of the • sample syllabi that include women philosophers APA requesting funding for a CSW-sponsored site visit program. • links to workshops and conferences of relevance to Committee members decided that they should think women big about the committee’s goals and initiatives in spite of • links to APA Newsletters on Feminism and Philosophy the committee’s severe structural and financial limitations. If some of the committee’s proposed initiatives are costly, • descriptions of CSW-sponsored initiatives and the committee should then attempt to find funding for them. programs Members agreed that they should see how other professional Site Visit Program: associations address and fund women’s issues. Questions to ask Members agreed that the committee should sponsor a site visit these other associations include: Is there a Committee on the program to help philosophy departments warm their climates Status of Women? If so, what is its budget? How are members for women. This program would be loosely modeled on the selected and how long are their terms? How much of the data site visit team of the American Physical Society’s Committee on women is collected by the association and how much by on the Status of Women in Physics (APS CSWP, http://www.aps. the CSW? Do they conduct climate-related site visits? Do they org/programs/women/). For more information on the site visit sponsor workshops? program see http://www.aps.org/programs/women/sitevisits/ In Summary: index.cfm Members of the CSW hope to take a leadership role in 1 Site Visit Program Background and Goals : addressing the serious and persistent problems that are faced The APA has a clear interest in improving the climate in by women in philosophy. philosophy departments for women. Evidence for just how cold Note the climate for women in philosophy is can be seen at http:// beingawomaninphilosophy.wordpress.com/ and the recently 1. Much of what is included in “Site Visit Program Background and Goals,” “During the Site Visit,” and “After the Site Visit” is published APA Feminism and Philosophy Newsletter Fall 2011. only slightly modified text taken from the American Physical One of the best ways to address departmental climates for Society (APS) Committee on the Status of Women in Physics’ women is through the establishment of a site visit program. Like (CSWP) website: http://www.aps.org/programs/women/ the goals of the American Physical Society’s site visit program, sitevisits/index.cfm the goals of a site visit program in philosophy would include: • Identifying a set of generic problems commonly experienced by women philosophers. • Intervening to solve many of these generic problems. ArtiCles • Addressing problems arising in the particular philosophy department and helping improve the climate for women (both students and faculty) in the Sexual Harassment in the Academy: Opening facility.