[Lingtyp] ALT: code of conduct
Ana Krajinovic
krajinoa at hu-berlin.de
Wed Nov 22 00:06:41 UTC 2017
Dear all,
I agree completely with Rikker. I myself have recently joined ALT and
when I saw that ALT proposed a code which shows that it cares about
these issues, I was very glad and accepted it. However, the following
discussion really resonated with me and I must say I got very
disappinted in the climate that was created in the discussion. There are
two points that were of special concern during the discussion:
1) Downplaying the existence of sexual harassment
2) Cultural differences make it impossible for us to claim anything. We
might as well stop making laws and rules because anything goes.
I already addressed the point 1) in my earlier e-mail, and regarding the
point 2), this is the only thing I have to say:
The one that feels threatened or harassed must be listened. My freedom
and my rights go as far as I don't interfere with someone else's freedom
and rights (I learned this very early on in school). So, if someone
feels abused then that is a fact, and it is very true for that person
(maybe not for the abuser). One thing to notice is that sexual
harassment thrives in the Western culture that has been promoting it for
centuries. So it is quite expected that both men and women don't
recognize it. But, thanks to the development of our moral judgements,
women have learned that they don't have to agree to certain thins and
that they can be as valuable as men. Now we know we can decide if
something is unwanted, and not men deciding for us as our culture has
been teaching us. So, it is no wonder that this problem creates such a
dicussion. Accepting that sexual harassment exists means that we have to
step out of our cultural background and change the way we think about
gender and power, and hear the voices of those who never had them.
One thing to add, I never thought these would be the first e-mails I
would write on the list, but there it is.
Ana
Am 22.11.17 um 10:40 schrieb Rikker Dockum:
> There has been some discussion of whether the vote outcome (and this
> discussion itself) will draw or repel potential members. As one newly
> minted member, I will simply add: *I applaud the proposal of a code of
> conduct, and have voted without reservation for adoption in its
> current form.*
>
> I did this not because I think the code as formulated is perfect, but
> because as a new member, going forward I would prefer ALT to be an
> association more concerned with the immediate good that the clarity
> such a code provides in ensuring participation from easily
> marginalized people and groups—even if it needs to be polished and
> refined—rather than one that argues at length over specific fringe
> cases that in no plausible world would be at risk of being met with
> the harsher responses that the code outlines. I find the arguments
> about the detriment to science to be without merit, given how
> obviously the status quo is already detrimental to science.
>
> I hope that the code of conduct is ratified, and also hope that it
> leads to fruitful discussion on how to further refine it to best
> benefit ALT.
>
> All the best,
> Rikker
>
> —
> Rikker Dockum
> Ph.D. Candidate
> Department of Linguistics
> Yale University
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 21, 2017 at 5:57 PM Emily M. Bender <ebender at uw.edu
> <mailto:ebender at uw.edu>> wrote:
>
> Dear Masha,
>
> My understanding (and these are Andrew's words that I am
> interpreting, not mine, but I agreed with his point, as I
> understood it) is that when a conversation about something like a
> code of conduct is dominated (as this one was certainly initially)
> by those who deny that harassment is possibly an issue or
> something that is worth the time and effort to address, that sends
> a very clear message to any on-lookers that these issues aren't
> taken seriously and that the community might not be a comfortable
> one for those who do not fit the demographic characteristics
> associated with power.
>
> Emily
>
> On Tue, Nov 21, 2017 at 2:30 PM, Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm
> <tamm at ling.su.se <mailto:tamm at ling.su.se>> wrote:
>
> Dear Emily,
>
> I see, this is definitely an inappropriate formulation, thanks
> for pointing this out. I am afraid that Martin Haspelmath has
> missed something quite important here.
>
> But I still don’t see where the lack of support for people
> from diverse backgrounds and communities comes in.
>
> Masha
>
>
> Prof. Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm
> Dept. of linguistics, Stockholm university, 106 91, Stockholm,
> Sweden
> tel.: +46-8-16 26 20 (office)
> www.ling.su.se/tamm <http://www.ling.su.se/tamm>
> tamm at ling.su.se <mailto:tamm at ling.su.se>
>
>
>> On 21 Nov 2017, at 23:08, Emily M. Bender <ebender at uw.edu
>> <mailto:ebender at uw.edu>> wrote:
>>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> Speaking as something of an outsider, I would say that there
>> have definitely been contributions to this discussion that
>> suggest that, even if everyone here agrees that harassment is
>> bad, not everyone agrees that harassment is actually a
>> problem in academia in general, or that it is not a problem
>> worth addressing.
