tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/discrimination-330/articlesDiscrimination – The Conversation2024-03-25T21:15:49Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246032024-03-25T21:15:49Z2024-03-25T21:15:49ZHow caste discrimination impacts communities in Canada<p>Many perceive caste to be a phenomenon that only exists in India. Yet, it is a part of Canadian society, and an issue that many in South Asian diasporas are contending with. </p>
<p>The late British Columbia-based poet and activist <a href="https://youtu.be/nDn-JBR0YMI">Mohan Lal Karimpuri</a> described caste as a system of high and low, a form of “social, economic, political, religious inequality” that takes away the power of the many and puts it in the hands of the few. It is the hierarchical ranking of people in accordance with an ascriptive identity, associated with family, lineage and hereditary occupation. </p>
<p>Those who are Dalit, like Karimpuri, are among the most marginalized by dominant castes, and historically systematically excluded in social, economic and cultural terms. Dalits are most vulnerable in India where violence and exclusion remain pervasive. In 2022, Amnesty International stated that “<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/india/report-india/">hate crimes including violence against Dalits and Adivasis [Indigenous Peoples] were committed with impunity</a>.” </p>
<p>But caste does not only exist in South Asia. In recent years, it has been formally recognized as a potential grounds for discrimination in the United States and Canada in diverse contexts in places like <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/02/22/1158687243/seattle-becomes-the-first-u-s-city-to-ban-caste-discrimination">Seattle, Wash.</a> and <a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/burnaby-council-votes-unanimously-to-include-caste-as-a-protected-category">Burnaby, B.C.</a>. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2180604995628">Toronto District School Board</a>, the <a href="https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/news_centre/ohrc%E2%80%99s-policy-position-caste-based-discrimination#:%7E:text=The%20OHRC%20takes%20the%20position,other%20grounds%2C%20under%20Ontario's%20Code">Ontario Human Rights Commission</a>, <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/10/13/caste-union-contract-activism/">Harvard University</a> and the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-asia-education-california-discrimination-82963d9c6acdc6862173ab2959fd2a97">University of California, Davis</a> have recognized casteism as a form of discrimination. </p>
<p>In 2023, California lawmakers passed a bill that would explicitly ban caste discrimination in the state. However, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/09/us/california-caste-discrimination-bill-veto/index.html">it was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom</a> who said it was “unnecessary,” arguing that caste discrimination was already banned under existing laws.</p>
<p>To truly understand what caste means and its impact, the stories of those who experience caste discrimination must be heard. All too often, the experiences of those marginalized within the caste system are treated as an addendum or aside to dominant caste narratives, and casteist perspectives persist in the public domain and remain unquestioned. </p>
<h2>Lack of visibility</h2>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zLscfus71W0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Caste in Canada project interview with Rashpal Bharwaj.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 2020, we initiated the <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/">Caste in Canada project</a> in partnership with Dalit civil society leaders in B.C. The project documented the lives of Canadians of Dalit ancestry through in-depth oral history interviews. We interviewed 19 people from an array of backgrounds impacted by caste. Fourteen of these interviews are now available on the project website.</p>
<p>One recurrent theme in the interviews was the issue of visibility. University student Vipasna Nangal, for example, expressed concern about how many Dalits mask their caste identity in Canada as a way of avoiding stigma. </p>
<p>As she notes, “<a href="https://youtu.be/0agL2hwZyCQ">in order to resist something you have to acknowledge it… and so you can’t have resistance without having visibility</a>.” Caste, therefore, is something that needs to be talked about and not hidden. The limitations of masking caste identity are eloquently addressed in the interview with journalist Meera Estrada. She poignantly describes the pain involved in pretending not to be Dalit and her own personal journey towards <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VNzahJ90Uw">publicly acknowledging her identity</a>. </p>
<p>Participants in the project voiced this as a common concern: that only by making the stories of Dalits more visible and accessible can we create domains for the recognition, and then obliteration, of caste and casteism, and the possibility of moving past caste divisions, for all. </p>
<h2>Challenging the social acceptability of casteism</h2>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0agL2hwZyCQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Caste in Canada project interview with Vipasna Nangal.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another important theme was the need to challenge the social acceptability of casteist discourse. Several participants emphasized the pervasiveness of casteist discourses in popular contexts, such as in music, where dominant caste perspectives are celebrated. </p>
<p>Participant Rashpal Singh Bhardwaj, founder of the Ambedkar International Social Reform Organization (AISRO), <a href="https://youtu.be/jd6ZnFMoaLw">described the organization’s work with local radio stations</a> to discourage playing music that celebrates dominant caste identities on the radio. </p>
<p>Caste discrimination is a part of the life experiences of many in Canada, both as a result of experiences in India, but also here in Canada. Participants <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/gurpreet-singh/">Gurpreet Singh</a> and <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/kamaljit/">Kamaljit</a> described how people of South Asian heritage in Canada try to discover each other’s caste backgrounds — and the exclusion this entails.</p>
<p>It is, in short, a part of Canadian society, working on multiple levels and complicating our understanding of diversity in the Canadian context. </p>
<h2>Tackling caste</h2>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nDn-JBR0YMI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Caste in Canada project interview with Mohan Lal Karimpuri.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Given that caste is a continuing problem both in India and abroad, it is no surprise that Dalit Canadians have organized extensively to address discrimination. In B.C. there are several organizations, such as our project partner, the <a href="https://www.chetna.ca/">Chetna (“Awareness”) Association of Canada</a>, represented in our interviews by its executive director, <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/jai-birdi/">Jai Birdi</a> — who played a key role in the project, and speaks in his interview about how to respond to caste discrimination with <a href="https://youtu.be/0tmGGiok3_8">power and resilience</a> — and <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/surjit-manjit-bains/">Manjit and Surjit Bains</a>, Ambedkarite Buddhist activists.</p>
<p>Other important organizations include AISRO and its members <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/rashpal-bhardwaj/">Rashpal Singh Bhardwaj</a>, <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/jogender-banger/">Jogender Banger</a>, and <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/kamlesh-ahir/">Kamlesh Ahir</a> whom we interviewed for the project. There is also the <a href="https://www.aicscanada.ca/">Ambedkarite International Co-ordination Society</a>, represented in the project by <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/annemurphy/research/caste-in-canada/param-kainth/">Param Kainth</a>, who also speaks eloquently about the importance of the teachings of the Buddha for Dalits. </p>
<p>As the titles of these organizations make clear, they are inspired by India’s towering leader and architect of the Indian constitution, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bhimrao-Ramji-Ambedkar">B.R. Ambedkar</a>, who campaigned for the rights of South Asia’s diverse Dalit communities. His life and activism provide the model for millions of Dalits around the world as they seek to remake the world without caste. With the Caste in Canada project, we work with our Dalit colleagues to do the same in Canada.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224603/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Murphy and Suraj Yengde received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, with additional support from an anonymous donor to the Department of History at the University of British Columbia, in support of the "Caste in Canada" project.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>.</span></em></p>Casteism is commonly seen as a form of discrimination limited to South Asia. However, diaspora communities in Canada are also grappling with issues of caste.Anne Murphy, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of British ColumbiaSuraj Yengde, Postdoc, Harvard Kennedy School | Associate, Department of African and African American Studies, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2263082024-03-21T02:52:04Z2024-03-21T02:52:04ZWomen have been excluded from men’s spaces for centuries. And that’s why the MONA Ladies Lounge matters<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583316/original/file-20240321-26-fq9x7g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=147%2C170%2C5028%2C3709&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Gender, class, race, culture and religion are all categories used to exclude people in ways that privileged people will never experience. This exclusion can be as blatant as a gang of masked people <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-21/police-investigate-racist-sign-on-main-north-road-bridge/102250570">performing the Nazi salute</a>, or as subtle as an upper-middle-class golf club quietly binning membership applications from Jews or Muslims.</p>
<p>The question of how we redress these exclusions is once again in the news because of a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-20/mona-ladies-lounge-legal-fight-men-excluded/103605236">legal case</a> taken up against Hobart’s contemporary art gallery, MONA. The anti-discrimination case has been launched on the basis that it contains a women-only Ladies Lounge art installation created by Kirsha Kaechle, an artist who is also married to the museum’s founder, David Walsh.</p>
<p>Jason Lau brought the complaint because he had been denied access to the space, which features works by Pablo Picasso and Sidney Nolan, on account of his gender. Kaechle said she is “delighted” the anti-discrimination complaint has ended up in Tasmania’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal.</p>
<p>“The men are experiencing Ladies Lounge, their experience of rejection is the artwork,” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/mar/20/artist-behind-monas-ladies-only-lounge-absolutely-delighted-man-is-suing-for-gender-discrimination">she said</a>.</p>
<p>“OK, they experience the artwork differently than women, but men are certainly experiencing the artwork as it’s intended.”</p>
<p>Whatever decision the tribunal hands down, these recent events remind us that women still struggle to claim a small slice of the pie men have claimed for centuries.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4uQRjorJz0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>A history of keeping women out</h2>
<p>As a kid in primary school, growing up in Newcastle – a working-class beachside town – I was occasionally asked by my Nanna to head down to the local pub in my PJs and give my Granddad a nudge to come home for dinner.</p>
<p>Until 1965, women were <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/speeches/100-years-international-womens-day-2011%22">excluded from public bars</a>. A few bars would let them drink in the “ladies lounge”, which would confine them to a small area and often charge them more for drinks than men. </p>
<p>Even so, working-class women had little time to lounge. Most worked menial jobs while also doing all the domestic labour.</p>
<p>Because I was a kid, I was warmly received at the <a href="https://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/see-do/eat-drink/the-bennett-hotel">Bennett Hotel</a> and would sit up at the bar with a raspberry lemonade. The men – most of whom had knocked off at 4pm from working on the docks or <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/founding-of-bhp">at BHP</a> – were seriously drunk by 6pm.</p>
<p>Today, there are still prestigious clubs across Australia that exclude women, the <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/club-land-19941118-k65ge">Melbourne Club</a> being a notorious example. Even if they don’t explicitly ban women from being members, they are male-dominated by their very nature. Membership relies on being “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jun/17/ascot-royal-enclosure">the right sort of chap</a>”: someone who went to the right school and university and rose up the ranks.</p>
<p>Men have controlled parliaments, the corporate sector and now claim dominion <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-so-many-big-tech-whistleblowers-women-here-is-what-the-research-shows-184033">over big tech</a>. It’s no skin off their collective noses if women have a room to gather and drink tea or a glass of wine.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ai-industry-is-on-the-verge-of-becoming-another-boys-club-were-all-going-to-lose-out-if-it-does-219802">The AI industry is on the verge of becoming another boys' club. We’re all going to lose out if it does</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why women’s spaces matter in art</h2>
<p>There’s a good reason women might want to hang out in a space where they feel comfortable. At the sharp end, there are women who are survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. On average <a href="https://www.ourwatch.org.au/quick-facts/">one woman is killed every nine days</a> by an intimate partner. </p>
<p>Beyond that, the Ladies Lounge is an apt subversion of a throughline that has dominated the art world for centures: art is made for the male gaze. Even though art galleries are public spaces, they have been overwhelmingly stocked with <a href="https://www.artshub.com.au/news/news/win-for-women-as-new-report-shows-increased-gender-equality-in-the-visual-arts-259122-2365133/">work by male artists</a>, many of whom have built careers painting female nudes designed for the male gaze. </p>
<p>Art historian Kenneth Clarke (1903-83) <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27823159">described</a> a female nude this way:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>By art, Boucher has allowed us to enjoy her with as little shame as she is enjoying herself. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Really, Kenneth?</p>
<p>In 1989, American activist art group Guerrilla Girls <a href="https://www.guerrillagirls.com/naked-through-the-ages">found fewer than 5%</a> of the artists in the modern art section of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art were women, yet 85% of the nudes were of women. By 2012, these numbers had barely shifted: fewer than 4% of the artists were women, while 76% of the nudes were of women.</p>
<p>Women walk through the world with an enormous cultural weight simply because they are women. The sexy young woman. The maternal saintly body. The invisible older woman. This is why women’s spaces matter, and why women should be able to choose whether, when and how they can be seen.</p>
<p>One of my favourite Australian contemporary artists is <a href="https://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artist/julie-rrap">Julie Rrap</a> who, with extraordinary talent and wit, uses her body to make art that returns the male gaze. Since the 1980s, she has been producing photographs, videos and sculptures that play with the female form in a way that subverts the tradition of the classical nude in Western art.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CCVXJMtAtap/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Rrap’s work is a classic example of a woman artist reclaiming space in a traditional male setting: the art museum. </p>
<h2>Ways to go</h2>
<p>My last word goes to Emma Jones, a young woman who is completing her honours thesis at Sydney University on these very questions. Asked whether women’s spaces were still relevant, she said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The world is still dominated by men trying to speak on behalf of women. Social media has given a powerful platform to a fresh wave of men attempting to ‘educate’ other men about what women ‘really’ want. The need for women to meaningfully connect with other women, feel heard and develop their voice is just as relevant today as it’s always been.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I’m with you on that, babe. When you become the leader of a women-dominated federal government, I look forward to seeing you support a bill to set up a men’s space in Parliament House. I’ll be catching up with you in the members’ bar.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-werent-there-any-great-women-artists-in-gratitude-to-linda-nochlin-153099">Why weren't there any great women artists? In gratitude to Linda Nochlin</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226308/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catharine Lumby does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Lounge creator and artist Kirsha Kaechle said the lounge was being ‘experienced’ by men exactly as intended – by excluding them.Catharine Lumby, Professor of Media, Department of Media, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2262202024-03-20T04:01:17Z2024-03-20T04:01:17ZWhy are religious discrimination laws back in the news? And where did they come from in the first place?<p>On March 21, the federal government will release the Australian Law Reform Commission’s report on ensuring religious schools cannot discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students and staff.</p>
<p>But the political debate is already well under way – and has been going on since 2017. So how did we get here?</p>
<h2>The current debate started with marriage equality</h2>
<p>When same-sex marriage was legalised in late 2017 following a successful postal survey on the issue, conservative religious groups were promised a <a href="https://theconversation.com/morrison-wants-religious-discrimination-act-passed-before-election-108755">“religious freedom” review</a> as a consolation prize. </p>
<p>That <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/taskforces-past-domestic-policy-initiatives/religious-freedom-review">review</a>, led by former Liberal minister Philip Ruddock, found Australia does not have a religious freedom problem. However, it did recommend new legislative protections against religious discrimination. In <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/government-response-religious-freedom-review">response</a>, in December 2018, the Morrison government promised a Religious Discrimination Act.</p>
<p>What the Morrison government ended up proposing – in multiple versions over several years – was laws that would both prohibit discrimination against people on the basis of religion (which was not particularly controversial) and allow discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people and others by taking away existing anti-discrimination protections (which was very controversial). These draft laws never passed.</p>
<p>Before the 2022 federal election, Labor leader Anthony Albanese promised to change federal law to ban discrimination against LGTBQIA+ students and staff by religious schools, and to protect people against discrimination on the basis of their religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/future-of-anthony-albaneses-religious-discrimination-legislation-is-in-peter-duttons-hands-226119">Future of Anthony Albanese's religious discrimination legislation is in Peter Dutton's hands</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>There are actually two distinct issues at play</h2>
<p>The debate we’ve been having over the past few years is actually a debate about two issues.</p>
<p>The first issue is about religious discrimination. This means ensuring people are not discriminated against on the basis of their religious beliefs, or lack of religious beliefs. </p>
<p>All states and territories (other than New South Wales and South Australia) already have laws banning this kind of religious discrimination. But there is no federal law banning religious discrimination – apart from a <a href="https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/coaca430/s116.html">constitutional provision</a> banning religious discrimination in federal government jobs.</p>
<p>It’s standard practice for there to be complementary federal and state anti-discrimination laws on the same topic. For example, if a person is discriminated against on the basis of their race, that person can choose to take action under either federal or state law.</p>
<p>One proposal is for there to be a federal Religious Discrimination Act.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1770269601835909555"}"></div></p>
<p>The second issue is religious exemptions, which involves allowing discrimination on the basis of sexuality, gender identity, marital status and so on where the discrimination has a religious motivation. For example, the Sex Discrimination Act currently prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, sexuality, gender identity and marital status, but also includes an exemption that allows religious schools to discriminate against students and teachers. </p>
<p>So, if a non-religious private school expels a student for being gay that would contravene the Sex Discrimination Act. But if a religious school did the same thing for religious reasons, that would not contravene the Sex Discrimination Act.</p>
<p>Some states and territories already ban religious schools from discriminating against students and teachers for these kinds of reasons. So if a religious school in Victoria expels a student for being gay, that would not breach federal law as it stands but it would breach Victorian law. The practical result is that the school can’t expel the student for being gay.</p>
<p>A second proposal is to modify the religious exemptions in the Sex Discrimination Act.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-australia-does-not-need-a-religious-discrimination-act-99666">Why Australia does not need a Religious Discrimination Act</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The Morrison government’s first draft of the legislation</h2>
<p>The Morrison government held a consultation during 2019 on a <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/consultations/religious-discrimination-bills-first-exposure-drafts">first draft</a> of its promised legislation. This draft legislation included standard anti-discrimination provisions to prohibit discrimination against people on the basis of their religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs. It also included highly controversial additional provisions.</p>
<p>The controversial provisions included:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a provision about “statements of belief” – motivated by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-does-rugby-australia-have-legal-grounds-to-sack-israel-folau-for-anti-gay-social-media-posts-116170">Israel Folau controversy</a> – which would have overridden all other federal and state anti-discrimination laws to allow derogatory statements to be made by doctors, schools and employers against women, people with disabilities and LGTBQIA+ people.</p></li>
<li><p>a provision allowing healthcare practitioners to refuse to provide care to people, such as allowing a pharmacist to refuse to fill prescriptions for a divorced woman or a nurse to refuse to dress a gay man’s wound.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>In effect, these provisions would have created a “sword” allowing harm to be inflicted on people by taking away existing anti-discrimination protections. Anti-discrimination laws are meant to be a “shield” protecting people from harm. This is why the issue has been so controversial.</p>
<h2>The Morrison government’s second draft</h2>
<p>The controversy over the first draft led to consultations in 2020 on a <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/consultations/religious-discrimination-bills-second-exposure-drafts">second draft</a>.</p>
<p>The second draft was very similar to the first. It too included the override provisions on “statements of belief” and refusal to provide health care. </p>
<p>However, it reduced the number of healthcare professions entitled to refuse to treat patients. It also included some <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-03/summary-of-amendments-to-the-bills-since-the-first-exposure-draft.pdf">additional measures</a> about:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>allowing religious hospitals to “preference” people of the same religion as the body in hiring decisions. For example, a Catholic hospital could give priority to Catholics in hiring new staff</p></li>
<li><p>allowing religious camps and conference centres to take faith into account when hiring out their campsites.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>The bill fails</h2>
