<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small">To me, Giorgio's concise email says it all. I can't conceive of an all-embracing culturally-neutral conception of "inappropriate" speech and behavior as laid out in the broad (English) terms of the Code. I can foresee inconclusive, and perhaps rancorous discussion about particular acts in particular circumstances. As typologists and as people who live and and spend time in many different cultures, the last thing we should want to do is embrace some version of "the values of the Anglophone West" (which does not even agree on a common definition of appropriate behavior). Martin's formulation is sufficient. I have voted against the proposed Code of Conduct.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small">Dan Slobin</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 3:20 PM, Giorgio Francesco Arcodia <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:giorgio.arcodia@unimib.it" target="_blank">giorgio.arcodia@unimib.it</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif">Dear colleagues,<br></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif">I completely agree with David Gil. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't know how we could define e.g. "inappropriate physical contact" in a culturally-neutral way. This is simply not possible. In some cultures, even a handshake could be perceived, or construed, as "inappropriate", especially between people of the opposite sex. </div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif">I strongly believe that, unless we want to impose the values of the Anglophone West to all participants to all ALT conferences anywhere in the world, we cannot have this sort of rules.</div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif">On the other hand, Martin's suggestion is more than reasonable, in my view, and I would be glad to vote to approve it.</div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif">Lastly, I think that any conference organiser would reprimand a participant being disruptive/offensive/<wbr>aggressive/etc. This is just common sense. I don't see why we need a formal, statutory investment for this.</div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:sans-serif">Giorgio F. Arcodia<br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="gmail-h5">On 20 Nov 2017 22:04, "Martin Haspelmath" <<a href="mailto:haspelmath@shh.mpg.de" target="_blank">haspelmath@shh.mpg.de</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="gmail-h5">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
On 20.11.17 19:02, Kristine Hildebrandt wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(29,33,41);letter-spacing:-0.12px;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">I do urge ALT members <b>not</b>
to simply assume that this Association (or any other) gets
to 'opt out' of this issue, so I would welcome some
discussion on this towards crafting revised language, either
online or during a special session, language </font></span><span style="color:rgb(29,33,41);font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;letter-spacing:-0.12px;white-space:pre-wrap">that
</span><i style="color:rgb(29,33,41);font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;letter-spacing:-0.12px;white-space:pre-wrap">can</i><span style="color:rgb(29,33,41);font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;letter-spacing:-0.12px;white-space:pre-wrap">
eventually be adopted formally.</span><br>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Here's a proposal for a revised code of conduct (copied from the
upcoming <a href="http://sydney.edu.au/arts/conference/als_2017/code.shtml" target="_blank">Australian
Linguistic Society meeting</a>'s code of conduct):<br>
<p>Conference participants will:</p>
<ul>
<li>treat fellow participants, students, volunteers, and any other
members of the public with respect, dignity, impartiality,
courtesy and sensitivity;</li>
<li>maintain a cooperative and collaborative approach to
inter-personal relationships;</li>
<li>respect the privacy of others;</li>
<li>ensure that they do not become involved in or encourage
discrimination against or harassment of participants, students,
volunteers, or any other members of the public.</li>
</ul>
For me, the main point is that there should be no threat to expel
participants from the conference for what they say.<br>
<br>
The ALS's statement should go at least some way toward "setting the
tone" against anti-scientific behaviour of the kind highlighted by
Claire, without falling into the trap of being anti-scientific in a
different way.<br>
<br>
Another thing that ALT could do is introduce mandatory "harrassment
training" at the beginning of the conference – this is something
that is completely unknown in Germany and other non-Anglo-American
countries, but maybe it's something that the whole world needs – I'm
certainly open to this possibility. It would be a slight annoyance
for some people, but the main thing for me is that there would be no
threat to expel a colleague from the conference.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
Martin<br>
<pre class="gmail-m_5287162595877566587m_4956577036903252290moz-signature" cols="72">--
Martin Haspelmath (<a class="gmail-m_5287162595877566587m_4956577036903252290moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:haspelmath@shh.mpg.de" target="_blank">haspelmath@shh.mpg.de</a>)
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Kahlaische Strasse 10
D-07745 Jena
&
Leipzig University
IPF 141199
Nikolaistrasse 6-10
D-04109 Leipzig
</pre>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><i><span style="font-size:8pt"><font face="Times New Roman"><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> </font></span></i></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><i><span style="font-size:8pt"><font face="Times New Roman">Dan I. Slobin </font></span></i></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><i><span style="font-size:8pt"><font face="Times New Roman">Professor Emeritus of
Psychology and Linguistics</font></span></i></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><i><span style="font-size:8pt"><font face="Times New Roman">University of California,
Berkeley</font></span></i></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><i><span style="font-size:8pt"><font face="Times New Roman">email: <a href="mailto:slobin@berkeley.edu" target="_blank">slobin@berkeley.edu</a></font></span></i></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><i><span style="font-size:8pt"><font face="Times New Roman">address: 2323 Rose St.,
Berkeley, CA 94708</font></span></i></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><i><span style="font-size:8pt"><font face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://ihd.berkeley.edu/members.htm#slobin" target="_blank">http://ihd.berkeley.edu/members.htm#slobin</a></font></span></i></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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