>>
>> For example, from Martin's message at the top of the thread:
>>
>> "I am aware that in Anglo-American culture, such codes of
>> conduct are more and more widespread, but there are big
>> cultural differences. In most parts of the world, precarious
>> employment and restrictions on travel are much more urgent
>> problems that are worth thinking about. I suggest that ALT's
>> EC consider also other options to make people feel welcome at
>> ALT conferences, e.g. to increase the participation fees for
>> participants from rich countries substantially, in order to
>> alleviate the outrageous obstacles to conference
>> participation that many (potential) ALT members face."
>>
>> Emily
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 21, 2017 at 2:04 PM, Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm
>> <tamm at ling.su.se <mailto:tamm at ling.su.se>> wrote:
>>
>> Just a moment: was there anyone who said anything about
>> being unsupportive of people from diverse backgrounds and
>> communities? I thought this is exactly what has been
>> pointed out in the discussion – the members of this list
>> have very different background, we work with different
>> languages and cultures and should therefore be aware of
>> the differences in people’s understanding of what is
>> appropriate, inappropriate and all that.
>>
>> I don’t think people should judge the climate in the
>> academic world the ALT represents by the email
>> discussions on the list. These are miles away from both
>> the conferences and from our normal activities and
>> communication. As everyone on this list knows, most of
>> the members hardly ever post anything on it, which does
>> not mean that they lack any opinions -– either on a
>> particular issue or in general. It’s not their cup of tea.
>>
>> It’s not mine either by the way – even though I count
>> myself to very active representatives of the field.
>>
>> Best,
>> Masha
>>
>>
>>
>> Prof. Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm
>> Dept. of linguistics, Stockholm university, 106 91,
>> Stockholm, Sweden
>> tel.: +46-8-16 26 20 (office)
>> www.ling.su.se/tamm <http://www.ling.su.se/tamm>
>> tamm at ling.su.se <mailto:tamm at ling.su.se>
>>
>>
>>> On 21 Nov 2017, at 22:33, Andrew Garrett
>>> <garrett at berkeley.edu <mailto:garrett at berkeley.edu>> wrote:
>>>
>>> hi all,
>>>
>>> thank you for the question. Again, I emphasize my
>>> outsider status and express gratitude for being able to
>>> contribute to the conversation!
>>>
>>> I would be surprised if anybody feels intimidated by the
>>> simple fact of an open conversation; hopefully everybody
>>> is in favor of that. And so many societies lack a
>>> meeting code of conduct that its absence may well not be
>>> driving people away. But the current lingtyp
>>> conversation is definitely being circulated (not by me),
>>> and observed, among linguists who are not ALT members.
>>> Many linguists — possibly even most linguists! — do not
>>> self-identify as primarily "typologists" but are
>>> interested in typology to a greater or lesser degree;
>>> such people may choose whether or not to join ALT and
>>> drift a little closer to the important academic world it
>>> represents. If they perceive the climate in that world
>>> to be unsympathetic to equity and inclusion, and
>>> unsupportive of people from diverse backgrounds and
>>> communities, they may choose to go to a different
>>> conference or join a different organization that seems
>>> friendlier to them.
>>>
>>> best,
>>> Andrew
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 21, 2017 at 1:12 PM, Giorgio Francesco
>>> Arcodia <giorgio.arcodia at unimib.it
>>> <mailto:giorgio.arcodia at unimib.it>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear Andrew, dear all,
>>>
>>> This is what I read in your e-mail (my emphasis):
>>>
>>> "Clarity in this area, and an expressed position
>>> along the lines of the excellent ACL policy
>>> circulated by Emily Bender, *would probably also
>>> help draw people into ALT who are currently on the
>>> outside and (in some cases, I think) find themselves
>>> discouraged by some of the tenor of the current
>>> conversation*."
>>>
>>> English is obviously not my mother tongue, hence I
>>> might be misinterpreting your words, but what I
>>> understand is: there are people who would join
>>> (/participate in) ALT, but who are currently
>>> discouraged to do so by the fact that we are
>>> discussing the merits and demerits of a proposed
>>> Code of Conduct.
>>>
>>> If this is what you meant, I have to admit that,
>>> honestly, this is incomprehensible to me. Should we
>>> refrain from discussing in an open forum because
>>> otherwise people who are probably not even in this
>>> mailing list might feel intimidated? Above all, are
>>> there really cases of people who stay away from ALT
>>> because ALT does not have a code of conduct?
>>>
>>> On the other hand, I do agree that the ACL policy
>>> circulated by Emily Bender sounds much more
>>> reasonable than the original ALT proposal. As
>>> Sebastian Nordhoff cleverly pointed out, its purpose
>>> is clear and its scope is adequately defined, in my
>>> view. The ACL policy 1. discourages harassing etc.;
>>> 2. provides a fairly sensible procedure (i.e. how to
>>> deal with cases of /alleged/ harassment), without
>>> assuming guilt.