<p>The Morrison government <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6821">introduced legislation</a> based on the second draft into parliament in 2021. </p>
<p>During debate, several Liberal backbenchers <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2022/March/Floor_crossings_in_the_House_of_Representatives_on_10_February_2022">crossed the floor</a> to vote in favour of amendments the government did not want. One of those amendments – to remove the ability of religious schools to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students – succeeded, with five Liberal MPs crossing the floor. </p>
<p>The amended bill passed the House of Representatives with the support of both major parties. However, it did not come to a final vote in the Senate because people on all sides of the debate were unhappy with the bill and it was causing internal tensions in the Liberal Party. The bill lapsed.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1491643299232288770"}"></div></p>
<h2>So why is it back in the news?</h2>
<p>After the Labor Party won the 2022 federal election, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus <a href="https://ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre/australian-law-reform-commission-review-religious-exemptions-educational-institutions-04-11-2022">asked</a> the Australian Law Reform Commission to advise on what amendments to federal law would be necessary to deliver the Labor Party’s election promise. Labor’s promised legislation would:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>ensure religious schools cannot discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students or staff under federal law.</p></li>
<li><p>ensure religious schools can give preference to people of the same faith as the school when hiring staff under federal law.</p></li>
<li><p>ensure the legislation will be drafted in a manner that does not remove existing legal protections against other forms of discrimination.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The commission delivered its report to the attorney-general in December 2023. </p>
<p>In anticipation of the report being released on March 21, senior politicians on both sides of politics, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, have <a href="https://theconversation.com/future-of-anthony-albaneses-religious-discrimination-legislation-is-in-peter-duttons-hands-226119">already started</a> the politicking. The debate may not be over yet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226220/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Beck is board member of the Rationalist Society of Australia Inc and a member of Australia Labor Party. The views in this article are his own.</span></em></p>Religious discrimination laws have been highly controversial in Australia in recent years. Here’s where they started, and where we are now.Luke Beck, Professor of Constitutional Law, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256762024-03-18T04:13:20Z2024-03-18T04:13:20Z‘Just a mum’: pregnant women and working parents feel overlooked and undervalued in the workplace<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582423/original/file-20240318-24-m91mul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4565%2C2434&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pregnancy-business-work-concept-smiling-pregnant-624530033">Ground Picture/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination in Australia, according to a new <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/research/cwex/projects/national-study-on-parents-work-conditions-pregnancy-leave-and-return-to-work/">study</a>.</p>
<p>The prevalence of mistreatment has been revealed in the first national review of work-related discrimination, disadvantage and bias among pregnant and parent workers in a decade, undertaken by researchers from the University of South Australia.</p>
<p>More than 1,200 pregnant and parent workers responded to the survey, and despite being an intentionally gender-inclusive study, almost 95% of the respondents identified as female.</p>
<p>Disturbingly, the analysis revealed 91.8% of respondents experienced discrimination during their return-to-work phase, 84.7% during parental leave and 89% while pregnant at work.</p>
<p>One respondent reported:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was told I wouldn’t want to return to work as I would be “clucky”. My career was severely impacted by my pregnancy, and I was forced to give up my team leader role.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Being overlooked while still in the workplace</h2>
<p>A third of pregnant respondents (32.7%) said they did not receive any information about their upcoming leave entitlements such as whether leave could be extended if there were complications, or if anyone would be checking in with them while they were away.</p>
<p>Many said they missed out on training opportunities they were in line for (21.2%) had they not been pregnant while others said they were ignored or excluded (39%) from work-related activities and decisions as they were about to go on leave.</p>
<p>Just over a quarter (25.4%) felt they needed to hide their pregnant belly while 45.7% were ordered to do work below their competence level in the lead up to their parental leave starting. </p>
<p>One said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was denied permission to wear tights and a belly support while pregnant, despite the fact I was on my feet and had hip pain while working.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Some colleagues gave unsolicited advice and made unwelcome comments about how a pregnant woman looked, prompting a respondent to say:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have poor systems for pregnancy in the workplace. Often companies have breastfeeding policies, but nothing for pregnancy. This leaves people open to project their opinion or experience on pregnant people, impacting their experience and often leading to discrimination.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Feeling forgotten and excluded</h2>
<p>During parental leave, respondents stated being excluded from communications about work-related or social events.</p>
<p>Many said they would have liked to use “<a href="https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/parental-leave/during-parental-leave/keeping-in-touch-days#:%7E:text=A%20keeping%20in%20touch%20day,by%20agreement%20with%20their%20employer.">keep in touch</a>” days which might include attending a planning meeting or doing some training before returning to the office, but were not offered this option.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My employer (and many others) find it hard to figure out the “keep in touch” days which are available through the government paid parental leave. It would have been nice to be able to easily access these and attend a day here and there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And more than half (50.8%) were not told about workplace restructures or other changes in their absence that could affect them on their return.</p>
<p>Also, 21.3% of workers on parental leave were pressured by their manager to begin or finish their leave earlier or later than they wanted to fit in with the workplace’s or management’s needs.</p>
<p>Three quarters of respondents said they would have liked to have extended their time away to care for their child because their partners (in 35.1% of cases) did not get parental leave. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Woman looking out a window while holding a crying baby" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582434/original/file-20240318-20-5l5xyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Women on maternity leave say they feel isolated and cut-off from the workplace.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-holds-soothes-crying-baby-white-1102053854">DinaPhoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When returning to work, parents said they encountered the most discrimination, such as receiving negative comments from managers or co-workers about working part-time or needing flexible work hours (43.9%).</p>
<p>Many had their role dramatically redesigned without any consultation and felt they were being denied opportunities due to working less days.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I feel I am overlooked and not shortlisted to interview for roles because I work part time. I am highly qualified for these roles.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Just over 45% said they were given fewer opportunities for career advancement and promotions because they were “just a mum” and faced the assumption that they “might get pregnant again” and were therefore unlikely to stay around.</p>
<p>Almost 27% did not have access to appropriate breastfeeding or expressing facilities and, as such, were often forced to express in a locked toilet cubicle or standing up in a cluttered cupboard.</p>
<h2>Attitudes need to change</h2>
<p>Pregnant and parent workers represent a substantial proportion of the Australian workforce. More than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/household-and-families-census/2021">20%</a> of all Australian households have young children.</p>
<p>The 2023 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported
the number of children <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/health-of-children">has increased</a> over the last 50 years, with the number estimated to grow to 6.4 million by the year 2048.</p>
<p>Without intervening action, pregnancy and parental work-related discrimination will remain common and socially tolerated, adversely affecting more of the population.</p>
<p>Having a designated Fair Work Ombudsman who focuses especially on pregnant and parent workers would help change attitudes and bring about change.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mothers-are-more-likely-to-work-worse-jobs-while-fathers-thrive-in-careers-196992">Mothers are more likely to work worse jobs – while fathers thrive in careers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Employers need to ensure pregnant and parent workers receive the same opportunities and recognition as other employees. Providing breastfeeding areas and relevant facilities should be mandatory.</p>
<p>Managers have a duty of care and should engage in consultation and discussion with workers at each stage – pregnancy, parental leave and return to work – to establish clear mutual expectations.</p>
<p>There are already anti-discrimination laws in place in Australia that are clearly not being enforced. There needs to be mandatory regulation of employers to ensure they are providing pregnant and parent workers with the professional and personal support needed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225676/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Rachael Potter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Pregnant women and working parents are often excluded from training and other opportunities despite extensive workplace and anti-discrimination laws.Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2248802024-03-11T17:18:50Z2024-03-11T17:18:50ZVenezuelan migrants are boosting economic growth in South America, says research<p>Venezuela is engulfed in a political and economic crisis, which has forced over <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9870179/">6 million people</a> – some 20% of the population – to flee the country since 2015. The mass exodus began when Venezuela’s economy collapsed, giving rise to rampant inflation, political turmoil and pervasive violence. </p>
<p>Over 80% of those who have left Venezuela have set up a new life in <a href="https://www.iom.int/venezuelan-refugee-and-migrant-crisis">17 countries</a> across Latin America and the Caribbean. According to a <a href="https://www.acnur.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/spotlight-note-socioeconomic-integration_ibd-oecd-unhcr.pdf">recent report</a>, these displaced migrants are having a positive effect on the economies of their host countries. </p>
<p>Between 2017 and 2030, migrant workers will boost the economies of their host countries by 0.10%–0.25% on average each year. The report, which was published by several leading international financial institutions and the UN Agency for Refugees, focuses on Venezuelan migrants but also covers Cubans and Salvadorans, among others.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/venezuelas-soaring-murder-rate-has-plunged-the-nation-into-a-public-health-crisis-116771">Venezuela's soaring murder rate has plunged the nation into a public health crisis</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The economic impact of migrants in Latin America is significant. But their <a href="https://www.acnur.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/spotlight-note-socioeconomic-integration_ibd-oecd-unhcr.pdf">integration</a> into local job markets and society is poor. The economic benefits derived from migrants across Latin America could be even greater if they are given better access to jobs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A crowd of Venezuelan protestors blocking a highway." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580921/original/file-20240311-22-dwm91w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580921/original/file-20240311-22-dwm91w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580921/original/file-20240311-22-dwm91w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580921/original/file-20240311-22-dwm91w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580921/original/file-20240311-22-dwm91w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580921/original/file-20240311-22-dwm91w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580921/original/file-20240311-22-dwm91w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Protesters closed a highway in Caracas, Venezuela, while demonstrating against the government of Nicolás Maduro in 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/caracasvenezuela04262017-protesters-closed-highway-caracas-while-1093703018">Edgloris Marys/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Boosting economic growth</h2>
<p>Migration has clear <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2020/06/19/blog-weo-chapter4-migration-to-advanced-economies-can-raise-growth">economic benefits</a> for local economies. It leads to an <a href="https://www.frbsf.org/research-and-insights/publications/economic-letter/2023/02/role-of-immigration-in-us-labor-market-tightness/">expansion</a> of the workforce, thereby <a href="https://data.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/en/labor-market-forecast-2022/?_gl=1*1afuj9x*_ga*MTk0Nzk1NjQzNS4xNzA5NTUzNTg3*_ga_W0MSMD2GPV*MTcwOTU1MzU4Ni4xLjAuMTcwOTU1MzU4Ny4wLjAuMA.">alleviating labour shortages</a> and enhancing economic output.</p>
<p>Migrants bring a diverse range of skills and specialised knowledge to their host countries, which can improve the overall skill level of the local workforce. Their <a href="https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/fall-2021/effects-immigration-entrepreneurship-innovation">productive capabilities</a> bridge skill gaps in local labour markets and heighten overall productivity. </p>
<p>Most migrant workers will also pay <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23056953">income tax</a>, which increases government revenues. In <a href="https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/7277e925bdaa64d6355c42c897721299-0050062023/original/WDR-Colombia-Case-Study-FORMATTED.pdf">Colombia</a>, for instance, the income tax contribution of Venezuelan migrants in 2019 was approximately US$38.7 million (£30.1 million), equivalent to 0.01% of Colombia’s GDP.</p>
<p>And when migrants gain employment, they will spend their wages in the host country and create new demand in various other sectors. Greater demand leads to <a href="https://www.mercatus.org/research/policy-briefs/benefits-immigration-addressing-key-myths">higher growth</a>, which in turn attracts more investment and increases employment opportunities both for local people and migrants.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/colombia-gives-nearly-1-million-venezuelan-migrants-legal-status-and-right-to-work-155448">Colombia gives nearly 1 million Venezuelan migrants legal status and right to work</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Underemployed</h2>
<p>However, xenophobia and discrimination prevent many migrants from finding jobs in Latin America and integrating into society. According to the report, roughly 30% of the migrants residing in Chile, Colombia and Peru experience discrimination because of their nationality. </p>
<p>Thus, many migrants are forced to take jobs within the <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2020/12/what-is-the-informal-economy-basics">informal sector</a>. Over <a href="https://www.undp.org/latin-america/publications/how-do-migrants-fare-latin-america-and-caribbean">50% of migrants</a> in Latin America work informally compared to 44.5% of locals. </p>
<p>Migrant workers also often earn lower wages than their local counterparts. In <a href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099022024085522704/p17578013f69d804019f8516ffbb072fc34">Colombia</a>, the average monthly salary of locals with post-secondary school education is US$1,140. Venezuelan migrants with the same level of education earn just US$644 per month. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man cleaning a car's windshield as it stops at a traffic light." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580924/original/file-20240311-20-jwh460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580924/original/file-20240311-20-jwh460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580924/original/file-20240311-20-jwh460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580924/original/file-20240311-20-jwh460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580924/original/file-20240311-20-jwh460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580924/original/file-20240311-20-jwh460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580924/original/file-20240311-20-jwh460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A man cleaning a windshield at a traffic light in Lima, Peru.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lima-peru-may-12-2020-poor-1729866145">Myriam B/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite this, immigrants still <a href="https://www.undp.org/latin-america/publications/how-do-migrants-fare-latin-america-and-caribbean">outperform</a> the native-born population in their labour force participation and employment rates. Yet many of the migrants who are in formal employment are overqualified for their roles. In <a href="https://www.acnur.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/spotlight-note-socioeconomic-integration_ibd-oecd-unhcr.pdf">Chile</a>, for instance, 34% of highly educated locals are overqualified for their jobs, compared to over 60% of migrants. </p>
<p>Migrants are often <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/abs/pii/S2049879923000360">mistakenly assumed</a> to be exclusively low-skilled workers. But the Venezuelan migrant crisis has seen many highly skilled people flee the country too. For example, <a href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099022024085522704/p17578013f69d804019f8516ffbb072fc34">65% of the Venezuelans</a> living in Chile and 48% residing in Ecuador have post-secondary school education.</p>
<p>However, most Venezuelans have not officially <a href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099022024085522704/p17578013f69d804019f8516ffbb072fc34">validated</a> their academic credentials in their host countries. In fact, only 10% of those residing in Chile have completed the certification process.</p>
<p>Many migrants are <a href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099022024085522704/p17578013f69d804019f8516ffbb072fc34">unaware</a> of the process so lack sufficient documentation about their qualifications. And the complexity of the process also demands investment that many migrants may not have the resources to cover.</p>
<p>To further enhance productivity in Latin America, it is essential to <a href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099022024085522704/p17578013f69d804019f8516ffbb072fc34">integrate migrant workers</a> into professions that allow them to use their skills.</p>
<h2>Access to services</h2>
<p>Several other factors hinder the integration of migrants into society across Latin America. The report indicates that migrant workers have significantly lower access to health insurance relative to the native-born population. In Colombia, for example, 96% of local workers have access to health insurance, compared to just 40% of migrants.</p>
<p>Similarly, there are often <a href="https://www.undp.org/latin-america/publications/how-do-migrants-fare-latin-america-and-caribbean">barriers</a> limiting access to education for migrants. Foreign-born residents and their family members have the right to access public primary and secondary education in the majority of South American countries. But school attendance rates are lower among displaced children than among native children, while the propensity for dropping out of school early appears to be significantly higher among migrant children.</p>
<p>Some people argue that immigration comes with costs, such as the perceived notion that migrants deprive locals of jobs. Nevertheless, the contribution of migrants to Latin American economies underscores the potential benefits. Improving their access to labour markets is thus a crucial tool for fostering long-term growth in Latin American economies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224880/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jose Caballero does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>More than 6 million people have fled Venezuela seeking better living conditions – now they are boosting economic growth in their host countries.Jose Caballero, Senior Economist, IMD World Competitiveness Center, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2230802024-02-28T22:11:57Z2024-02-28T22:11:57ZStop breaking women’s hearts at work: 7 ways to make workplaces better for cardiovascular health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578772/original/file-20240228-20-3fdqgt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1581%2C73%2C6597%2C4329&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Research shows women are at higher risk for burnout and psychological, emotional and physical stress in the workplace in comparison to their male counterparts.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Prominent heart health messaging focuses on the <a href="https://www.heartandstroke.ca/stroke/recovery-and-support/make-healthy-choices#:%7E:text=Be%20more%20active,disease%20and%20stroke%20by%2030%25.">role of lifestyle behaviours</a> (such as physical activity and nutrition) in cardiovascular health. However, the role of <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1">social determinants of health</a> (or SoDH) — which include sex, gender, poverty, environment — is also well established. SDoH not only directly impact <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/circresaha.121.319811">risk and progression</a> of heart disease, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajmo.2023.100047">but also health outcomes</a>.</p>
<p>Certain types of heart disease are <a href="https://www.heartandstroke.ca/what-we-do/media-centre/news-releases/system-failure-womens-heart-and-brain-health-are-at-risk">significantly more common in women</a>, compared to men. Moreover, compared with their non-Black counterparts, heart health for Black women is differentiated by a heavier burden of traditional risk factors, earlier development of the disease and nearly 20 per cent higher <a href="https://onlinecjc.ca/article/S0828-282X(23)01619-7/abstract#:%7E:text=Compared%20with%20their%20nonblack%20counterparts,higher%20rates%20of%20cardiovascular%20mortality.">rates of cardiovascular mortality</a>. </p>
<h2>Women, work and heart health</h2>
<p>Canadians spend an average of 7.5 hours per day at work, translating to roughly half of our waking hours. Several researchers have shown a relationship between <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/increasing-workplace-flexibility-associated-with-lower-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease/">workplace and heart health</a>. For instance, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2023.307413">research has linked</a> increased workplace flexibility (hybrid models, flexible schedule) with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. </p>
<p>Research also shows women are at higher risk for burnout and psychological, emotional and physical stress in the workplace <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/14/burnout-is-on-the-rise-gen-z-millennials-and-women-are-the-most-stressed.html#:%7E:text=Two%20types%20of%20people%2C%20however,burnout%20than%20men%20(37%25)">in comparison to their male counterparts</a>. This disproportionate burden has been attributed to several factors in and outside the workplace, inextricably linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01400">gender roles, sexism, racism, ageism and misogyny</a>. For instance, women are more likely to experience gender-based violence, assumptions about gender-roles, and higher cognitive and emotional workload in and out of work. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman bringing a mug to an older woman" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578728/original/file-20240228-22-q2iddp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578728/original/file-20240228-22-q2iddp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578728/original/file-20240228-22-q2iddp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578728/original/file-20240228-22-q2iddp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578728/original/file-20240228-22-q2iddp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578728/original/file-20240228-22-q2iddp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578728/original/file-20240228-22-q2iddp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many women balance paid work with gendered labour in the home and care-taking roles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once again, these burdens are <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/ca/%7E/media/mckinsey/locations/north%20america/canada/gender%20diversity%20at%20work/gender_diversity_at_work_in_canada.pdf">higher in equity-deserving groups</a>, especially for women experiencing <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace">intersectional forms of discrimination</a>, such as <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Resetting-Normal-Gender-Intersectionality-and-Leadership-Report-Final-EN.pdf">racism, colonialism, ableism and homophobia</a>. </p>
<p>It should not come as a surprise then that almost 90 per cent of reported <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/takotsubo-cardiomyopathy-broken-heart-syndrome#:%7E:text=More%20than%2090%25%20of%20reported,no%20long%2Dterm%20heart%20damage.">stress-induced heart disease</a> — or “<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/10/13/broken-heart-syndrome-is-on-the-rise-especially-among-older-women">broken heart syndrome</a>” — is found among women, and five per cent of women suspected of having a heart attack actually have this disorder.</p>
<p>Women are often the heart of their communities, and assume multiple, and intersecting, gendered social roles. For instance, many balance paid work, with <a href="https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/diff/ace-women-health/Healthy%20Balance/ACEWH_hbrp_thinking_it_through_women_work_caring_new_millennium.pdf">gendered labour in the home and in care-taking roles</a>. To make matters worse, women are then <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/04/stop-framing-wellness-programs-around-self-care">bombarded with wellness and self-management messaging</a> that tells them they are <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-psychology-of-weight-loss/202308/going-on-vacation-wont-cure-your-burnout">responsible for managing stress</a> and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-psychology-of-weight-loss/202306/the-burnout-burger">risk in a “healthy” way</a>.</p>
<p>In terms of workplace health, women and equity-deserving groups have been compared to the “canary in the mine.” Canaries were traditionally used in coal mines to detect the presence of carbon monoxide. The bird would succumb to the toxicity before the miners, thereby providing time to take action. </p>
<p>However, psychologists Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674251014">make an important point</a>: No one ever declared that the canaries needed to be more resilient or do more self-care to be less susceptible to the influence of carbon monoxide.</p>
<p>Women make up over half of the population, yet continue to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neuron.2021.06.002">under-represented in the workplace in several ways</a>, including <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/women-and-leadership-in-canada/#:%7E:text=Women%20are%2030%25%20less%20likely,%2C%20report%20finds%2C%202017">leadership and positions of influence</a>. </p>
<h2>Creating heart-healthy workplaces</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman at a desk looking at a tablet" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578730/original/file-20240228-24-sbksv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578730/original/file-20240228-24-sbksv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578730/original/file-20240228-24-sbksv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578730/original/file-20240228-24-sbksv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578730/original/file-20240228-24-sbksv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578730/original/file-20240228-24-sbksv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578730/original/file-20240228-24-sbksv1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hybrid work models can increase productivity and workers’ locus of control and support flexible hours.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Workplaces can have a positive impact on women’s health by ensuring knowledge about women and heart disease is translated into actions that support prevention and treatment. Here are seven evidence-based recommendations for co-creating heart-healthy workplaces:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Flexible hours</strong>: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716211415608">Inflexible work schedules</a> have been shown to increase stress for <a href="https://workplaceinsight.net/working-mothers-disproportionately-more-stressed-study-claims/">women and families</a> — including stressors transmitted to children. Effective “flex hours” initiatives (for example, flex hours to support physical activity) show <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2023/workplace-flexibility-may-support-cardiovascular-health">positive impact on workers’ heart health</a>, physical activity and sleep patterns, especially in adults ages 45 and older and for those who had increased cardiovascular disease risks.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Flexible hybrid work models</strong>: Evidence on hybrid work models has grown exponentially since March 2020. It appears that when using a non-fixed, worker-led approach, hybrid work models can <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/increasing-workplace-flexibility-associated-with-lower-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease/">increase productivity, workers’ locus of control and support flexible hours</a>. Research supports that women are more likely to use this option, when offered, but also highlights that when employers fail to monitor impact, or properly design jobs for hybrid and remote working, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/25/hybrid-working-may-hold-back-womens-careers-say-managers">hybrid work models can augment gender pay and promotion gaps</a>. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Invest in psychological safety</strong>: A <a href="https://theconversation.com/fostering-psychological-safety-in-the-workplace-4-practical-real-life-tips-based-on-science-204661">psychologically safe workplace</a> is where employees feel comfortable taking risks and being themselves without fear of judgement, lateral violence (for example stonewalling, bullying) or negative consequences. Psychological safety is positively associated with workplace engagement, innovation, job performance and job satisfaction — all desirable outcomes for institutions, organizations, the bottom line, clients and the community. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Offer health benefits</strong>: Mandatory benefits, also known as statutory benefits, are <a href="https://novascotia.ca/lae/employmentrights/docs/labourstandardscodeguide.pdf">required by Canadian employment law</a>. They include provincial health-care coverage, pension contributions, employment insurance, survivor insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. <a href="https://velocityglobal.com/resources/blog/employee-benefits-in-canada">Supplementary benefits</a> help attract and retain workers. Examples include dental care, medication insurance, disability insurance and many complementary medicine services. These <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF03403639">supplementary benefits</a> have been associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33020">improved health outcomes</a>, and <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-coverage-(uhc)">reduced chronic disease risk</a>.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Invest in programs supporting health promotion</strong>: In addition to the examples above, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/initiatives/resource-center/pdf/WHRC-Workplace-Best-Practices-for-Heart-Healthy-Employees-508.pdf">workplaces can invest</a> in programming that supports health-promoting behaviours in and out of work. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000000467">Such programming</a> has been associated with workplace satisfaction, productivity and favourable health-related outcomes. Additional examples of health promotion include health risk appraisals, lunch and learns, flexible and inclusive leave options, and time off for leisure activities, spiritual practices, volunteering or community engagement. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Engage in collective conflict resolution strategies</strong>: Evidence supports that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470432/">collaborative conflict resolution</a> approaches, like mediation, can provide a positive learning opportunity for those involved. This encourages workers to find a solution together, <a href="https://demlegaleagle.com/blog/2020/12/3-ways-workplace-mediation-may-beat-discipline/">rather than via formal disciplinary action</a>, where the root causes of conflict often go unaddressed.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Commit to policy, procedure and protocols that combat ‘isms’</strong>: Ibram X. Kendi’s book, <a href="https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist"><em>How To Be An Antiracist</em></a>, provides rationale and examples for how to ensure policy and procedures are anti-racist. Adopting this approach requires a significant, but worthwhile investment, learning and unlearning, but gains can be made through small changes. Workplaces can also adopt policies that combat other forms of discrimination, including ageism and sexism. For instance, several employers have started to <a href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/stay-at-home-mom-resume">encourage applicants</a> to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/02/24/how-stay-at-home-parents-returning-to-work-can-overcome-common-barriers/?sh=f500d7f2c091">report “stay at home mom” as part of their work experience</a>, and the several transferable skills this experience offers.</p></li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A yellow canary perched on a branch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578731/original/file-20240228-18-alxd70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578731/original/file-20240228-18-alxd70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578731/original/file-20240228-18-alxd70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578731/original/file-20240228-18-alxd70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578731/original/file-20240228-18-alxd70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=685&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578731/original/file-20240228-18-alxd70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=685&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578731/original/file-20240228-18-alxd70.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=685&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Integrating health and safety strategies is a better option for workers than waiting until the ‘canary’ expires.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rather than waiting until the canary in the workplace coal mine expires, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000000467">evidence shows</a> there are options available to integrate health and safety strategies that achieve measurable benefits to enhance the overall health and well-being of workers, their families and the community. </p>
<p>In acknowledging that factors like the built environment, social and health systems, and outdated policies are the problems needing to be addressed — rather than people, including women, those living with disability, and equity-deserving groups — we take a step towards healthier, safer and more accessible workplaces.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223080/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shannan M. Grant has received funding from Diabetes Canada, Dietitians of Canada and currently holds funding from Medavie, Tri-Council Funding Programs, Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research, IWK Health, Mount Saint Vincent University. She is affiliated with Mount Saint Vincent University, IWK Health, Dalhousie University, Dietitians of Canada, Diabetes Canada, People in Pain (PIPN), and Dr. Lee-Baggley and Associates.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dayna Lee-Baggley dislosures: Consulting fees from: Bausch Health, Novo Nordisk; Clinical advisory committee: Tobacco Free Nova Scotia; Royalties: New Harbinger Publications; Funded by: Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund, Employment and Social Development Canada, Government of Canada; Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research, Research Grants; Owner or co-owner: Dr. Lee-Baggley and Associates Inc and ImpACT Workplace Solutions Inc.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacquie Gahagan receives funding from SSHRC and CIHR.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Barb Hamilton-Hinch, Jessica Mannette, and Leigh-Ann MacFarlane do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Acknowledging that factors like the built environment, social and health systems, and outdated policies are the problems — rather than people — is a step towards healthier and safer workplaces.Shannan M. Grant, Associate Professor, Registered Dietitian, Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Faculty of Professional Studies, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityBarb Hamilton-Hinch, Associate Professor, School of Health and Human Performance, and Assistant Vice Provost of Equity and Inclusion, Dalhousie UniversityDayna Lee-Baggley, Adjunct professor, Department of Family Medicine & Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie UniversityJacquie Gahagan, Full Professor and Associate Vice-President, Research, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityJessica Mannette, Research Assistant, Department of Psychology, Saint Mary’s UniversityLeigh-Ann MacFarlane, Educational Developer, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2220322024-02-28T17:09:36Z2024-02-28T17:09:36ZW.E.B. Du Bois’ study ‘The Philadelphia Negro’ at 125 still explains roots of the urban Black experience – sociologist Elijah Anderson tells why it should be on more reading lists<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576236/original/file-20240216-26-ucw3z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A mural dedicated to Du Bois and the Old Seventh Ward is painted on the corner of 6th and South streets in Philadelphia.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/general-view-of-the-mural-commemorating-the-seventh-ward-on-news-photo/502954290">Paul Marotta/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>W.E.B. Du Bois is widely known for his civil rights activism, but many <a href="https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.87.3.0230">sociologists argue</a> that he has yet to receive due recognition as the founding father of <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-sociology-a-sociologist-explains-why-floridas-college-students-should-get-the-chance-to-learn-how-social-forces-affect-everyones-lives-222365">American sociology</a>. His groundbreaking study, “<a href="https://www.pennpress.org/9781512824346/the-philadelphia-negro/">The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study</a>,” was published in 1899 and exhaustively detailed the poor social conditions of thousands of Black Philadelphians in the city’s historic Seventh Ward neighborhood.</em> </p>
<p><em>We spoke with <a href="https://sociology.yale.edu/people/elijah-anderson">Elijah Anderson</a>, Sterling Professor of Sociology and of African American Studies at Yale University, about the importance of Du Bois’ seminal study and why it’s still relevant for Philadelphians 125 years later.</em></p>
<p><strong>How did the ‘Philadelphia Negro’ study come about?</strong></p>
<p>Much of Philadelphia’s elite of the day believed that the city was going to the dogs, and that the reason was the huge influx of Black people from the South. Susan Wharton, a philanthropist and the wife of Joseph Wharton – after whom the Wharton School is named – and then-provost at the University of Pennsylvania Charles Harrison invited Du Bois to come to Philadelphia to study Philadelphia’s Black population and try to find answers to this problem.</p>
<p>Du Bois accepted their offer, which came with a small stipend, and came to Philadelphia along with his new bride, Nina Gomer. They settled in the Old Seventh Ward in a local settlement house, located at Sixth and Waverly streets, down the street from Mother Bethel AME, the famous Black church. Du Bois then set about studying the Seventh Ward, known for its concentration of the Black population. These people lived in the alleys and streets adjacent to the wealthy white people for whom they worked as servants. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Family portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois, his wife Nina, and their baby son Burghardt in 1898." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577096/original/file-20240221-20-awssda.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577096/original/file-20240221-20-awssda.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577096/original/file-20240221-20-awssda.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577096/original/file-20240221-20-awssda.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577096/original/file-20240221-20-awssda.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577096/original/file-20240221-20-awssda.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577096/original/file-20240221-20-awssda.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Family portrait of W.E.B Du Bois, his wife, Nina, and their baby son Burghardt in 1898.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0389">W.E.B. Du Bois Papers, 1803-1999, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Due to Du Bois’ upbringing and Harvard education, his bearing was that of the elite. While conducting his field work, he at times dressed in spats and a suit and tie. </p>
<p>Du Bois approached his subjects as an objective social scientist. He wanted to understand the condition of Philadelphia’s Black population and then provide his report to the white elite whom he believed would use his work to improve the condition of Black people, both within Philadelphia and beyond. </p>
<p><strong>Can you explain his idea of the benevolent despot?</strong></p>
<p>This term is based on Du Bois’ original premise: that the inequality between the living conditions of Blacks and whites could be rectified by the wealthy people who controlled the city. He regarded these leaders as despots due to the power they wielded, but also believed them to be benevolent as well as rational. Du Bois observed the Irish and Scottish immigrants who were employed in certain industries. He wondered why these companies would fail to employ Black people, as well, and concluded that they must simply be ignorant. After all, in his mind, these were benevolent people as well as rich and powerful – and most importantly, they were rational. So why would they employ the Irish and Scots, but not the Black people? This was a critical question for Du Bois, and one he was determined to answer through his study.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Book cover of 'The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study' by W.E.B. Du Bois" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576238/original/file-20240216-30-6f7ir.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1133&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Elijah Anderson wrote the introduction to the 1995 and 2023 editions of ‘The Philadelphia Negro.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pennpress.org/9781512824346/the-philadelphia-negro/">University of Pennsylvania Press</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, as the study progressed, Du Bois began to realize that the problem was much more complicated than he’d originally assumed. He realized that the so-called benevolent despots may not be so benevolent after all, focusing on their own financial interests. These included pitting Irish and Scottish workers against Black people to keep wages low, but also a simple preference of white workers over Black workers.</p>
<p>Halfway through the study, Du Bois pours out a soliloquy of disappointment. He declares that there is, in fact, no benevolent captain of industry, because if such a person existed, he wouldn’t let these Black boys and girls fester in poverty and crime. </p>
<p>He writes:</p>
<p>“If now a benevolent despot had seen the development, he would immediately have sought to remedy the real weakness of the Negro’s position, i.e., his lack of training; and he would have swept away any discrimination that compelled men to support as criminals those who might support themselves as workmen.</p>
<p>"He would have made special effort to train Negro boys for industrial life and given them a chance to compete on equal terms with the best white workmen; arguing that in the long run this would be best for all concerned, since by raising the skill and standard of living of the Negroes he would make them effective workmen and competitors who would maintain a decent level of wages. He would have sternly suppressed organized or covert opposition to Negro workmen.</p>
<p>"There was, however, no benevolent despot, no philanthropist, no far-seeing captain of industry to prevent the Negro from losing even the skill he had learned or to inspire him by opportunities to learn more.”</p>
<p>This is also where Du Bois began to see and clarify the situation as a problem of racism. He doesn’t use the word “racism” – that word did not exist at the time – but he speaks in terms of racial preferences and discrimination. </p>
<p><strong>How are his findings relevant to Philadelphians today?</strong></p>
<p>“The Philadelphia Negro” remains a powerful work. It depicts the social organization of the Black community, and especially the Black class structure of Du Bois’ day. It also utilizes the technique we know today as “<a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8wc8v8cv">cohort analysis</a>” – the idea that social conditions affecting a group are also impactful to the individual, and that what happens to the group is a function of historic moments of society. </p>
<p>Du Bois’ ethnographic descriptions of Black people living in isolated communities after the end of slavery and migrating to these cities presages the dire conditions in inner-city communities of today, many of which are still largely Black. </p>
<p>Additionally, the role of European immigration in Du Bois’ day played a critical role in undermining the position of Black people in society. In the context of “white over Black,” each successive wave of immigration from Europe since the end of the Civil War typically worked to undermine the position of the emerging Black middle class. </p>
<p>Du Bois pointed this out back in 1899. He observed that employers preferred white immigrants from Europe over Black people. The benevolent despot Du Bois hoped to reach ignored his work, with implications for Philadelphia race relations to this day.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="W.E.B. Du Bois seated at desk in office at Atlanta University in 1909" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577092/original/file-20240221-24-gr3t9h.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">W.E.B. Du Bois seated in his office at Atlanta University in 1909.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://credo.library.umass.edu/cgi-bin/pdf.cgi?id=scua:mums312-i0393">W.E.B. Du Bois Papers, 1803-1999, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>How did it inform your own work as a sociologist?</strong></p>
<p>When I was a sociology graduate student at the University of Chicago in the 1970s, “The Philadelphia Negro” was not required reading. But later, I taught a summer course at Northwestern University about Du Bois and, like so many young Black scholars of my generation, I was deeply inspired by his work.</p>
<p>Afterwards, when I was recruited by Swarthmore College – located 11 miles outside Philadelphia – I felt honored to reside near the city where Du Bois had conducted his work. I often traveled to Philadelphia to walk through the neighborhoods where he’d worked. Ultimately, the University of Pennsylvania – the very place that had originally recruited Du Bois to conduct his study – offered me a position. I moved to the city and began conducting ethnographic studies. In some sense, I followed in the footsteps of Du Bois. </p>
<p>In fact, my entire body of ethnographic work grows out of some of the questions Du Bois raises, and the unresolved problems he uncovers. “<a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3638183.html">Streetwise</a>” focuses on the sociology of gentrification and its implications for both white and Black people living in gentrifying neighborhoods. “<a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/Code-of-the-Street/">Code of the Street</a>” addresses the violence that occurs in inner-city neighborhoods, as well as the issue of policing and the abdication of the police. After that, I began to deal with some of the issues that brought different races together. “<a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393340518">The Cosmopolitan Canopy</a>” is an ethnographic study of Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square and the Reading Terminal Market and Center City.