>>>
>>> Lastly, I still haven't read a reply to David Gil's
>>> very clever and thought-provoking challenge: how
>>> about the 'Padang incident'? Or is that one fine,
>>> because it fits in our (Anglophone) Western
>>> conception of what is acceptable and what is not?
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>> Giorgio F. Arcodia
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2017-11-21 17:22 GMT+01:00 Andrew Garrett
>>> <garrett at berkeley.edu <mailto:garrett at berkeley.edu>>:
>>>
>>> Hi all -
>>>
>>> Please forgive what may seem like an intrusion
>>> from a linguist who happens to be on the ALT
>>> email list but is not an ALT member. From my
>>> perspective (within a US linguistics
>>> department), it seems very important that
>>> institutions and organizations provide clear
>>> statements regarding harassment. Bullying and
>>> harassment, ranging on a spectrum from
>>> intellectual bullying to sexual harassment (not
>>> to mention assault), are constant problems in
>>> our public and academic life, and are all too
>>> easy to minimize if we simply leave it up to our
>>> collective and individual goodwill. Most
>>> scholars and scientists do have goodwill, but it
>>> is incredibly easy for us to turn a blind eye to
>>> the problem of harassment, and thereby
>>> disempower, devalue, and exclude the voices of
>>> those who experience it, if we do not experience
>>> it ourselves.
>>>
>>> Clarity in this area, and an expressed position
>>> along the lines of the excellent ACL policy
>>> circulated by Emily Bender, would probably also
>>> help draw people into ALT who are currently on
>>> the outside and (in some cases, I think) find
>>> themselves discouraged by some of the tenor of
>>> the current conversation.
>>>
>>> Thank you for your discussions of this important
>>> subject. I wish all professional societies were
>>> as engaged as ALT.
>>>
>>> - Andrew Garrett
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Andrew Garrett
>>> Professor and Chair, Department of Linguistics
>>> Nadine M. Tang and Bruce L. Smith Professor of Cross-Cultural Social Sciences
>>> Director, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
>>> 1203 Dwinelle Hall #2650
>>> University of California
>>> Berkeley CA 94720-2650
>>>
>>> email:garrett at berkeley.edu <mailto:garrett at berkeley.edu>
>>> web:http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~garrett
>>> <http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/%7Egarrett>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 21, 2017 at 6:07 AM, Emily M. Bender
>>> <ebender at uw.edu <mailto:ebender at uw.edu>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> In case it is helpful for this discussion,
>>> here is a link to the anti-harassment policy
>>> recently adopted by the Association for
>>> Computational Linguistics, another
>>> international scholarly organization:
>>>
>>> https://aclweb.org/adminwiki/index.php?title=Anti-Harassment_Policy
>>>
>>> We (the ACL exec) are presently in the
>>> process of developing procedures to follow
>>> in case of complaints raised under the
>>> policy. These cases are never easy, and of
>>> course none of this is pleasant to think
>>> about. However, it is clear that despite the
>>> fact that most people attend academic
>>> conferences in good faith and without
>>> wishing to make the atmosphere unwelcoming
>>> to anyone, cases of harassment do occur, and
>>> that therefore the status quo is
>>> unacceptable. Furthermore, it is a helpful,
>>> positive thing for professional
>>> organizations to set expectations. That
>>> expectation setting in and of itself can
>>> help underrepresented groups feel more
>>> welcome and supported (and more likely to
>>> stick around in the field). The "worst
>>> case" consequences in policies such as this
>>> are there to give them teeth, but are never
>>> automatic consequences of a complaint being
>>> raised.
>>>
>>> Emily
>>>
>>> p.s. Here's the text of the ACL policy:
>>>
>>> ===
>>>
>>> Anti-Harassment Policy
>>> The open exchange of ideas, the freedom of
>>> thought and expression, and respectful
>>> scientific debate are central to the aims
>>> and goals of the ACL. These require a
>>> community and an environment that recognizes
>>> the inherent worth of every person and
>>> group, that fosters dignity, understanding,
>>> and mutual respect, and that embraces
>>> diversity. For these reasons, ACL is
>>> dedicated to providing a harassment-free
>>> experience for all the members, as well as
>>> participants at our events and in our programs.
>>>
>>> Harassment and hostile behavior are
>>> unwelcome at any ACL conference, associated
>>> event, or in ACL-affiliated on-line
>>> discussions. This includes: speech or
>>> behavior that intimidates, creates
>>> discomfort, or interferes with a person's
>>> participation or opportunity for
>>> participation in a conference or an event.