Most recently, in 2022, I published “<a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo119245209.html">Black in White Space</a>,” a fine-grained ethnographic portrait of how systemic racism operates in everyday life. </p>
<p>All these books, based on studies that were conducted in Philadelphia, stem from the inspiration of reading Du Bois as a graduate student.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="View of empty street in Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576852/original/file-20240220-20-uaxpth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Philadelphia has more residents living in poverty than any other big city in the U.S.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/buildings-stand-in-the-neighborhood-where-the-west-news-photo/1308933509">Spencer Platt/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Why should Philadelphians read this book?</strong></p>
<p>The book is a seminal work, and while it has influenced many Black sociologists, it has <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520286764/the-scholar-denied">not yet received the attention it deserves</a>. However, an increasing number of scholars, both Black and white, are beginning to grapple with Du Bois’ work.</p>
<p>Philadelphians should read this book to become enlightened about the city’s history and how it relates to the dire circumstances of the city’s impoverished population of today. </p>
<p>The Philadelphia economy is undergoing a <a href="https://selectgreaterphl.com/doing-business/economic-overview/">period of profound transition</a>, from an economy based on manufacturing to one based increasingly on service and high technology, including robotics, computers and social media. Jobs and financial opportunities are <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2022/02/how-the-pandemic-has-affected-philadelphias-economy-and-jobs">sent away from Philadelphia</a> to non-metropolitan America and to underdeveloped nations around the world. As a result, many residents of the city have become dislocated economically; <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-poverty-rate-big-city-20230914.html">22% of the city’s population is impoverished</a>, and a <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2017/11/pri_philadelphias_poor.pdf">majority of them are Black</a>. Hence, the condition of the disenfranchised underclass whom Du Bois regarded as the “submerged tenth” has become remarkably more complicated and dire.</p>
<p>This complex mix of factors creates a good deal of crime and alienation, which feeds into the dominant narrative that our cities are falling apart – and that it’s the fault of this disenfranchised underclass, this “submerged tenth.” This is blatantly incorrect. The problems facing today’s poor inner-city residents stem from <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo119245209.html">systemic racism</a> and <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo13375722.html">the structure of capital</a>, not the individuals trapped inside that structure. </p>
<p>Strikingly, despite being written over a century ago, “The Philadelphia Negro” anticipates not only the condition of today’s poor inner-city Blacks, but also the unwillingness or the inability of today’s “benevolent despots” to rectify or even address the situation. We see Du Bois’ “submerged tenth” in today’s drug dealers, drug addicts and the persistently impoverished Black community. And we see his not-so-benevolent despots in politicians who would rather blame the victims than take any steps to improve their lot.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222032/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elijah Anderson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Over a century ago, white Philadelphia elites believed the city was going to the dogs – and they blamed poor Black inner-city residents instead of the racism that kept this group disenfranchised.Elijah Anderson, Professor of Sociology and African American Studies, Yale UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2232502024-02-27T12:30:48Z2024-02-27T12:30:48ZA Texas court ruling on a Black student wearing hair in long locs reflects history of racism in schools<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577713/original/file-20240224-24-mne9vr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=61%2C49%2C8118%2C5383&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">America's schools don't always welcome cultural expression. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/barber-cutting-young-boys-hair-in-barbershop-royalty-free-image/1717468327?phrase=black+boy+dread+locs&adppopup=true">MoMo Productions via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>A Texas judge ruled on Feb. 22, 2024, that the Barbers Hill School District <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/22/texas-crown-act-judge-barbers-hill">didn’t violate the law</a> when it punished Darryl George, a Black student, for wearing his hair in long locs. The Texas law in question – the CROWN Act – prohibits discrimination against hairstyles in schools and workplaces. The school district argued – and Judge Chap B. Cain III agreed – that the law doesn’t mention anything about hair length. In the following Q&A, <a href="https://american.academia.edu/KenjusWatson">Kenjus Watson</a>, an education professor at American University who studies the <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED619047">psychological and social effects of racism</a>, discusses how the decision upholds a long-standing legacy of cultural assimilation .</em></p>
<h2>What message has the court just sent?</h2>
<p>I’d argue it’s a harsh reminder that the natural appearance, cultural expressions and freedom of Black children are <a href="https://doi.org/10.47106/4rwj.11.02181931">incompatible with the objectives and ideals</a> of <a href="https://www.tcpress.com/the-white-architects-of-black-education-9780807740422">the school system in the U.S</a>. Those objectives and ideals were created to establish social order, enforce conformity, demand cultural assimilation and <a href="http://www.blackfeministpedagogies.com/uploads/2/5/5/9/25595205/a_third_uni.pdf">suppress marginalized groups</a>. </p>
<p>The court decision in Texas – and the no-long-hair policy in the Barbers Hill Independent School District – might seem outdated, misinformed or at odds with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-019-00540-3">best practices for culturally responsive education</a>. But as I and other researchers <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36891083/">have found</a>, strict monitoring and other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085918754328">anti-Black practices</a> – such as those regarding Black children’s hair, bodies, language, clothing and even their presence – <a href="https://culanth.org/fieldsights/schools-prisons-and-blackness-in-america-a-conversation-with-damien-sojoyner">are widespread in America’s schools</a>. </p>
<h2>What options do Black students have?</h2>
<p>Since education is compulsory for minors, the only options for Black families are to find schools that attempt to <a href="https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1484">prioritize their overall well-being</a> by being supportive of their children’s hairstyle and other cultural values, or to educate their children at home, as <a href="https://theconversation.com/struggling-with-racial-biases-black-families-homeschool-kids-38694">many Black families do now</a>.</p>
<p>Finding a culturally supportive school can be a challenge. Despite efforts from Black families, educators, leaders and allies to create more inclusive environments in schools, anti-Black racism is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2013.850412">pervasive in educational settings</a> – from pre-K through higher education.</p>
<p>Staying in a school system that is hostile to Black cultural expression can threaten children’s well-being. <a href="https://www.tcpress.com/racial-microaggressions-in-education-9780807764398">Extensive research</a> has found that <a href="https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/14/resources/9950">racial microaggressions</a> – <a href="https://issuu.com/almaiflores/docs/kw___lph_research_brief_final_versi">everyday acts of racism</a> – can adversely affect the mental and <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-racial-battle-fatigue-a-school-psychologist-explains-192493">physical</a> health of Black people. </p>
<p>My own research has found that it can affect the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36891083/">biological health of Black young people</a>. The hormones the body releases under stressful racial events can damage the <a href="https://vimeo.com/469867415">DNA of Black students</a>. Over time, this can contribute to higher rates of disease and overall <a href="https://theconversation.com/study-racism-shortens-lives-and-hurts-health-of-blacks-by-promoting-genes-that-lead-to-inflammation-and-illness-122027">shorter life expectancy</a> among Black people in the U.S. Finding a supportive school can be an even more urgent matter of life and death. Researchers have found that enduring everyday racism in school is also a key factor behind <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-kids-and-suicide-why-are-rates-so-high-and-so-ignored-127066">rising suicide rates</a> for Black youth.</p>
<h2>What should school leaders consider?</h2>
<p>If educational leaders want to see Black students flourish, I believe they should dismantle racist policies that require order, conformity and assimilation. They should replace these with schoolwide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2021.100880">microaffirmative</a> practices that validate Black student cultural expressions, identities, resilience and brilliance. They can also prioritize mental and emotional health and wellness.</p>
<p>To move toward a new educational system that truly serves all students, I argue that it is crucial to listen to Black families and students in the development of school policies, curriculum and instruction. Doing so can help place Black families’ current experiences within the broader context of the ongoing struggle against <a href="https://theconversation.com/critical-race-theory-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt-162752">discrimination and unjust legal decisions</a>, such as the one against Darryl George.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223250/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kenjus T. Watson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A scholar on racism weighs in on a recent court decision that upheld a school’s decision to punish a Black male student for wearing his hair in long locs.Kenjus T. Watson, Assistant Professor of Urban Education, American UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2224862024-02-19T13:42:23Z2024-02-19T13:42:23Z‘Benevolent sexism’ in startups widens the gender gap by advantaging men over women<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575448/original/file-20240213-16-zum5sf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C16%2C3578%2C2376&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It is not enough to remove the unfair barriers holding women back; we also need to confront the unfair privileges propelling men forward.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Women continue to face barriers in entrepreneurship, with <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/women-entrepreneurship-strategy/en">only 17 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses being owned by women in Canada</a>. </p>
<p>To address this issue, the Canadian government has introduced the <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/women-entrepreneurship-strategy/en/women-entrepreneurship-strategy-progress-report-2022">Women Entrepreneurship Strategy</a>. This strategy seeks to address the gender gap and biases in the Canadian venture capital system. </p>
<p>However, our understanding of the challenges women face in the startup ecosystem is limited. Past research has focused on overt <a href="https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2016.1215">negative sexist attitudes that question women’s competence and suitability for entrepreneurship</a>.</p>
<p>This view overlooks the existence of more subtle, yet pervasive and socially acceptable, sexist attitudes that often go unnoticed. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2016.10.005">Given the sheer number of people interested or working in startups today</a>, from investors to suppliers to job applicants, the effects of these subtle forms of sexism can accumulate across a large and diverse group of decision-makers.</p>
<p>For initiatives tackling gender inequality in entrepreneurship to be effective, we must gain a deeper understanding of the effects of these subtle biases faced by women entrepreneurs.</p>
<h2>Benevolent sexism in entrepreneurship</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.491">Benevolent sexism</a> is a form of bias that, on the surface, appears to be positive toward women, but ultimately reinforces gender roles and entrenches inequality.</p>
<p>Unlike overtly hostile forms of discrimination, benevolent sexism manifests in seemingly harmless beliefs. This type of sexism often portrays women as delicate or in need of protection, while men are positioned as the providers and protectors. </p>
<p>Because benevolent sexism is often expressed in ways that seem positive, it is rarely challenged by either men or women. It can serve to maintain traditional gender dynamics by creating the illusion of support for women while still restricting their autonomy. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A figure of a woman standing on a stack of coins with a plastic cup placed over it. Beside it is a figure of a man standing on a taller stack of coins." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575439/original/file-20240213-16-l8bgb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575439/original/file-20240213-16-l8bgb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575439/original/file-20240213-16-l8bgb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575439/original/file-20240213-16-l8bgb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575439/original/file-20240213-16-l8bgb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575439/original/file-20240213-16-l8bgb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575439/original/file-20240213-16-l8bgb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Benevolent sexism often portrays women as delicate or in need of protection, while men are positioned as the providers and protectors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In particular, research shows that benevolent sexism <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310365902">undermines women at work and results in them holding fewer positions of power in organizations</a>. The startup ecosystem is particularly fertile ground for this kind of sexism to manifest and worsen over time.</p>
<p>Since <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/women-entrepreneurship-strategy/en">women are more underrepresented in entrepreneurship than in traditional organizations</a>, startup evaluators are careful not to act on overt sexist attitudes. This, in turn, gives room for more subtle forms of bias to emerge.</p>
<h2>Benevolent sexism advantages men</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587231178865">recent research paper</a> examined how benevolent sexism affects how evaluators judge woman- and man-led startups.</p>
<p>Initially, we theorized that startup evaluators with benevolent sexist views would more likely to rate women-led startups as less viable (i.e., more likely to fail). We did not expect their evaluation of men’s startups to be affected at all. </p>
<p>To test this hypothesis, we conducted three studies where participants were tasked with evaluating a hypothetical early-stage startup founded by either a man or a woman. Both entrepreneurs in our scenarios had identical qualifications and startup ideas.</p>
<p>The results from all three studies found that the more evaluators endorsed benevolent sexist beliefs, the more positively they judged men-led startups. There was no impact on the evaluation of women-led startups. This finding was the same, regardless of whether the evaluators themselves were men or women, in two out of the three studies.</p>
<h2>Addressing unwarranted advantages</h2>
<p>Our findings call for a fundamental rethinking of what attaining true equity entails. It is not enough to remove the unfair barriers holding women back; we also need to confront the unfair privileges propelling men forward. </p>
<p>This suggests that common solutions for addressing gender inequities are not sufficient. They mostly focus on barriers that women face, while ignoring the unwarranted advantages afforded to men. Such common solutions include focus on <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43822387">women’s education, mentoring and networking</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two sets of hands giving a thumbs down gesture and two sets of hands giving a thumbs up gesture" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575438/original/file-20240213-30-fhc5u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575438/original/file-20240213-30-fhc5u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575438/original/file-20240213-30-fhc5u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575438/original/file-20240213-30-fhc5u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575438/original/file-20240213-30-fhc5u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575438/original/file-20240213-30-fhc5u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575438/original/file-20240213-30-fhc5u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The study results found that benevolent sexism unfairly favours men-led startups.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To effectively address the gender gap in entrepreneurship, we need to raise awareness about the hidden effects of benevolent sexism. This could be done through education and training of entrepreneurs, mentors and investors. Such interventions could communicate to these stakeholders that while benevolent sexism seems positive it is actually harmful.</p>
<p>Further, we need to redesign the startup evaluation process. The current ambiguous and unstructured conditions of startups allow subtle biases to emerge. </p>
<p>To address this issue, we need clearly defined and transparent criteria for evaluating startups. Indeed, past research shows that creating <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2014.0950">clear structure, transparency and accountability in evaluation processes</a> are critical for reducing biased decision-making.</p>
<h2>Fix the system, not women</h2>
<p>Our research challenges traditional interventions that solely address overt sexist attitudes towards women. Many interventions suggest that women need to change. </p>
<p>For example, women are advised to <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1215">change their communication and negotiation styles</a>. They are also advised to venture into more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/stsc.2022.0170">masculine and higher profile industries</a>.</p>
<p>Such advice overlooks the advantages men receive. As our research demonstrates, even when women have identical qualifications and ideas, men-led startups are seen as more promising. Moreover, well-intended initiatives designed to address gender gaps in entrepreneurship may <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2017.0087">backfire since they signal women need help, which propagates a benevolent sexist tone</a>.</p>
<p>This calls <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2006.00138.x">for fixing the system rather than fixing women</a>. We need to address gender inequity by examining and changing evaluators’ attitudes and behaviours, as opposed to encouraging women to change.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222486/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nhu Nguyen received funding from the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ivona Hideg's research has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yuval Engel received funding from The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Frederic Godart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For Canada’s new Women Entrepreneurship Strategy to be effective, we must gain a deeper understanding of sexism in startup spaces.Nhu Nguyen, PhD Ccandidate in Management, McGill UniversityFrederic Godart, Associate Professor, Organizational Behavior, INSEADIvona Hideg, Associate Professor and Ann Brown Chair in Organization Studies, York University, CanadaYuval Engel, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of AmsterdamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234282024-02-13T04:57:47Z2024-02-13T04:57:47ZWhat is doxing, and how can you protect yourself?<p>The Australian government has brought forward <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/12/albanese-government-to-propose-legislation-to-crack-down-on-doxing">plans to criminalise doxing</a>, bringing nationwide attention to the harms of releasing people’s private information to the wider public.</p>
<p>The government response comes after the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/hundreds-of-jewish-creatives-have-names-details-taken-in-leak-published-online-20240208-p5f3if.html">public release of almost 600 names</a> and private chat logs of a WhatsApp group of Australian Jewish creative artists discussing the Israel-Hamas war.</p>
<p>As a result, some of the people whose details were leaked claim they were harassed, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/09/josh-burns-jewish-whatsapp-group-channel-publication-israel-palestine-clementine-ford">received death threats</a> and even had to go into hiding. </p>
<p>While we wait for <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-news-live-federal-laws-on-doxxing-to-be-brought-forward-anniversary-of-stolen-generations-apology-20240213-p5f4eh.html?post=p55nen#p55nen">new penalties</a> for doxers under the federal Privacy Act review, understanding doxing and its harms can help. And there are also steps we can all take to minimise the risk. </p>
<h2>What is doxing?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-doxing">Doxing</a> (or doxxing) is releasing private information — or “docs”, short for documents — online to the wider public without the user’s consent. This includes information that may put users at risk of harm, especially names, addresses, employment details, medical or financial records, and names of family members.</p>
<p>The Australian government <a href="https://ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre/transcripts/media-conference-parliament-house-13-02-2024">currently defines doxing</a> as the “malicious release” of people’s private information without their consent.</p>
<p>Doxing began as a form of unmasking anonymous users, trolls and those using hate speech while <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/04/doxxing-meaning-libs-of-tiktok/629643/">hiding behind a pseudonym</a>. Recently, it has become a weapon for online abuse, harassment, hate speech and adversarial politics. It is often the outcome of online arguments or polarised public views. </p>
<p>It is also becoming more common. Although there is no data for Australia yet, according to media company <a href="https://www.safehome.org/family-safety/doxxing-online-harassment-research/">SafeHome.org</a>, about 4% of Americans report having been doxed, with about half saying their private emails or home addresses have been made public. </p>
<p>Doxing is a crime in some countries such as the Netherlands and South Korea. In other places, including Australia, privacy laws haven’t yet caught up.</p>
<h2>Why is doxing harmful?</h2>
<p>In the context of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/israel-hamas-war-146714">Israel-Hamas war</a>, doxing has affected <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/asia-and-australia/2024-02-06/ty-article/death-threats-boycotts-target-jewish-creatives-in-australia/0000018d-7e43-d636-adef-7eefae580000">both Jewish</a> and <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/15/business/palestinian-americans-activists-doxxing/index.html">pro-Palestinian communities and activists</a> in Australia and abroad.</p>
<p>Doxing is harmful because it treats a user as an object and takes away their agency to decide what, and how much, personal information they want shared with the wider public. </p>
<p>This puts people at very real risk of physical threats and violence, particularly when public disagreement becomes heated. From a broader perspective, doxing also damages the digital ecology, reducing people’s ability to freely participate in public or even private debate through social media.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-safety-what-young-people-really-think-about-social-media-big-tech-regulation-and-adults-overreacting-196003">Online safety: what young people really think about social media, big tech regulation and adults 'overreacting'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Although doxing is sometimes just inconvenient, it is often used to publicly shame or humiliate someone for their private views. This can take a toll on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. </p>
<p>It can also affect a person’s employment, especially for people whose employers require them to keep their attitudes, politics, affiliations and views to themselves. </p>
<p>Studies have shown doxing particularly impacts <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306422015605714">women</a>, including those using dating apps or experiencing family violence. In some cases, children and family members have been threatened because a high-profile relative has been doxed. </p>
<p>Doxing is also harmful because it oversimplifies a person’s affiliations or attitudes. For example, releasing the names of people who have joined a private online community to navigate complex views can represent them as only like-minded stereotypes or as participants in a group conspiracy. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A person using a laptop and smartphone simultaneously" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575225/original/file-20240213-24-b68guc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are steps you can take online to protect yourself from doxing without having to complete withdraw.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-smartphone-3248292/">Engin Akyurt/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What can you do to protect yourself from doxing?</h2>
<p>Stronger laws and better platform intervention are necessary to reduce doxing. Some experts believe that the fear of <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3476075">punishment</a> can help shape better online behaviours.</p>
<p>These punishments may include criminal <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/report/what-you-can-report-to-esafety">penalties</a> for perpetrators and <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/doxxing-attack-on-jewish-australians-prompts-call-for-legislative-change/news-story/9a2f3615dbf5594fb521a8959739e1f8#:%7E:text=Alongside%20legislative%20reform%2C%20the%20ECAJ,information%2C%E2%80%9D%20Mr%20Aghion%20said.">deactivating social media accounts</a> for repeat offenders. But better education about the risks and harms is often the best treatment.</p>
<p>And you can also protect yourself without needing to entirely withdraw from social media:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>never share a home or workplace address, phone number or location, including among a private online group or forum with trusted people</p></li>
<li><p>restrict your geo-location settings</p></li>
<li><p>avoid giving details of workplaces, roles or employment on public sites not related to your work </p></li>
<li><p>avoid adding friends or connections on social media services of people you do not know</p></li>
<li><p>if you suspect you risk being doxed due to a heated online argument, temporarily shut down or lock any public profiles</p></li>
<li><p>avoid becoming a target by pursuing haters when it reaches a certain point. Professional and courteous engagement can help avoid the anger of those who might disagree and try to harm you.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Additionally, hosts of private online groups must be very vigilant about who joins a group. They should avoid the trap of accepting members just to increase the group’s size, and appropriately check new members (for example, with a short survey or key questions that keep out people who may be there to gather information for malicious purposes).</p>
<p>Employers who require their staff to have online profiles or engage with the public should provide information and strategies for doing so safely. They should also provide immediate support for staff who have been doxed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-use-of-digital-platforms-surges-well-need-stronger-global-efforts-to-protect-human-rights-online-135678">As use of digital platforms surges, we'll need stronger global efforts to protect human rights online</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223428/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Cover receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>With doxing suddenly on the national agenda, here’s what you need to know.Rob Cover, Professor of Digital Communication and Co-Director of the RMIT Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2167002024-02-12T13:25:17Z2024-02-12T13:25:17ZA brief history of Dearborn, Michigan – the first Arab-American majority city in the US<p>Dearborn, Michigan, is a center of Arab American cultural, economic, and political life. It’s home to several of the country’s oldest and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/4462?login=false">most influential mosques</a>, the <a href="https://arabamericanmuseum.org/">Arab American National Museum</a>, dozens of now-iconic Arab <a href="https://halalmetropolis.org/story3">bakeries and restaurants</a>, and a vibrant and essential mix of Arab American <a href="https://www.accesscommunity.org/">service and cultural</a> organizations. </p>
<p>The city became <a href="https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/09/26/census-data-shows-arab-american-population-in-dearborn-now-makes-up-majority-of-people-living-there/">the first Arab-majority city in the U.S.</a> in 2023, with roughly 55% of the city’s 110,000 residents claiming Middle Eastern or North African ancestry on the 2023 census.</p>
<p>One of us is an <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/old-islam-in-detroit-9780199372003?cc=us&lang=en&">author</a> and <a href="https://umdearborn.edu/people-um-dearborn/sally-howell">historian who specializes in the Arab and Muslim communities of Detroit</a>, and the other is a <a href="https://umdearborn.edu/casl/centers-institutes/center-arab-american-studies/faculty-spotlight-amny-shuraydi">criminologist</a> born and raised in Dearborn who conducts research on the <a href="https://umdearborn.edu/people-um-dearborn/amny-shuraydi">experiences and perceptions of Arab Americans</a>. We have paid close attention to the city’s demographic shifts. </p>
<p>To understand Dearborn today, we must start with the city’s past. </p>
<h2>Ford and Dearborn are in many ways synonymous</h2>
<p>Dearborn owes much of its growth to automotive pioneer Henry Ford, who began building his famous <a href="https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/ford-rouge-factory-tour/history-and-timeline/fords-rouge/">River Rouge Complex</a> in 1917. Migrants from the American South alongside immigrants from European and Arab countries settled <a href="https://lebanesestudies.ojs.chass.ncsu.edu/index.php/mashriq/article/view/63">Dearborn’s Southend</a> neighborhood to work in the auto plant.</p>
<p>While most early 20th-century Arab immigrants to the United States were Christians, those who moved to Dearborn in the 1920s were mainly Muslims from southern Lebanon.</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/726343326" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A history of Dearborn in photos by local photographer Millard Berry.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Life downwind of the world’s largest industrial complex proved challenging. But the real threat this diverse population faced in the 1950s through the 1970s was from a city-led rezoning campaign designed to turn the Southend over to heavy industry. </p>
<p>Most of the white ethnic groups in the neighborhood had churches and business districts scattered around Detroit, which <a href="https://lebanesestudies.ojs.chass.ncsu.edu/index.php/mashriq/article/view/63/538">facilitated their departure</a> from the Southend. But for Arab American Muslims, this community, with its mosques and markets, was indispensable as they began to welcome distant kin from the Middle East after <a href="https://immigrationhistory.org/item/hart-celler-act/">U.S. immigration laws</a> relaxed in the 1960s. </p>
<p>Fleeing <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/3012042">civil war in Yemen</a> and the <a href="https://uncpress.org/book/9781469630984/the-rise-of-the-arab-american-left/">Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories</a> in 1967, these new Arab immigrants breathed new life into Dearborn. In 1973, they filed a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1791528153904541635&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr">class-action lawsuit</a> against the city that eventually saved their neighborhood.</p>
<p>When the <a href="https://uncpress.org/book/9781469630984/the-rise-of-the-arab-american-left/">Lebanese civil war</a> broke out in 1975, the Southend again welcomed a new generation of refugees and migrants. By the 1980s, this mix of first- and second-generation Arab Americans had begun to spill into other neighborhoods in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/4462?login=false">East Dearborn</a>. New mosques began opening in the 1980s, and Arab entrepreneurs began investing in neglected commercial corridors. </p>
<p>But Arab Americans frequently <a href="https://lebanesestudies.ojs.chass.ncsu.edu/index.php/mashriq/article/view/63/538">faced discrimination</a> in the housing market and in the public schools, which struggled to address the needs of a large cohort of English language learners. </p>
<h2>Overcoming discrimination</h2>
<p>Tensions came to a head in 1985, when Michael Guido won a mayoral race in which the “<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/decades-after-the-arab-problem-muslim-and-arab-americans-are-leading-political-change-in-metro-detroit">Arab problem</a>,” as his <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3040/Arab_Problem_%282%29.pdf?1707574613">campaign literature</a> described it, pitched the interests of the white working class against new Arab migrants. </p>
<p>Arab American activists responded by pushing for more city services in East Dearborn and running for office. Republican <a href="https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/umich-bhl-2015006">Suzanne Sareini</a> was the first Arab American elected to the City Council in 1990. </p>
<p>But with at-large elections, those with <a href="https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=pad">more Arab-sounding names</a> were at a disadvantage. It took another 20 years, when Arabs became the plurality of the population, before other Arab Americans joined Sareini on the council. </p>
<p>Following the al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11, Dearborn became a target for anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia, <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/12638">government surveillance,</a> and harassment. <a href="https://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/arab-detroit-911">The city became a fixation of national media</a> seeking to make sense of its growing Muslim American minority. </p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137290076_6">Anti-Muslim activists </a> regularly staged <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/02/pastor-bikers-plan-rally-against-mosque/9858613/">Quran-burnings</a>, paraded around ethnic festivals with the <a href="https://www.dearbornfreepress.com/2012/07/01/protestors-disrupt-arab-festival-with-pigs-head-on-pole/">heads of</a> <a href="https://www.dearbornfreepress.com/2012/07/01/protestors-disrupt-arab-festival-with-pigs-head-on-pole/">pigs on spikes,</a> and threatened to <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/2011/01/dearborn_mosque_concerned_abou.html">bomb local mosques</a>. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, the Arab American community continued to grow and diversify. Iraqi and Syrian refugee populations began to arrive in the 1990s and 2010s, respectively, following wars in their homelands. <a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5cd95a380e2646d78b425ca308902458">They settled in Dearborn</a> and on its periphery in Detroit and neighboring suburbs. </p>
<p>Together, this new cohort of Arab Americans joined the established community in fighting back against president Donald Trump’s <a href="https://immigrationhistory.org/item/muslim-travel-ban/">Muslim travel ban</a> and other policies that discriminated against refugees, migrants and Muslims by <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/4/10/us-democrats-introduce-bill-to-repeal-trumps-travel-ban">building alliances with Democrats</a> and engaging the broadening civil rights coalition, represented by groups such as Black Lives Matter and the Women’s March. </p>
<p>Rep. <a href="https://tlaib.house.gov/">Rashida Tlaib’s</a> landmark election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 as the first Palestinian American woman and one of the first two Muslim American women reflects this growing progressive political base for Arab Americans. Her district includes Dearborn and parts of Detroit and other suburbs.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smiling woman with black hair and glasses claps as she walks down a hallway wearing a lanyard." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574778/original/file-20240211-24-o6qb9o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rashida Tlaib arrives on Capitol Hill for a new members briefing in 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/incoming-representative-rashida-tlaib-arrives-for-a-house-news-photo/1061905936">Brendan Smialowski /AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>New leadership</h2>
<p>Reflecting the increasing demographic and political clout of the Arab population in Dearborn, <a href="https://cityofdearborn.org/government/meet-the-mayor-3">Abdullah Hammoud</a> became the city’s first Arab American elected mayor in 2021. </p>
<p>Hammoud’s priorities have included creating the city’s first <a href="https://cityofdearborn.org/news-and-events/city-news/2483-mayor-hammoud-announces-inaugural-director-of-dearborn-department-of-public-health">Department of Public Health</a>, introducing <a href="https://cityofdearborn.org/2-uncategorised/2642-dearborn-public-health-announces-new-narcan-vending-station-to-address-opioid-crisis?highlight=WyJkaW5nZWxsIiwiZGluZ2VsbCdzIl0=">Narcan vending</a> machines to address the opioid crisis, fighting for <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/city-of-dearborn-files-lawsuit-against-scrap-yard-over-hazardous-air-pollution-violations/">clean air in the Southend</a>, and hosting <a href="https://halalmetropolis.org/story1">Ramadan festivities</a> and an <a href="https://arabamericannews.com/2023/05/01/dearborn-mayor-abdullah-hammoud-hosts-first-eid-al-fitr-breakfast-in-the-city/">Eid al-Fitr breakfast</a>. He’s also shown outspoken support for the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ahammoudmi/p/CjB9JfxLz54/?img_index=1">LGBTQ+ community</a>. </p>
<p>Hammoud <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/dearborn-mayor-abdullah-hammoud-responds-after-house-censures-rep-rashida-tlaib-over-israel-comments/">objected publicly</a> to the congressional censure of Tlaib in 2023 following her remarks about the violence in the Gaza Strip. He also <a href="https://twitter.com/AHammoudMI/status/1750961949674762260">called for an unequivocal cease-fire in Gaza</a> at a time when other Democratic leaders were silent.</p>
<p>Dearborn often becomes a topic of global media interest during election years or at times of conflict in the Middle East. That has certainly been true during the ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip.</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal recently published an editorial labeling the city as America’s “jihad capital,” which led to public threats against the city that forced Hammoud to <a href="https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/02/03/us/dearborn-michigan-mayor-wsj-opinion/index.html">increase police patrols</a>. </p>
<p>Public officials, from <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2024/02/05/arab-american-leaders-demand-apology-retraction-after-wall-street-journal-piece/72479221007/">local leaders</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1754206954715513083">President Joe Biden</a>, have rallied around the city and asked the paper to rescind the editorial and to apologize. </p>
<p>So far, it has not.</p>
<p>The more interesting story about Dearborn, however, is what happens when the national spotlight is turned off. Then, as we have witnessed decade after decade, <a href="https://twitter.com/AHammoudMI/status/1753926374341915131?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet">the city’s residents</a>, Arab and non-Arab, <a href="https://wdet.org/2023/06/06/detroit-today-how-dearborn-is-growing-its-population-opposite-of-state-trends/">new and old</a>, work to make their home a better, safer, healthier place to raise their families and their voices.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216700/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nothing to disclose.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amny Shuraydi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The city often becomes a magnet for anti-Arab sentiment during election years and global conflicts; however, the more interesting story is what happens in the city when the spotlight is turned off.Sally Howell, Professor of History, University of Michigan-DearbornAmny Shuraydi, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Michigan-DearbornLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226452024-02-02T16:35:52Z2024-02-02T16:35:52ZSexism permeates every layer of the music industry – new report echoes what research has been saying for years<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573056/original/file-20240202-17-jb90pw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7315%2C4836&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-beautiful-sad-ginger-girl-listening-2350075239">Gorgev/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The landmark <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmwomeq/129/summary.html#:%7E:text=Women%20working%20in%20the%20music,employment%20and%20gendered%20power%20imbalances.">Misogyny in Music</a> report from British MPs on the women and equalities committee, published on January 30, shines an unsettling light upon the gender discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse which is rampant across the music industry. </p>
<p>The cross-party inquiry heard evidence from a wide range of witnesses connected to the music industry. The findings are deeply disturbing, highlighting that women working within the industry face “limitations in opportunity, a lack of support, gender discrimination and sexual harassment and assault as well as the persistent issue of unequal pay in a sector dominated by self-employment and gendered power imbalances”. </p>
<p>The report calls out the widespread misuse of non-disclosure agreements, which silence victims and protect perpetrators, meaning that: “People in the industry who attend award shows and parties currently do so sitting alongside sexual abusers who remain protected by the system and by colleagues.” The inquiry also found that the issues are “intensified for women faced with intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination”.</p>
<p>This report follows a raft of recent investigations into discrimination within the music industry. </p>
<h2>A culture of discrimination</h2>
<p>In September 2022 the <a href="https://www.ism.org/">Independent Society of Musicians</a> published its report, <a href="https://www.ism.org/news/new-ism-report-finds-harassment-and-discrimination-rife-in-the-music-sector/">Dignity At Work 2: Discrimination in the Music Sector</a>. The report was based on survey responses from 660 people in the music industry. </p>
<p>It found that 66% had experienced some form of discrimination and 78% of that discrimination was committed against women. Of the discrimination, 58% was identified as sexual harassment, with 76% of workers within studio or live music event settings having experienced discrimination. It also found that 88% of self-employed respondents did not report the discrimination which they had experienced (94% had nobody to report it to). </p>
<p>Important recent research reports have also been produced by <a href="https://blim.org.uk/">Black Lives in Music</a>, <a href="https://donne-uk.org/">Donne Women in Music</a> and <a href="https://womeninctrl.com/">Women in CTRL</a>. The findings also echo a number of the themes which have emerged through the work of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded <a href="https://fass.open.ac.uk/research/projects/wmlon?nocache=65bccc7c915f7">Women’s Musical Leadership Online Network</a>, which I lead with Professor Helen Julia Minors of York St John University.</p>
<h2>Further problems for the industry</h2>
<p>Gender discrimination permeates every layer of the music industry. Although representation of women has increased in recent years, men still dominate leadership roles. </p>
<p>The persistent gendered associations of certain musical instruments and genres <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-companion-to-women-in-music-since-1900/0BE6E55834FDC9DA9081B8FBAC9F8871">still prevent women</a> from taking them up or performing them professionally at the same rates as men. Historically, women were encouraged to play “ladylike” instruments, such as the piano or harp, whereas wind and brass instruments – which require the distortion of the facial muscles – were strongly discouraged, as were the lower strings and percussion. </p>
<p>Although many of these historical restrictions have evaporated, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-companion-to-women-in-music-since-1900/0BE6E55834FDC9DA9081B8FBAC9F8871">they linger on</a> in the present day for the drums, bass guitar and brass. Jazz, heavy metal and rap (despite having many women artists) are still often seen as masculine genres. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="black woman sat at a keyboard, looking fed up." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573057/original/file-20240202-23-hflkhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573057/original/file-20240202-23-hflkhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573057/original/file-20240202-23-hflkhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573057/original/file-20240202-23-hflkhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573057/original/file-20240202-23-hflkhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573057/original/file-20240202-23-hflkhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573057/original/file-20240202-23-hflkhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The issues are intensified for women faced with intersectional barriers, particularly racism.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-american-woman-musician-sitting-on-2361474827">Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-companion-to-women-in-music-since-1900/0BE6E55834FDC9DA9081B8FBAC9F8871">industry remains</a> male-dominated and beset with unequal working practices. Many of those working within it are self-employed, working on precarious contracts which often involve antisocial hours without the same protections as those working for companies. </p>
<p>Self-employed musician-mothers are often unable to take maternity leave of any significant length and childcare costs are exorbitant. The sexualised reception and constant scrutiny in media and social media endured by women within the music industry is exhausting, threatening and degrading. The widespread sexual abuse and harassment which so many women are subjected to is a shameful open secret. </p>
<p>The Misogyny in Music report is an urgent call for change.</p>
<h2>Recommendations from the report</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmwomeq/129/summary.html#:%7E:text=Women%20working%20in%20the%20music,employment%20and%20gendered%20power%20imbalances">report includes</a> 34 recommendations. It calls upon the government to legislate to “ensure freelance workers are provided with the same protections from discrimination as employees”. It also asks for an amendment to <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/14/enacted#:%7E:text=14Combined%20discrimination%3A%20dual%20characteristics&text=(1)">section 14 of the Equality Act</a> “to improve protections for people facing intersectional inequality”. </p>
<p>The report urges the government to “bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the use of non-disclosure and other forms of confidentiality agreements in cases involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, and discrimination relating to a protected characteristic” (characteristics protected by the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights">Equality Act</a>, such as age and race). It also suggests a retrospective moratorium on those already in place. </p>
<p>The report signals the establishment of a new Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) to act as “a single, recognisable body that anyone in the industry can turn to for support and advice”. </p>
<p>It considers the additional requirements which it would be useful to introduce for spaces within which it is known that abuse takes place, recommending that studios and music venues, the security staff that work at them, and artist managers should all be licensed. </p>
<p>What’s clear from the report is that the behaviour of men lies at the heart of these issues. Preventative measures, however, risk normalising these kinds of behaviour because they place the burden of responsibility on women to avoid becoming victims. Alongside legislative reforms, a deep cultural change is needed within the music industry to ensure it becomes a safer, inclusive and supportive space for women.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222645/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Hamer receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. </span></em></p>Gender discrimination permeates every layer of the music industry.Laura Hamer, Senior Lecturer in Music, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2197862024-02-01T23:03:34Z2024-02-01T23:03:34ZGirls in hijab experience overlapping forms of racial and gendered violence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570251/original/file-20240118-27-ltadts.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=308%2C625%2C5251%2C3075&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Violence against girls who wear hijabs is often situated in structural oppression, including gendered Islamophobia and white supremacy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/girls-in-hijab-experience-overlapping-forms-of-racial-and-gendered-violence" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://worldhijabday.com/">World Hijab Day</a> recognizes the millions of Muslim women and girls who wear the traditional Islamic headscarf.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/europe/un-hijab-olympics-intl/index.html">Around the world</a>, Muslim girls in hijab are experiencing unique forms and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/islamophobia-canada-health-care-muslim-1.6792148">heightened rates</a> of gender and race-based <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9549134/ttc-islamophobia-nccm-police-toronto/">violence and discrimination</a>. Overt violence against girls and women in hijab have captured global attention, evidenced most recently in the violent Canadian attacks on <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/community-groups-join-calls-for-further-action-in-attack-on-two-women-1.5839402">women in hijabs in Alberta</a> and the horrific <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/it-s-been-6-months-since-members-of-the-afzaal-family-in-london-ont-were-killed-what-s-changed-1.6274751">murders of the Afzaal family in London, Ont.</a></p>
<p>Violence against hijabi girls is often situated in structural oppression, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680600788503">gendered Islamophobia</a> and white supremacy. Understanding the underpinnings of this violence is key to imagining more just and equitable futures for girls and young women in hijab.</p>
<h2>Islamophobia</h2>
<p>The term Islamophobia has often been used and understood in different ways. While often used interchangeably, some have argued that the term anti-Muslim racism, rather than the term Islamophobia, better encapsulates the systemic nature of anti-Muslim hate and violence.</p>
<p>Sociologist and Muslim studies scholar Jasmin Zine <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/48696287">has outlined how Islamophobia in Canada is comprised of systemic oppressive networks</a> and industries that are both fueled by and fuel anti-Muslim racism. Zine explains that an “industry behind purveying anti-Muslim hate” distinguishes Islamophobia from other forms of oppression.</p>
<p>According to Zine, this well-funded, lucrative and often transnational industry is comprised of media outlets, political figures and donors, white nationalist groups, think tanks, influencers and ideologues that support and engage in “activities that demonize and marginalize Islam and Muslims in Canada.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C44%2C6000%2C3943&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A young girl in a pink hijab watches a sunset" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C44%2C6000%2C3943&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Understanding the underpinnings of violence is key to creating more just and equitable futures for girls and young women in hijab.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Gendered Islamophobia</h2>
<p>Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism is part of the fabric of institutions. Critics of laws such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cjwl.32.1.05">Bill 21 in Québec</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2013.738821">similar measures in France</a> have argued that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/muslim-women-most-affected-by-quebec-s-secularism-law-court-of-appeal-hears-1.6644377">Muslim women who wear the hijab are most affected</a>. These measures reflect narratives that <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674088269">position Muslim girls and women as oppressed victims</a> in need of rescue, as well as <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/159783/orientalism-by-edward-w-said/9780394740676">Orientalist tropes</a> in the form of the <a href="https://assertjournal.com/index.php/assert/article/view/31/62">“save us from the Muslim girl” narratives</a>.</p>
<p>As Muslim women in hijab, we grieve horrific violence alongside our communities. Violent attacks highlight how anti-Muslim racism is often situated at a nexus of anti-Black racism, xenophobia, white supremacy and patriarchy. </p>
<p>We know that anti-Muslim violence is often aimed at girls and women in hijab. Yet, academic literature on hijabi girlhood is relatively scarce. Two years ago, we put out <a href="http://journals.berghahnbooks.com/_uploads/ghs/GHS_cfp_TheGirlInTheHijab.pdf">a call to the international academic community</a> seeking papers and creative submissions on the experiences of girls and young women in hijabs.</p>
<h2>The girl in the hijab</h2>
<p>Two years later, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160302">our new special issue</a>, called <em>The Girl in the Hijab</em>, has now been published in the international journal <em>Girlhood Studies</em>. It comes at a time when anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and <a href="https://www.canarablaw.org/s/Anti-Palestinian-Racism-Naming-Framing-and-Manifestations.pdf">anti-Palestinian racism</a> are on <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/muslim-groups-report-skyrocketing-number-of-islamophobic-incidents-across-canada">the rise around the country</a> and around the world.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/girlhood-studies/16/3/girlhood-studies.16.issue-3.xml">The special issue</a> includes academic articles written by mostly Muslim women and creative works produced by hijab-wearing girls themselves. Both types of work provide insight into the current global landscape of hijabi girl experiences. </p>