>>> We aim for ACL-related activities to be an
>>> environment where harassment in any form
>>> does not happen, including but not limited
>>> to: harassment based on race, gender,
>>> religion, age, color, appearance, national
>>> origin, ancestry, disability, sexual
>>> orientation, or gender identity. Harassment
>>> includes degrading verbal comments,
>>> deliberate intimidation, stalking, harassing
>>> photography or recording, inappropriate
>>> physical contact, and unwelcome sexual
>>> attention. The policy is not intended to
>>> inhibit challenging scientific debate, but
>>> rather to promote it through ensuring that
>>> all are welcome to participate in shared
>>> spirit of scientific inquiry.
>>>
>>> It is the responsibility of the community as
>>> a whole to promote an inclusive and positive
>>> environment for our scholarly activities. In
>>> addition, anyone who experiences harassment
>>> or hostile behavior may contact any current
>>> member of the ACL Executive Committee ([1])
>>> or contact Priscilla Rasmussen
>>> (acl at aclweb.org <mailto:acl at aclweb.org>),
>>> who is usually available at the registration
>>> desk during ACL conferences. Members of the
>>> executive committee will be instructed to
>>> keep any such contact in strict confidence,
>>> and those who approach the committee will be
>>> consulted before any actions are taken.
>>>
>>> Implementation
>>> This policy should be posted prominently on
>>> all ACL conference and workshop webpages,
>>> with a notice of a list of people who can be
>>> contacted by community members with
>>> concerns. In case of a formal complaint, the
>>> contacted ACL representative(s) will first
>>> speak to all parties involved to try to
>>> resolve the issue without presupposition of
>>> guilt.
>>>
>>> Approved by ACL Executive Committee, 2016
>>>
>>> ===
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 21, 2017 at 5:13 AM, Good, Jeff
>>> <jcgood at buffalo.edu
>>> <mailto:jcgood at buffalo.edu>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> In light of the ongoing debate about the
>>> proposed code of conduct, I would like
>>> to send a brief message on behalf of the
>>> ALT Executive Committee.
>>>
>>> The ALT Executive Committee recognizes
>>> the importance of allowing open debates
>>> on topics of relevance to the
>>> association and encourages members with
>>> an opinion on the proposed code of
>>> conduct to voice their views publicly on
>>> as they see fit. Regardless of the
>>> outcome of the vote, we welcome further
>>> discussion of this topic at the upcoming
>>> biennial meeting.
>>>
>>> We also encourage members to vote on the
>>> code (whether for or against) as
>>> presently proposed, and we do not plan
>>> to propose a revised code before the
>>> biennial meeting. Based on the
>>> discussion at the meeting, a revision to
>>> the code can be developed if the present
>>> code is passed or a new code can be
>>> proposed if the present proposal does
>>> not pass.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Jeff Good
>>> President, Association for Linguistic
>>> Typology
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Lingtyp mailing list
>>> Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
>>> <mailto:Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
>>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Emily M. Bender
>>> Professor, Department of Linguistics
>>> Check out CLMS on facebook!
>>> http://www.facebook.com/uwclma
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Lingtyp mailing list
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>>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Prof. Dr. Giorgio Francesco Arcodia
>>> Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
>>> Dipartimento di Scienze Umane per la Formazione
>>> Edificio U6 - stanza 4101
>>> Piazza dell
>>> <https://maps.google.com/?q=Piazza+dell%27Ateneo+Nuovo,+1+20126+Milano&entry=gmail&source=g>'Ateneo
>>> Nuovo, 1
>>> <https://maps.google.com/?q=Piazza+dell%27Ateneo+Nuovo,+1+20126+Milano&entry=gmail&source=g>
>>> 20126 Milano
>>> <https://maps.google.com/?q=Piazza+dell%27Ateneo+Nuovo,+1+20126+Milano&entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>
>>> Tel.: (+39) 02 6448 4946
>>> <tel:+39%2002%206448%204946>(+39) 02 6448 4946
>>> <tel:+39%2002%206448%204946>
>>> Fax: (+39) 02 6448 4863 <tel:+39%2002%206448%204863>
>>> E-mail: giorgio.arcodia at unimib.it
>>> <mailto:giorgio.arcodia at unimib.it>
>>> Website:
>>> http://www.bilgroup.it/it/info/giorgio-francesco-arcodia/
>>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bicoccalanguage
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Lingtyp mailing list
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>>> <mailto:Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
>>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Lingtyp mailing list
>> Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
>> <mailto:Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Emily M. Bender
>> Professor, Department of Linguistics
>> Check out CLMS on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/uwclma
>
>
>
>
> --
> Emily M. Bender
> Professor, Department of Linguistics
> Check out CLMS on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/uwclma
> _______________________________________________
> Lingtyp mailing list
> Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
> <mailto:Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>
>
>
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