<p>Cultural politics lecturer <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160303">Noha Beydoun explores the events surrounding the donning of the American flag as a method of protest</a>. She finds that this phenomenon gained popularity because it worked to conceal complicated U.S. histories regarding Muslim immigration and broader imperial interests. Beydoun’s analysis evidences that the “American flag as hijab for girls and women reinforces the larger constructs it seeks to resist.”</p>
<p>Gender studies professor Ana Carolina Antunes highlights <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160305">how unconscious bias and microaggressions hinder a positive sense of belonging among hijab-wearing students and impacts their academic success</a>. This study also reveals that anti-Muslim sentiment in schools affects the everyday experiences of Muslim girls, leading to disconnection from the school community. </p>
<p>Among the central themes in the special issue is <a href="https://assertjournal.com/index.php/assert/article/view/31/62">how women and girls resist gendered and Islamophobic discrimination in their everyday lives</a>. Hijabi girls resist oppressive narratives through their everyday actions and activist engagements. In Antunes’s study, girls asserted their right to occupy space in the educational environment.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/islamophobia-in-schools-how-teachers-and-communities-can-recognize-and-challenge-its-harms-162992">Islamophobia in schools: How teachers and communities can recognize and challenge its harms</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A girl in a black hijab with a handbag walks down a tree-lined path" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For Muslim women, donning the hijab can be an act of resistance and resilience in the face of discrimination.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Clinical social workers Amilah Baksh and her mother, Bibi Baksh, provide insight into their <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160306">lived experiences as Indo-Caribbean social workers and university educators</a>. In their article, they identify the hijab as a form of resistance and resilience in their personal and professional lives. In their words, “it was never the hijab that rendered us voiceless. It is Islamophobia.”</p>
<p>The special issue highlights how Muslim girls and women, racialized through donning hijab, continue to be at the forefront of the struggle against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim violence, even as we remain among the primary targets of that violence.</p>
<p>The articles in this special issue demonstrate the need for better policies, education and laws that consider the unique experiences of girls and women in hijab. To counter violence against girls and women in hijab, we must name and understand the complexities of anti-Muslim racism and gendered Islamophobia. </p>
<p>Critically, this must center the voices of girls and women in hijab, opening or widening spaces for girls and women in hijab to practise acts of resistance in ways that are not bound by colonial logics and respectability politics.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219786/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Salsabel Almanssori receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Muna Saleh receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant (2022-2024) for her research titled “A Narrative Inquiry into the Curriculum-Making Experiences of Palestinian Muslim Youth and Families in Alberta.”</span></em></p>Around the world, Muslim girls who wear hijabs are experiencing unique forms and heightened rates of gender and race-based violence.Salsabel Almanssori, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, University of WindsorMuna Saleh, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Concordia University of EdmontonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2207392024-02-01T14:24:22Z2024-02-01T14:24:22ZSlaves of God: Nigeria’s traditional Osu slavery practice was stopped, but the suffering continues<p><em>There are global efforts to fight modern slavery, but a few traditional systems still hold strong in west Africa. These include Osu, Ohu and Trokosi.</em></p>
<p><em>The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo spoke to Michael Odijie who has <a href="https://oxfordre.com/africanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-854">researched</a> one of the systems – Osu – and what can be done to finally put a stop to it.</em></p>
<h2>What is Osu?</h2>
<p><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2459907">Osu</a> is a traditional practice in the <a href="http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/%7Elegneref/igbo/igbo2.htm#:%7E:text=Most%20Igbo%20speakers%20are%20based,%2C%20Ebonyi%2C%20and%20Enugu%20States.">Igbo region</a>, in south-eastern Nigeria. In the past, Osu involved dedicating individuals to local deities, “transforming” them into slaves of the gods. Though such dedications no longer take place, the descendants of past Osu suffer from discrimination and social exclusion.</p>
<p>Historically, there were <a href="https://oxfordre.com/africanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-854">several ways</a> a person could become an Osu. Some were purchased as slaves and then dedicated to local gods, either to atone for a crime committed by the purchaser or to seek assistance from the deity. An individual might attain the status of an Osu through birth if one of their parents was an Osu or through voluntarily seeking asylum, thus assuming the Osu status. For example, during the transatlantic slave trade, many chose this path: they would run to a shrine and dedicate themselves, to avoid being sold. Once dedicated as an Osu, they were generally ostracised from Igbo communities, yet simultaneously regarded with fear, seen as the slave of a deity.</p>
<p>Another common way to become an Osu was through marriage to an Osu, leading to persistent marriage discrimination even today.</p>
<p>The spread of Christianity, which occurred rapidly among the Igbos in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/colonialism-and-christianity-in-west-africa-the-igbo-case-190019151/A803DBB4AAF24CCEEA20597B37B5E649">20th century</a>, discouraged the practice of worshipping local deities. The historical practice of Osu has ended.</p>
<p>However, a new form of discrimination has taken its place, targeting the descendants of those historically identified as Osu. </p>
<p>One of the most significant forms of modern discrimination occurs in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-journal-of-postcolonial-literary-inquiry/article/abs/abolition-law-and-the-osu-marriage-novel/DDA6F8DDBB3D12D822EE42CC17FE165D">realm of marriage</a>. Freeborn individuals, who have no Osu lineage, are customarily prohibited from marrying someone of Osu lineage. Should they do so, both they and their offspring permanently become Osu, facing the same discrimination. This discrimination has a profound impact on the social and emotional lives of many Igbos of Osu lineage, particularly those of marriageable age. It can be challenging for them to find a spouse.</p>
<p>Another form of discrimination nowadays is social exclusion. In Igbo villages, Osu live in segregated quarters and are barred from social interactions with freeborn community members. They face barriers to accessing certain public amenities, attending community events and participating in communal decision-making processes. </p>
<p>Their descendants are also restricted from holding specific influential positions in the Igbo village power structure, such as the Okpara (the oldest man in the village) and the Onyishi.</p>
<h2>How prevalent is Osu and where is it practised?</h2>
<p>G. Ugo Nwokeji is an Igbo cultural historian who studied slavery in the Igbo region. <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-descendants-of-slaves-in-nigeria-fight-for-equality">He estimated</a> that the Osu represented 5%-10% of the Igbo population. With an ethnic population of about 30 million <a href="https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199846733/obo-9780199846733-0143.xml">Igbos</a> in Nigeria, this suggests that between 1.5 and 3 million Igbos suffer from this discrimination. </p>
<p>The vast majority of Osu are found in Imo State, which has about 5.2 million people. But they are in every other Igbo-dominated state as well: Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi and Abia.</p>
<h2>Why has it been a challenge for governments to end the Osu practice?</h2>
<p>In 1956, <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780195382075.001.0001/acref-9780195382075-e-0239">Nnamdi Azikiwe</a>, then the premier of Eastern Nigeria and later the first president of Nigeria, spearheaded the passage of a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/218649">law</a> aimed at abolishing Osu and its social disadvantages. </p>
<p>But the practice continued. No arrests were recorded. Osu is deeply rooted in tradition, making a purely legal approach insufficient.</p>
<p>One reason why eliminating discrimination has been difficult is that identifying an Osu is relatively straightforward for Igbos. They often reside in their own distinct quarters. Therefore, simply mentioning one’s village or family name can reveal one’s Osu status. This situation is a result of a combination of Igbo culture and colonial policy from the 1920s. During this period, individuals of slave origin began to assert themselves, and the British colonial response was to segregate them.</p>
<h2>What other approaches should be tried?</h2>
<p>A new abolition movement is gaining momentum in the Igbo region of Nigeria, fuelled by social media. This has enabled widespread awareness and advocacy, creating a more robust and inclusive dialogue about the Osu system.</p>
<p>One of the leading groups in this new movement is the <a href="https://ifetacsios.org.ng/">Initiative For the Eradication of Traditional and Cultural Stigmatisation in Our Society</a>, a network of campaigners led by Ogechukwu Stella Maduagwu. </p>
<p>Recognising that the Osu system is often viewed as having spiritual significance, the initiative places greater emphasis on the advice of cultural custodians, including traditional rulers. Consequently, it has developed a “model of abolition” that involves consultation with cultural figures, such as chief priests representing the deities, in Igbo villages. Using this model, the organisation successfully conducted an abolition ceremony in the <a href="https://dailypost.ng/2021/04/06/joy-celebration-as-nsukka-abolishes-osu-caste-system/">Nsukka region</a> of Enugu State.</p>
<p>Another leading campaigner is <a href="https://www.globalpeacechain.org/team_members/dr-nwaocha-ogechukwu/">Nwaocha Ogechukwu</a>, a scholar and researcher specialising in religious and cultural discrimination. He has established a platform named Marriage Without Borders to assist young people who face marriage discrimination due to being labelled as Osu. In collaboration with religious leaders, he provides counselling and support to those suffering from the adverse effects of this system.</p>
<p>A challenge for the emerging movement is its localised approach. Without a strategy that encompasses the entire Igbo region, campaigners are unable to collaborate effectively or engage in a unified, sustainable effort. This issue arises from the diverse genealogies of the Osu and the lack of a single traditional Igbo authority. </p>
<p>As a result, the movement has found it difficult to gain widespread traction. It continues to have a village-level focus.</p>
<p>We recommend that the movement align itself with broader human rights campaigns within Nigeria, across Africa and internationally. The Osu system bears resemblances to Ghana’s <a href="https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1190&context=history-in-the-making">Trokosi system</a>. The campaign to abolish <a href="https://theconversation.com/girls-in-west-africa-offered-into-sexual-slavery-as-wives-of-gods-105400">Trokosi</a> achieved notable success because its message resonated on a national level, garnering support from international activists.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220739/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael E Odijie receives funding from UCL Knowledge Exchange </span></em></p>Ending discrimination against the Osu has been difficult because identifying an Osu is relatively straightforward for Igbos.Michael E Odijie, Research associate, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2169702024-01-25T13:18:02Z2024-01-25T13:18:02ZThinking about work as a calling can be meaningful, but there can be unexpected downsides as well<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568740/original/file-20240110-17-o199g3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8057%2C5408&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A sense of calling can provide workers a feeling of higher purpose in their jobs.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/emotional-woman-feels-happy-to-finish-working-on-royalty-free-image/1728919751?phrase=personally+rewarding+work&searchscope=image%2Cfilm&adppopup=true">megaflopp/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many Americans – especially young adults – want to do work that feels meaningful. Creating meaning for oneself may be especially important as fewer workplaces <a href="https://today.duke.edu/2023/03/managers-exploit-loyal-workers-over-less-committed-colleagues">provide good pay</a> and benefits to their employees. </p>
<p><a href="https://news.rice.edu/news/2023/religious-calling-job-can-motivate-employees-might-result-mistreatment-going-unaddressed">Those who are religious or spiritual</a> often want to connect their faith to their work through a sense of calling. But there can be unexpected downsides for those who do so. People who say they feel “called” report <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2336-z">better work and life satisfaction</a>, but they may also be less likely to address workplace problems or unfair treatment when it arises. </p>
<h2>Faith in workplaces</h2>
<p>As <a href="https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/elaine-howard-ecklund">scholars</a> <a href="https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/denise-daniels/">who study</a> <a href="https://rplp.rice.edu/people/brenton-kalinowski">religion in the workplace</a>, we have found that about 1 in 5 American workers agree with the statement, “I see my work as a spiritual calling.” Most of those who see their work in this way link it to religious sensibilities and practices. </p>
<p>Even though faith can be deeply connected to work, there are few comprehensive studies on this topic. In 2018 and again in 2021, we gathered responses from across the United States on how people see their faith in relation to their work. </p>
<p>Over 15,000 people representing a cross section of American adults filled out our surveys. These respondents included individuals from many different faith traditions and also those who did not follow a religious tradition. We also conducted in-depth interviews with over 250 of our survey-takers. </p>
<p>We found that 53% of Americans who feel called to their work are “very satisfied” with their current job compared with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11060287">39% of those who do not feel called</a>. </p>
<h2>Religious calling in work</h2>
<p>The “concept of calling” has roots in Christian history, where people felt called to serve the church. More recently, calling has been extended to a possibility for any person in any job that serves the world.</p>
<p>There is no widely agreed-upon definition of what a modern-day spiritual calling might entail. Business scholars <a href="https://hankamer.baylor.edu/person/mitchell-j-neubert">Mitchell Neubert</a> and <a href="https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/175560.pdf">Katie Halbesleben</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2336-z">define it as</a> “a summons from God to approach work with a sense of purpose and a pursuit of excellence in work practices.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman seated on a chair, with two other coworkers, laughs while having a conversation." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568746/original/file-20240110-27-l3svwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Viewing work as a calling has a positive effect on mental health and well-being.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/businesswoman-laughing-with-coworkers-while-working-royalty-free-image/1129490276?phrase=joy+at+work">Thomas Barwick/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Findings that <a href="https://academic.oup.com/socrel/advance-article/doi/10.1093/socrel/srad010/7160374">relate calling to positive workplace outcomes</a> are consistent with previous research that shows viewing work as a calling has a positive effect on worker satisfaction, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027517706984">mental health</a> and well-being, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167899391010">feeling one’s talents are being well used</a>. As one respondent whom we interviewed told us, “I definitely feel more fulfilled in my work because of my faith, and vice versa. I feel like I’m being a better Christian by doing the work that I do …”</p>
<p>Yet, less is known about the specifics of how people see their work as a calling. Interviews we conducted found that a sense of calling provides workers with higher purpose in their work, especially when facing work that is either extremely challenging or mundane. </p>
<p>For example, teachers talked about dealing with the bureaucracy of state educational systems, and medical service workers discussed the daily grind of mopping floors and handling bodily waste. However, despite the challenges of their work, these people also acknowledged that they were able to get through the day-to-day aspects of their jobs because they felt spiritually called to their work.</p>
<h2>Being called to work has downsides</h2>
<p>There is reason to be cautious, however, in touting the advantages of viewing work as a calling without also considering the detrimental effects that can emerge. </p>
<p>For example, people who feel that God intended them to be in their current workplace or industry might be more disposed to stay in their current role regardless of <a href="https://news.rice.edu/news/2023/religious-calling-job-can-motivate-employees-might-result-mistreatment-going-unaddressed">unfair treatment</a> or working conditions that take advantage of them, such as being underpaid or overworked. Specifically, in previous work we found that people who do feel called to their work report higher job satisfaction – even when they are experiencing discrimination – than people who do not feel called to their work. </p>
<p>A sense of calling may make people less likely to initiate changes to problematic workplace situations. Indeed, as we found in our research, those who view their work as a calling but also perceive discrimination in the workplace report being less likely to speak up in these situations compared with those who do not attach the same meaning to their work. </p>
<p>This can be especially detrimental for those of racial and religious minority groups who are more likely to experience discrimination at work in the first place. As one woman who works in government told us, “It is difficult being an African American woman in my field, so my faith allows me to step back sometimes and remove myself from the situation.” </p>
<p>This also shows how religion may help individuals cope with discrimination at work, but sometimes in a way that could detract from actively seeking change.</p>
<h2>The double-edged sword</h2>
<p>Experiencing work as a calling can be a double-edged sword. Because those who feel called to their work <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12842">have a high level of commitment to their jobs</a>, they tend to be more likely to tolerate, endure or ignore work situations that are unreasonable, inequitable or even discriminatory. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young Black teacher, looking tired, at his desk in a classroom." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568747/original/file-20240110-27-2v3nml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568747/original/file-20240110-27-2v3nml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568747/original/file-20240110-27-2v3nml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568747/original/file-20240110-27-2v3nml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568747/original/file-20240110-27-2v3nml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568747/original/file-20240110-27-2v3nml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568747/original/file-20240110-27-2v3nml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Surveys have found that workers who believe in calling are more likely to tolerate exploitative situations.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/tired-teacher-royalty-free-image/1134698169?phrase=overworked+teacher&adppopup=true">shironosov/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>According to organizational ethics scholars <a href="https://olin.wustl.edu/faculty/j-bunderson">Stuart Bunderson</a> and <a href="https://sorensencenter.byu.edu/directory/jeffery-thompson">Jeffery Thompson</a>, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27749305">workers who feel called to their jobs are</a> “more likely to see their work as a moral duty, and to sacrifice pay, personal time and comfort for their work.” Thus, it can become easier for organizations to exploit these employees, whether they do so intentionally or unintentionally. </p>
<p>Having and being led by a sense of calling is also linked to financial stability. According to our data, 68% of people who do not feel called to their work agree that “the primary reason” they do the work is to make money. In comparison, 47% of those who experience a sense of calling view making money as their primary reason for working.</p>
<p>The discrepancy could also speak to gender, race and class privileges. In her research on the “passion principle” – the idea that Americans feel the need to follow their passion and choose jobs they find fascinating, intriguing or fulfilling – sociologist <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/soc/people/faculty/erin-cech.html">Erin Cech</a> notes how the concept of pursuing paid work that one loves or feels called to can inadvertently foster <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520303232/the-trouble-with-passion">structural and cultural inequalities</a>. According to Cech, race and class can influence the freedom to choose their work. Not surprisingly, Cech found that white, upper-class men who did not need to worry about money as much enjoyed the most liberty to do so.</p>
<p>Our research also shows that when workers see their job as a spiritual calling, it can blind them to the difficulties others experience at work. They may be less able to empathize with those who feel stuck in their job because of money concerns, are unhappy or unfulfilled in their work, or are struggling to find a job. </p>
<p>Our surveys reveal that 60% of those who view their work as a calling agree that “anyone can find a good job if they try hard enough,” whereas only 49% of those who <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11060287">do not view their work as a calling concur</a>.</p>
<p>Based on these findings, we suggest that leaders in organizations can help cultivate a sense of calling in workers by helping them identify their particular gifts and interests and facilitate their development along these pathways. At the same time, they can and should encourage feedback that can lead to a healthier workplace for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216970/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elaine Howard Ecklund receives funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. a foundation that funds research on faith at work. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Denise Daniels receives funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc., a foundation that funds research on faith at work.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brenton Kalinowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many workers who see their work as a spiritual calling wind up tolerating unfair treatment and poor work conditions.Elaine Howard Ecklund, Professor of Sociology and Director of The Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, Rice UniversityBrenton Kalinowski, PhD Candidate, Rice UniversityDenise Daniels, Hudson T. Harrison Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship, Wheaton College (Illinois)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2202052024-01-23T13:25:57Z2024-01-23T13:25:57ZHow the word ‘voodoo’ became a racial slur<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570735/original/file-20240122-20-mdblis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C10%2C3607%2C2392&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An engraving from 1992 representing a voodoo rite in Haiti.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-voodoo-in-haiti-in-1992-engraving-representing-a-voodoo-news-photo/113929671?adppopup=true"> Nicolas Jallot/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For decades, it has been common for people to throw around terms like “voodoo politics,” “<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/voodooeconomics.asp">voodoo economics</a>,” “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/rejecting-voodoo-science-in-the-courtroom-1474328199">voodoo science</a>” and “<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/voodoo-medicine-time-to-s_b_11474550?ec_carp=6516617630977493781">voodoo medicine</a>” to reference something that they think is ridiculous, idiotic or fraudulent.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096071/">Horror movies</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0793707/">crime shows</a> often tell stories about evil “voodoo doctors” who terrorize their victims with black magic. Even Disney’s first movie with a Black princess, released in 2009, had a “voodoo doctor” as the villain. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, these shows and movies promote myths about voodoo that reinforce more than a century of stereotypes and discrimination. In my 2023 book, “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/46772">Voodoo: The History of a Racial Slur</a>,” I argue that voodoo is an extremely problematic term with a deeply racist history. </p>
<p>Most African diaspora religions, which are religions that have roots in Africa, have been mislabeled as voodoo at some point in time. This is especially true of Haitian Vodou – the religion that is most frequently stereotyped by outsiders as “voodoo” in the 21st century.</p>
<h2>Early uses of the term</h2>
<p>The term voodoo traces its roots back to a word in the Fon language in West Africa that means “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vodou">spirit” or “deity</a>.” The French adopted a version of this term, “vaudou” or “vaudoux,” to refer to African spiritual practices in their colonies in Louisiana and Saint-Domingue – modern-day Haiti. </p>
<p>Later, “vaudou” evolved into “voodoo” in the English-speaking world. It first became a household term in the U.S. in the 1860s and 1870s. When the U.S. public was <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/46772">first introduced</a> to voodoo, it was typically in newspaper articles and other publications that described African American spiritual practices in an exaggerated way, often retelling bizarre or even fabricated stories as if they were common practice. </p>
<p>Most of the time, the authors used these narratives about voodoo to argue that African Americans were unfit for citizenship, voting rights and holding public office because of their so-called superstitions. </p>
<p>In fact, the first time the term was widely used was after the Union forces seized New Orleans during the U.S. Civil War. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197689400.001.0001">Confederate supporters argued</a> that the popularity of voodoo in Union-controlled New Orleans showed the barbarity that Africans would return to if not under the control of white people. </p>
<p>Later, in the 20th century, claims about voodoo were used as one way to justify the U.S. colonization of Caribbean countries with large Black populations. In particular, fabricated <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/McClure_s_Magazine/RZZEAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=voodoo+cuba&pg=PA502&printsec=frontcover">claims that Black Cubans were</a> practicing the ritual murder of children as part of their voodoo practices circulated in the media to support sending forces to the island in the 1900s and 1910s.</p>
<p>Similarly, in the early 20th century, <a href="https://archive.org/details/whereblackrulesw00pric">journalists, travelers and others falsely claimed</a> that U.S. intervention was necessary because Haitians were engaging in cannibalism, human sacrifice and snake worship as part of their voodoo rituals. Historian <a href="https://people.miami.edu/profile/2d45ee761ea7c9776e6f13729f2ebea3">Kate Ramsey</a> writes in her 2011 book, “<a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo10454972.html">The Spirits and the Law: Vodou and Power in Haiti</a>,” that while U.S. Marines were occupying Haiti from 1915 to 1934, they persecuted and prosecuted devotees – arresting the people they found participating in ceremonies and burning their sacred objects. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, in the first half of the 20th century, references to voodoo continued to be a way to speak disparagingly about Black populations in the U.S. Even the founders of the <a href="https://ia904601.us.archive.org/19/items/the-voodoo-cult-of-detroit/The%20Voodoo%20Cult%20of%20Detroit.pdf">Nation of Islam</a> were stereotyped as a “voodoo cult” after an alleged member committed a highly publicized murder in 1932.</p>
<p>Allegations that Black Muslims practiced human sacrifice followed the group for decades, long after the person who committed the crime was determined to be legally insane and sent to an asylum. </p>
<h2>Prejudices linger</h2>
<p>This history has left a stain on public perceptions of voodoo that is difficult to wash away. The best example is the treatment of devotees of <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-haitian-voodoo-119621">Vodou, a religion in Haiti</a> that can trace many of its beliefs and practices back to West and Central Africa. Vodou centers on honoring the ancestors and venerating spirits known as the Lwa. </p>
<p>Vodou was frequently labeled as “voodoo” in Anglophone newspapers and other literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and devotees were falsely accused of committing atrocities like cannibalism and human sacrifice during their ceremonies. Although Vodou has no ultimate source of evil in its cosmology, it is <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-haitian-voodoo-119621">often denounced</a> as devil worship. These myths have led to discrimination and violence against devotees.</p>
<p>In 2010, some Haitians and some foreigners blamed Vodou, which they often misspelled as “voodoo,” for the tragic earthquake and subsequent cholera outbreak that devastated Haiti. The most famous remarks came from the late <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/01/pat_robertson_blames_haitian_d.html">Pat Robertson</a>, an Evangelical minister and political commentator, who claimed that the earthquake was God’s retribution against Haitians for holding a Vodou ceremony. He described the Vodou ceremony as a pact with the devil to assist in their revolution against the French. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman in a wide-brimmed hat holds her hands up as she prays, with some other people in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570737/original/file-20240122-19-uv5o5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An old woman prays in an earthquake-damaged church in the Ti Ayiti neighborhood Feb. 23, 2010, in Cité Soleil, Haiti, after a Christian mob attacked a Haitian Vodou ceremony for earthquake victims.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/just-paces-away-from-where-a-christian-mob-attacked-a-news-photo/96989923?adppopup=true%2A%2A%2A%2A">Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Within Haiti, some people <a href="https://haitiantimes.com/2020/01/12/vodou-was-once-blamed-for-the-haiti-earthquake-10-years-later-its-seeing-a-slow-revival/">committed acts of violence</a> against devotees and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934710394443">denied them the emergency aid</a> that was sent to quake victims. Later that year, violence escalated as some Haitians blamed Vodou for the cholera outbreak. In November and December of 2010, lynch mobs <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-12073029">violently killed</a> dozens of Haitian Vodou priests. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, discrimination and the violence perpetrated against Haitian Vodou and <a href="https://www.religiousracism.org/brazil">other African diaspora religious groups</a> often goes <a href="https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-1-64602-103-1.html">unpunished and unnoticed</a>. In fact, a recent survey suggests that a large portion of the U.S. public subscribes to the stereotypes about voodoo that led to these attacks.</p>
<p>With support from the Public Religion Research Institute, my fellow researchers and I <a href="https://www.prri.org/spotlight/discrimination-against-voodoo-and-santeria/">asked 1,000 adults</a> living in the U.S. whether they used the term “voodoo.” Two in 10 respondents, or about 20%, said they had used or heard others use the term at least once a month. The survey found fewer than 1 in 4 considered voodoo to be a religion. </p>
<p>Further, approximately 3 in 10 respondents believed that followers of voodoo were more likely to be involved in criminal activity than the average person, and an astonishing 64% said they believed that followers of voodoo were more likely to practice black magic or witchcraft than the average person. </p>
<p>This survey shows the pervasiveness of these biases that developed to support slavery and imperialism. Therefore, I argue that when someone makes a statement like, “That just sounds like some ‘voodoo’ to me!” they are co-signing the long racist history of the term and promoting the idea that religions from Africa are primitive, evil and barbaric.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220205/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Boaz is a public fellow with the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). In this capacity, Dr. Boaz and three other fellows received a microgrant from the PRRI to conduct the survey mentioned in this piece. </span></em></p>Shows, movies and day-to-day language promote myths about voodoo that reinforce more than a century of stereotypes and discrimination, writes a scholar of Africana studies.Danielle N. Boaz, Associate Professor of Africana Studies, University of North Carolina – CharlotteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2213182024-01-22T19:04:16Z2024-01-22T19:04:16ZMore forced marriages and worker exploitation – why Australia needs an anti-slavery commissioner<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570522/original/file-20240122-19-t7w3m6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=272%2C115%2C4268%2C2723&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kuala-lumpur-malaysia-january-18-2020-1630504594">Hafiz Johari/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last week, a 47-year-old Queensland man was charged with 46 offences, including <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-17/qld-torture-charges-slavery-fishing-vessel-karumba-police/103335626">torturing and enslaving</a> deckhands on his fishing boats.</p>
<p>The accused allegedly intimidated and attacked his employees, and withheld food and water. He will appear in court next month.</p>
<p>Australia is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4dMl7G45vw">estimated to have 41,000 people trapped in modern slavery</a>. People can be subjected to modern slavery through coercion, deception and violence. This includes acts such as grooming, wage theft and restriction of movement. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/case-law-doc/traffickingpersonscrimetype/aus/2009/r_v_wei_tang_2009_23_vr_332.html?lng=en&tmpl=htms">Australian</a> and <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/slavery-convention">international law</a> slavery is defined as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Modern slavery is distinct from historical slavery in that people are no longer legally owned but are instead <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=3humDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT8&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false">subjected to illegal control</a>.</p>
<h2>What is Australia doing to stop modern slavery?</h2>
<p>Forced marriage, forced labour, debt bondage, domestic servitude and deceptive recruitment are <a href="https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/human-trafficking-reports-continue-increase-australia">on the rise</a> in Australia.</p>
<p>Sadly, global conviction rates are low at <a href="https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2022/GLOTiP_2022_web.pdf">(38%)</a>. In Australia, <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-11/ti640_attrition_of_human_trafficking_and_slavery_cases.pdf">only 24 offenders were convicted</a> between 2004 and 30 June 2019.</p>
<p>Despite this, Australia is hailed as having one of the <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-trafficking-in-persons-report/australia/">strongest responses to modern slavery.</a>. This is largely due to the Modern Slavery Act.</p>
<p>In 2018, following the introduction of a Modern Slavery Act in the United Kingdom (2015), Australia adopted its own act. It requires large businesses to <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/crime/people-smuggling-and-human-trafficking/modern-slavery">report on slavery risks</a> in operations and supply chains.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C32%2C5332%2C3604&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People waving placards at a protest" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C32%2C5332%2C3604&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570519/original/file-20240122-15-xz3akk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Modern slavery is on the rise around the world but convictions have fallen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/westminster-london-uk-october-19th-2019-1536531755">Alan Fraser Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The effectiveness of the act in curbing slavery has come under <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/testing-effectiveness-Australia-modern-slavery-act">scrutiny</a> and a bill to amend <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7122">it</a> and to appoint an anti-slavery commissioner is currently before parliament.</p>
<h2>What would an anti-slavery commissioner do?</h2>
<p>The appointment of a commissioner will be crucial to implement the recommendations made in the <a href="https://consultations.ag.gov.au/crime/modern-slavery-act-review/">2023 Modern Slavery Act review</a>.</p>
<p>The review made <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-05/Report%20-%20Statutory%20Review%20of%20the%20Modern%20Slavery%20Act%202018.PDF">30 recommendations</a> to fix <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/news/new-research-shows-companies-support-stronger-modern-slavery-laws">the act’s weaknesses</a>, which mainly revolve around <a href="https://www.hrlc.org.au/reports-news-commentary/2022/2/3/paper-promises-evaluating-the-early-impact-of-australias-modern-slavery-act">reporting variability</a> and <a href="https://www.hrlc.org.au/reports-news-commentary/broken-promises">lack of enforcement</a>.</p>
<p>One <a href="https://www.martijnboersma.com/summary-review-modern-slavery-act/">key recommendation</a> relates to the introduction of financial penalties for businesses failing to comply with the act, as <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/news/new-report-shows-companies-failing-comply-modern-slavery-laws">levels of noncompliance are high</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-modern-slavery-law-is-woefully-inadequate-this-is-how-we-can-hold-companies-accountable-206605">Australia's modern slavery law is woefully inadequate – this is how we can hold companies accountable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Another recommendation imposes due diligence duties onto businesses. This would involve taking proactive action in identifying and responding to slavery risks, rather than just reporting on them.</p>
<p>Overall, a commissioner could play an <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/news/strengthening-modern-slavery-responses-good-practice-toolkit">educational</a> and an enforcement role.</p>
<h2>Specific powers are needed</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_LEGislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7122">Modern Slavery Amendment Bill 2023</a> outlines several functions for the proposed commissioner. </p>
<p>But many of these functions lack detail prompting a collective of civil society organisations and academics to make <a href="https://www.beslaveryfree.com/">a joint submission to parliament</a>, urging the government go further. </p>
<p>According to this group, the commissioner should have the authority to:</p>
<p><strong>Receive complaints and refer cases:</strong> For example, in the 2015–16 financial year, police in the UK recorded <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a75afee40f0b67b3d5c86ce/IASC_Annual_Report_2015-16_-_print-ready.pdf">884 modern slavery offences</a>. After the appointment of an anti-slavery commissioner, the number rose to <a href="https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=93471f22-7d4d-483a-bbd4-70238e5e0e7d">9,158 offences</a> in the 2021–22 financial year.</p>
<p>An Australian commissioner should support victim/survivors of modern slavery and affected parties by establishing a complaints mechanism.</p>
<p>This would help identify slavery cases and referrals to relevant authorities. It would assist law enforcement and organisations involved in resource allocation and could improve the <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/inquiries/2990/Report%20No%201%20-%20MSC%20-%20Review%20of%20the%20Modern%20Slavery%20Act%202018.pdf">low rates of detection</a> and conviction.</p>
<p><strong>Investigate, research, and provide advice:</strong> If the commissioner is required to publish annually a list of countries, industries, and products with a high risk of modern slavery, as is recommended in the 2023 Modern Slavery Act Review, then the power to investigate will be important.</p>
<p>Examples from overseas include the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods">List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor</a>, maintained by the US Department of Labor, and the <a href="https://www.gov.br/mdh/pt-br/navegue-por-temas/combate-ao-trabalho-escravo/cadastro-de-empregadores-201clista-suja201d">Dirty List</a> produced by the Brazilian government, which lists employers found by inspectors to subject workers to “conditions analogous to slavery”.</p>
<p>Businesses required to comply with the Australian Modern Slavery Act should have a duty to cooperate with the commissioner.</p>
<p><strong>Support the shift from reporting to mandatory due diligence:</strong> <a href="https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/ff7c1d04/the-german-supply-chain-act">Germany</a>, <a href="https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/big-issues/corporate-legal-accountability/frances-duty-of-vigilance-law/">France</a> and <a href="https://www.mercer.com/insights/law-and-policy/norway-companies-face-new-human-rights-due-diligence-reporting/">Norway</a> have all adopted laws requiring businesses to proactively manage potential adverse human rights impacts as a result of their activities. Similar laws are planned in <a href="https://sustainablefutures.linklaters.com/post/102i833/the-netherlands-a-dutch-initiative-for-a-value-chain-due-diligence#:%7E:text=Next%20steps,Diligence%20Act%20will%20be%20revoked">The Netherlands</a> and the <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en">European Union</a>.</p>
<p>The looming duty for businesses operating in Australia to proactively act on modern slavery risks, rather than just reporting on them, will significantly shape the commissioner’s function.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/im-really-stuck-how-visa-conditions-prevent-survivors-of-modern-slavery-from-getting-help-209139">'I’m really stuck': how visa conditions prevent survivors of modern slavery from getting help</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The commissioner will have to support the introduction of due diligence processes, which will require substantial attention and resource allocation.</p>
<p><strong>Act independently from government:</strong> The <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f5f425fe90e076cce6fb49c/independent-msa-review-interim-report-1-iasc__1_.pdf">review of the Modern Slavery Act in the UK</a> provides direction for the Australian commissioner in maintaining independence.</p>
<p>Independence means the commissioner is free to scrutinise the efforts of government departments and agencies, the police, and others working in prevention, prosecution and protection.</p>
<p>Failure to provide an Australian anti-slavery commissioner with this independence, adequate resourcing and relevant powers, could undermine the effective functioning of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act.</p>
<p>The government is expected to report on the amendment bill on 21 February.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221318/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martijn Boersma receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona McGaughey received funding from Walk Free in 2023 to research forced marriage.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shelley Marshall receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justine Nolan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Appointing an anti-slavery commissioner is critical to stamping out abuse of more than 40,000 people in Australia who trapped by forced marriages or controlling employers.Martijn Boersma, Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame AustraliaFiona McGaughey, Associate Professor in International Human Rights Law, The University of Western AustraliaJustine Nolan, Professor of Law and Justice and Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW SydneyShelley Marshall, Professor, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2207322024-01-18T13:27:44Z2024-01-18T13:27:44ZWhat are the principles of civilian immunity in war? A scholar of justice in war explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569142/original/file-20240112-23-2ue398.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C7%2C1549%2C1039&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Palestinians tend to the wounded after an Israeli strike hit a building next to Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Jan. 10, 2024.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/IsraelPalestinians/9c7461ebf684445eb8573379f3ba0cd5/photo?Query=gaza%202023&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=10922&currentItemNo=1">AP Photo/Adel Hana</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>About 1 in 100 Gazans have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/middleeast/gaza-death-toll-population-intl/index.html">Jan. 8, 2024, update</a>. More than <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-01-15-2024-966bd5a9375e7439dd3de5fc113a7e7d">24,000 people have died</a>, an average of 250 each day. The Israel Defense Forces’ own figures acknowledge that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/05/middleeast/israel-hamas-military-civilian-ratio-killed-intl-hnk/index.html">two-thirds of those killed are civilians</a>. </p>
<p>The magnitude of the death toll has led to widespread criticism of Israeli military action in Gaza. <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/human-rights-watch-accuses-israel-of-war-crimes-criticizes-selective-outrage-of-allies/7436111.html">Human rights groups</a> have accused it of committing war crimes. South Africa has accused it of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/11/middleeast/south-africa-israel-genocide-icj-hague-day-one-intl/index.html">genocide at the International Court of Justice</a>. </p>
<p>Analysis of the Israeli invasion, however, has largely focused on whether it is a <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-27/ty-article/.premium/war-is-always-hell-moral-philosophers-on-the-ethics-of-israels-battle-with-hamas/0000018c-10b8-d2ae-afcf-35fabe230000">proportionate response</a> to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. </p>
<p>Proportionality, understood by philosophers as using the <a href="https://iep.utm.edu/justwar/#:%7E:text=3.-,The%20Principles">minimum force</a> necessary to achieve military objectives, is indeed one of the crucial principles of <a href="https://ethics.org.au/ethics-explainer-just-war/">justice in war</a>. But another principle that has received less attention is what ethicists call discrimination, which involves distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate targets. The crucial aspect of discrimination is known as “noncombatant immunity.” This principle, enshrined in international law, stipulates that military forces must never deliberately <a href="https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1690&context=cilj">target civilians</a>. </p>
<p>Just-war theory, the philosophy of morality in war, also insists that civilians are not legitimate targets. This means that civilians are, morally speaking, immune from deliberate attack. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.dickinson.edu/site/custom_scripts/dc_faculty_profile_index.php?fac=reinerj">As a just-war theorist</a>, I argue that the principle of civilian immunity is even more basic than proportionality. Whereas the principle of proportionality focuses on how much force may be used, the principle of civilian immunity deals with whether a target may <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/opinion/israel-gaza-war-crimes.html">legitimately be attacked</a> at all. </p>
<h2>Civilian immunity in Gaza</h2>
<p>As philosophers of justice in war such as <a href="https://www.philosophy.ox.ac.uk/people/jeff-mcmahan">Jeff McMahan</a> and <a href="https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/david-rodin">David Rodin</a> argue, principles of justified <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548668.001.0001">killing in war</a> should start with the view that all people are initially immune from attack. </p>
<p>There has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-060314-112706">debate among philosophers recently about how civilians</a> may render themselves liable to harm.</p>
<p>There is, however, widespread agreement that mere support for a government does not make civilians legitimate targets. Moreover, the Israeli government has frequently accepted that it has duties not to attack civilians and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-not-successful-bid-minimize-gaza-civilian-casualties-netanyahu-says-2023-11-17/">to minimize civilian deaths</a>. </p>
<p>It is also important to note that the majority of Gaza’s population is young. The <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2023-11-14/population-religion-and-poverty-the-demographics-of-israel-and-gaza#">median age</a> is just 18. Thus, the majority of Gazans are not legitimate targets of deliberate attack. Yet <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/middleeast/gaza-death-toll-population-intl/index.html">more than 9,000 children</a> have died in the war. </p>
<p>The large number of children killed in Gaza does not, however, prove that Israel has violated civilian immunity.</p>
<h2>Moral immunity</h2>
<p>Civilian immunity does not provide blanket protection from harm. Rather, it forbids deliberate attacks on civilians. Just-war theorists have long held that civilian casualties that are an unintended consequence of attacks on legitimate military targets may be permissible. This is true even if such casualties are foreseen. This principle is called the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-020-00209-2">doctrine of double effect</a>.” </p>
<p>Under conditions of modern warfare, military forces and civilians often cannot be separated. This is especially true in Gaza, which is densely populated and in which military forces sometimes base themselves in civilian facilities in urban areas. A principle that forbids any civilian casualties would make waging war impossible. </p>
<p>Israel thus argues that its attacks on <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/21/al-shifa-hospital-gaza-hamas-israel/">Shifa Hospital</a>, Gaza’s largest medical facility, and the Jabaliya refugee camp were justified. The Israeli government claims <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-troops-find-long-range-rockets-inside-hamas-truck-in-jabaliya/">Hamas used the hospital as a command center</a> and entrance to its tunnel network and stored weapons in Jabaliya, making them legitimate targets.</p>
<p>Hospitals are civilian facilities – as such, the principle of civilian immunity makes them impermissible targets. If a hospital is a mixed facility that is also used for military purposes, it may be attacked. However, international law requires that such an attack must proceed as carefully as possible, avoiding <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-al-shifa-hospital-law.html?smid=url-share">targeting doctors and patients</a> . </p>
<h2>Avoiding civilian casualties</h2>
<p>Political theorist <a href="https://www.ias.edu/sss/faculty/walzer">Michael Walzer</a>’s 1977 classic book “<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/michael-walzer/just-and-unjust-wars/9780465052714/">Just and Unjust Wars</a>” argues that combatants owe civilians a duty of “<a href="https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1396&context=monographs">due care</a>” to avoid harming them. Walzer likens this obligation to dangerous occupations in civil society, such as firefighting.</p>
<p>Similarly, the laws of armed conflict require that combatants exercise “<a href="https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule15">constant care</a>” to ensure that they minimize harm to civilians.</p>
<p>Taking due care requires that combatants <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/double-effect/#DoesDoubEffeExplPermRiskRescRescReduExteHarm">take risks</a> to minimize harm to civilians. In Walzer’s famous example of the bombing of a munitions factory in a built-up urban area, due care requires that bombers fly as low as possible. Even though this makes bombers more likely to be hit by anti-aircraft fire, it makes their aim more accurate. </p>
<p>Taking such risks is especially important in Gaza, given that the civilian targets are not merely adjacent to military ones but in the same facilities as them. This makes Israeli use of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/13/politics/intelligence-assessment-dumb-bombs-israel-gaza/index.html">unguided bombs</a> particularly concerning.</p>
<p>A December 2023 New York Times investigation found that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-bomb-investigation.html">Israel routinely used 2,000-pound bombs in south Gaza</a>. Such large bombs are especially destructive. Moreover, some of these bombs were dropped in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/100000009208814/israel-gaza-bomb-civilians.html">areas to which civilians had been told to flee</a>. </p>
<p>Even if attacks on hospitals and refugee camps that are being used as military facilities may be permissible under the doctrine of double effect, the requirement to protect civilians prohibits their destruction. As <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40971584?seq=7">Walzer notes</a>, “Infrastructure, even if it is necessary to modern war-making, is also necessary to civilian existence.” In January 2024, Walzer added that attacks on Gazan infrastructure can “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/12/south-africa-benjamin-netanyahu-the-hague-israel-case?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other">only hurt the civilian population,” not Hamas</a>.</p>
<p>Civilian immunity requires that military forces use an absolute economy of force against mixed targets, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-al-shifa-hospital-law.html?smid=url-share">doing whatever possible to avoid disrupting their functioning</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man cries while holding an injured boy in his arms, while two bodies of the those dead lie on the ground." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569143/original/file-20240112-29-ehbs37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A scene outside the entrance of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike on Nov. 3, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APTOPIXIsraelPalestinians/ad571484dd3948eabe8538ef0a00202e/photo?Query=gaza%20al%20shifa&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=171&currentItemNo=29">AP Photo/Abed Khaled</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/17/more-than-20-patients-die-at-gazas-al-shifa-hospital-amid-israeli-raid#">Hospital administrators</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/11/14/1212845254/gaza-hospitals-update-israel-hamas-war">aid groups</a> report that the Israeli bombardment of Shifa shut off electricity and power supplies, as well as access to food, water and medical supplies. Israel claims that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/27/world/middleeast/palestine-gazans-hamas-food.html">Hamas reroutes such resources for its own benefit</a>. However, its attack caused significant damage to civilians, including the death of many babies and increased pressure on an already overwhelmed medical infrastructure.</p>
<h2>A difficult standard</h2>
<p>If <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-believes-hamas-used-al-shifa-hospital-evacuated-before-israeli-operation-2024-01-03/">Hamas is using hospitals</a> and refugee camps for military operations, <a href="https://lieber.westpoint.edu/legal-protection-hospitals-during-armed-conflict/">then it is violating international law</a>. Combating Hamas thus presents grave dilemmas for opposing forces that want to fight justly. </p>
<p>But fighting in accordance with principles of justice in war is a difficult standard to meet. As historian and former Canadian politician <a href="https://michaelignatieff.ca">Michael Ignatieff</a> notes, a just military force must “<a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691123936/the-lesser-evil">fight with one hand tied behind its back</a>.” Sometimes, this means not attacking sites that it would be militarily advantageous to attack, because of the harms such attacks would cause civilians. </p>
<p>Respecting the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-all-civilian-lives-matter-equally-according-to-a-military-ethicist-218686">moral equality of all civilians</a>, regardless of their nationality, is a vital principle of justice in war. If Israel were to take as much care to protect Palestinian civilians as it does its own, that would constitute the best possible defense against the charge of genocide.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220732/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>J. Toby Reiner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Just-war theory insists that civilians are not legitimate targets. However, civilian immunity does not provide blanket protection from harm.J. Toby Reiner, Associate Professor of Political Science, Dickinson CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2157452024-01-09T13:26:06Z2024-01-09T13:26:06ZLGBTQ+ workers want more than just pride flags in June<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563397/original/file-20231204-22-q8cyee.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=65%2C40%2C5398%2C3571&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Recognition helps. Benefits may help more.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/worried-woman-in-lgbt-organisation-office-royalty-free-image/618025276">Kosamtu/iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every year, more and more companies seem to recognize <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/pride-month-54582">Pride Month</a>. But a recent analysis shows that LGBTQ+ workers expect more than this once-a-year acknowledgment from their employers. In fact, some employees actually criticize such behavior as <a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/07/what-is-pinkwashing/">mere pinkwashing</a>.</p>
<p>So, what do LGBTQ+ workers want? In 2023, the jobs website Indeed conducted a <a href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/news/lgbtq-legislation-affect-work">survey of LGBTQ+ full-time workers</a> from across the U.S., and the results provide a clear picture of their needs.</p>
<p>As a lesbian transgender woman and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dorian-rhea-debussy-517479">queer studies scholar</a>, I wasn’t surprised by what Indeed found. Even so, non-LGBTQ+ workers – particularly managers – can learn a lot from this survey. It may help them realize what LGBTQ+ workers already know: Employers must do better if they want to retain talent.</p>
<p>Workers are troubled by three big issues, the survey found: the impact of new anti-LGBTQ+ laws, workplace discrimination, and benefits packages that don’t meet their needs.</p>
<h2>Workers say anti-LGBTQ+ laws derail careers</h2>
<p>With a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/31/650-anti-lgbtq-bills-introduced-us/11552357002/">historic rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation</a>, 2023 proved to be a particularly challenging year for LGBTQ+ rights – <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/04/17/anti-trans-bills-map/">especially transgender rights</a>. In its survey, Indeed found that nearly two-thirds of respondents were concerned about how anti-LGBTQ+ laws could hurt their work opportunities. </p>
<p>In fact, more than three-quarters of respondents said they would hesitate to apply for a new job in a state with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. More than half said they would never apply for a position in such a state.</p>
<p>With anti-LGBTQ+ bills now becoming law across the country, their impact on states’ economies is still uncertain. However, we’ve long known that discrimination is <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-costly-business-of-discrimination/">bad for business</a>. In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco recently found that systemic racial and gender wage gaps – which distort labor markets, reduce productivity and harm job satisfaction – have cost the U.S. economy <a href="https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/working-papers/2021/11/">nearly US$71 trillion</a> since 1990. </p>
<p>Whatever effects this rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation will have, history suggests it <a href="https://time.com/6297323/malaysia-1975-matty-healy-lgbt-economic-costs/">won’t be good</a>. </p>
<h2>LGBTQ+ people face workplace discrimination</h2>
<p>Along with anti-LGBTQ+ laws, discrimination continues to harm LGBTQ+ workers. Sixty percent of respondents reported that they lost a promotion because of anti-LGBTQ bias, while a similar number said they were targeted with a performance improvement plan because of their identity. More than half said that they’re paid less than their similarly qualified cisgender and straight colleagues.</p>
<p>The reality is that LGBTQ+ people do encounter <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/discrimination-and-barriers-to-well-being-the-state-of-the-lgbtqi-community-in-2022/">workplace discrimination</a>. For instance, transgender people face bias at work at <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/being-transgender-at-work">alarming rates</a>. And while all LGBTQ+ workers are statistically likely to <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-wage-gap-among-lgbtq-workers-in-the-united-states">encounter a wage gap</a>, transgender people – especially women and people of color – face <a href="https://19thnews.org/2022/01/transgender-workers-wage-gap-lowest-paid-lgbtq/">even wider disparities</a>.</p>
<h2>Culturally responsive benefits are crucial</h2>
<p>More than half of survey respondents said that it was important for employers to offer LGBTQ-specific benefits such as family planning support and comprehensive transition-related health care coverage. However, less than one-quarter said their own employer did so. In terms of transgender-specific benefits, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they worked for a company that didn’t offer any.</p>
<p>When asked to share what benefits they looked for in a job posting, respondents cited health care services with LGBTQ+ friendly medical providers and fertility assistance, among others. Transgender respondents said they looked for two specific benefits: health insurance plans with coverage for gender-affirming surgical treatments, and financial assistance for gender-affirming treatments that insurers often deem “cosmetic.”</p>
<p>In this survey, LGBTQ+ workers were quick to share what benefits appealed most to them. But the fact remains that many employers don’t offer such benefits. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign’s <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/corporate-equality-index">2022 Corporate Equality Index</a> notes that more than one-third of Fortune 500 companies still don’t offer trans-inclusive benefits. They also report that only about 72% of Fortune 500 companies require LGBTQ+ competency training.</p>
<p>However, LGBTQ+ employees increasingly expect more of their employers, as organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management <a href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/employer-support-lgbtq-workers-employee-benefits.aspx">have observed</a>. And on the heels of the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/03/09/majority-of-workers-who-quit-a-job-in-2021-cite-low-pay-no-opportunities-for-advancement-feeling-disrespected/">“great resignation,”</a> employers would be wise to take notice. At this <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/anti-lgbtq-bills-are-impacting-children-families-and-schools">fraught moment</a> for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S., workers aren’t likely to be content with pinkwashed companies that won’t offer real support.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215745/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dorian Rhea Debussy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Less hype and more health care, please.Dorian Rhea Debussy, Lecturer of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2185752023-12-17T13:41:36Z2023-12-17T13:41:36ZBuying indie video games over the holidays can help make the industry more ethical and fair<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565328/original/file-20231212-17-944o3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=770%2C73%2C4677%2C3276&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Big video game companies often time the release of their most popular titles around the holidays, and that means Christmas shoppers can make an impact by reflecting on the games they buy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/buying-indie-video-games-over-the-holidays-can-help-make-the-industry-more-ethical-and-fair" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://thegameawards.com/">The 2023 Game Awards</a> recently saw accolades doled out to the biggest and most celebrated games of the year — <a href="https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-independent-game">alongside a few lucky indie titles</a> — and with the holidays fast approaching, many of those same games are starting to go on sale. </p>
<p>Video game companies often time the release of their most popular titles for the holiday season. The biggest sales of the year happen between Black Friday and Christmas, and since publishers often push hard for new game releases in the last quarter of the year, now is the time to reflect on the political economy of video games and to think carefully about which games to buy and why. </p>
<p>This year has been a tough one for game developers, with <a href="https://www.polygon.com/23964448/video-game-industry-layoffs-crisis-2023">massive layoffs</a> resulting from financial mismanagement, overzealous and unsustainable investments and generally unethical business practices, thanks in part to the <a href="https://www.polygon.com/gaming/23538801/video-game-studio-union-microsoft-activision-blizzard">lack of unions</a> in the game industry.</p>
<p>The biggest cuts often happen in the largest, most successful companies — the ones releasing the big-name titles with massive player bases and raking in the profits. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2023/the-state-of-video-games-big-releases-bigger-layoffs-and-an-imminent-crisis-point/">They boast about their sales, profits and record-breaking player bases</a> while laying off employees with little warning or explanation and inadequate severance.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C19%2C4228%2C2812&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A young man sitting at a computer playing a video game." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C19%2C4228%2C2812&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565323/original/file-20231212-17-mwfdgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ethical gamers should consider the labour exploitation and discrimination in the industry when deciding which games they choose to buy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even <a href="https://www.polygon.com/23903033/bioware-severance-lawsuit-canada-dragon-age-dreadwolf">industry veterans are not immune</a> to sudden job loss, and <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/the-iatse-is-shining-a-light-on-the-video-game-industrys-lack-of-unions-with-a-new-survey">many game developers see their careers as unsustainable</a>. Similarly, it tends to be the biggest companies that push their <a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501746536/a-precarious-game/#bookTabs=1">precarious developers</a> the hardest during this time of year as part of the notorious <a href="https://jacobin.com/2023/10/video-game-workers-crunch-exploitation-union-organizing">“crunch culture”</a> of video games. These crunch periods see employees working ridiculously long hours and often <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/everything-you-never-wanted-to-know-about-burnout">burning out</a> in an extreme push to get a game released in time for the fourth quarter sales boom, whether it’s actually ready for release or not. </p>
<p>Although many large studios are taking steps or at least starting to recognize these issues and address them, every year seems to bring a new issue, controversy or scandal to light. This year it’s been the massive layoffs, and I can only imagine what next year will bring. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.polygon.com/23485977/video-game-unions-guide-explainer">Labour exploitation and job precarity</a> have created an <a href="https://www.gameworkersunite.org/">ongoing push to unionize</a> game studios. But they are not the only problems plaguing the game industry.</p>
<h2>Discrimination in gaming</h2>
<p>Countless cases of <a href="https://magazine.swe.org/gaming-sidebar/">gender-</a> and <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/lifting-the-barriers-for-black-professionals-in-the-games-industry">race-based</a> discrimination among game studios have come to light, including accusations of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/aug/08/activision-blizzard-lawsuit-women-sexual-harassment">sexual harassment and abuse</a>, in recent years. </p>
<p>For decades, critics have decried the lack of diversity among video game characters and the ongoing issue of stereotypical, problematic and harmful representation in games, especially when it comes to <a href="https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2023.n1.v1.2542">gender</a>, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/21/confronting-racial-bias-in-video-games/">race</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/jege.2022-0043">body size</a>. </p>
<p>This is tied to the fact that the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/08/24/leveling-up-the-gaming-gender-gap/">industry is dominated</a> by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/01/31/black-game-developers-diversity-push-is-lots-talk-little-progress/">white</a> <a href="https://igda-website.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/18113957/2021DSSFull.png">men</a> who seem to primarily make games for other white men. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/women-video-games-representation-e3/">only 18 per cent of games</a> showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2020 featured a playable female protagonist. Even when women are present, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221095">men have twice as much in-game dialogue as women</a> (an issue that <a href="https://time.com/4837536/do-women-really-talk-more/">reflects real life</a>). This is despite the fact that roughly <a href="https://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Essential-Facts-About-the-Video-Game-Industry.pdf">50 per cent of gamers are women</a>. In fact, in Canada, <a href="https://theesa.ca/resource/bringing-canadians-together-through-gaming-essential-facts-2022/">more women than men play games</a>. </p>
<p>Yet, this finger-wagging at the industry, for the most part, is directed at what we refer to as the “mainstream” — those corporate studios that produce the big blockbuster titles. </p>
<p>Although they receive considerably less attention at events like The Game Awards, and <a href="https://gamestudies.org/1601/articles/Gardagrabarczyk/">the definition of “independent” is a little murky</a>, smaller-scale games produced by indie studios might be a better option for consumers interested in more diverse and progressive content. </p>
<p>That’s not to mention their <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/indie-studios-accessible-game-design-tunic-coromon/">often more innovative and accessible gameplay</a> and lower time commitment than most big-name games. Independent game developers, while sharing <a href="https://www.thegamer.com/indie-developers-abuse/">some of the same issues as the mainstream industry</a>, might be the place to look when choosing to purchase games in a more conscientious, ethical way. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman wearing headphones and holding a credit card looks at a computer screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565327/original/file-20231212-30-r7dzkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Buying games made by smaller independent developers can help make the industry more equitable.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Supporting indie games</h2>
<p>Independent games tend to be made by smaller teams, and are often what might be considered “passion projects.” <a href="https://igda.org/resources-archive/developer-satisfaction-survey-summary-report-2021/">Over 40 per cent of indie developers forego a salary</a> to bring their game to production, and indie studios are often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419851081">mired in precarity</a> and are more likely to be deeply impacted by game sales — one bad flop could shutter an indie studio. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, mainstream games carry far more weight than independent games do, with much higher sales and far more aggressive marketing campaigns. This means that mainstream games have a far greater cultural impact and continue to be the driving force behind the medium as a whole. </p>
<p>It also means that it’s harder for most consumers to find new, more innovative and diverse games to play. While delightful indie games like <a href="https://www.cocoongame.com/">COCOON</a> or <a href="https://seaofstarsgame.co/">Sea of Stars</a> may shine at The Game Awards, the hundreds, if not thousands, of other beautiful interactive experiences produced each year largely go unnoticed by mainstream media and risk being passed over by consumers. </p>
<p>Gamers should support smaller-scale creators, especially those just starting out, risking it all to bring their artistic vision to life and standing out when it comes to supporting their own and their employees’ well-being. It’s an important and ethical thing to do. </p>
<p>If it means giving less money to large corporations that have shown all they care about is profit, then that’s an added bonus. I’m not advocating for boycotting the biggest hits of the year, but I am encouraging consumers to check out the indie scene as well.</p>
<p>Games hosted privately on sites like <a href="https://itch.io/">itch.io</a> are a great option, as developers receive the majority, if not all, of the profit from sales and you can even give a little extra money to support them if you’d like. </p>
<p>Or, for anyone who needs a little extra guidance, <a href="https://www.humblebundle.com/">Humble Bundle</a> curates huge collections of games around specific genres or themes — many of which are indie — and offers them at a very low price while also <a href="https://www.humblebundle.com/charities">raising money for charity</a> and <a href="https://blackgamedevfund.com/">supporting Black game developers</a>. </p>
<p>Developers, critics and scholars tirelessly advocate for and work toward positive change within the game industry, and consumers can help by thinking about the games they buy.</p>
<p>It takes a little research, but by not buying games made under crunch conditions by companies that don’t care about diversity and don’t protect their employees, and instead buying smaller independent games that support emerging and diverse developers, consumers can make a big difference and help push the industry in more ethical directions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218575/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Stang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Video game companies often time the release of their most popular titles for the holiday season. Now is the time to reflect on the political economy of video games and which games we buy.Sarah Stang, Assistant Professor, Department of Digital Humanities, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2140532023-12-15T13:22:43Z2023-12-15T13:22:43ZRacism produces subtle brain changes that lead to increased disease risk in Black populations<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565115/original/file-20231212-21-79wl3z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C30%2C6659%2C4436&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Coping with everyday affronts comes at a cost and requires a certain level of emotional suppression. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/composite-of-portraits-with-varying-shades-of-skin-royalty-free-image/1249641728?phrase=discrimination&searchscope=image%2Cfilm&adppopup=true">RyanJLane/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The U.S. is in the midst of a racial reckoning. The COVID-19 pandemic, which took a particularly <a href="https://covidtracking.com/race">heavy toll on Black communities</a>, turned a harsh spotlight on long-standing health disparities that the public could no longer overlook.</p>
<p>Although the health disparities for Black communities have been well known to researchers for decades, the pandemic put real names and faces to these numbers. Compared with white people, Black people are at much greater risk for developing a range of health problems, including <a href="https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/heart-disease-and-african-americans">heart disease</a>, <a href="https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/diabetes-and-african-americans">diabetes</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.009">dementia</a>. For example, Black people are twice as likely as white people to <a href="https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf">develop Alzheimer’s disease</a>.</p>
<p>A vast and growing body of research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-043750">racism contributes to systems that promote health inequities</a>. Most recently, our team has also learned that racism directly contributes to these inequities on a neurobiological level.</p>
<p>We are <a href="https://www.negarfani.com/">clinical</a> <a href="https://www.mcleanhospital.org/profile/nathaniel-harnett">neuroscientists</a> who study the multifaceted ways in which racism affects how our brains develop and function. We use brain imaging to study how trauma such as sexual assault or racial discrimination can cause stress that leads to mental health disorders like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. </p>
<p>We have studied trauma in the context of a study known as the <a href="https://www.gradytraumaproject.com/">Grady Trauma Project</a>, which has been running for nearly 20 years. This study is largely focused on the trauma and stress of Black people in the metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, community.</p>
<h2>How discrimination alters the brain</h2>
<p>Racial discrimination is commonly experienced through subtle indignities: a woman clutching her purse as a Black man walks by on the sidewalk, a shopkeeper keeping close watch on a Black woman shopping in a clothing store, a comment about a Black employee being a “diversity hire.” These slights are often referred to as <a href="https://www.med.unc.edu/inclusion/justice-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-j-e-d-i-toolkit/microaggressions-microaffirmations/#">microaggressions</a>.</p>
<p>Decades of research has shown that the everyday burden of these race-related threats, slights and exclusions in day-to-day life translates into a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-043750">real increase in disease risk</a>. But researchers are only beginning to understand how these forms of discrimination affect a person’s biology and overall health.</p>
<p>Our team’s research shows that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.05.004">everyday burden of racism</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1480">affects the function</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.08.011">structure</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01445-8">of the brain</a>. In turn, these changes play a major role in risk for health problems.</p>
<p>For instance, our studies show that racial discrimination <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1480">increases the activity of brain regions</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01737-7">such as the prefrontal cortex</a>, that are involved in regulating emotions. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Scientist and technologist view brain images." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565418/original/file-20231213-25-bah2a6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Negar Fani and a team member view brain images.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Patrick Heagney</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This increased activity in prefrontal brain regions occurs because responding to these types of affronts requires high-effort coping strategies, such as suppressing emotions. People who have experienced more racial discrimination also show more activation in brain regions that enable them to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2021.100967">inhibit and suppress anger, shock or sadness</a> so that they can curate a socially acceptable response. </p>
<h2>A cost for overcompensating</h2>
<p>Despite the fact that high-energy coping allows people to manage a constant barrage of threats, this comes at a cost.</p>
<p>The more brain energy you use to suppress, control or manage your feelings, the more energy you take away from the rest of the body. Over time, and without prolonged periods of rest, relief and restoration, this can contribute to other problems, a process that public health researcher <a href="https://psc.isr.umich.edu/news/a-monumental-new-book-weathering-arline-geronimuss-lifes-work/">Arline Geronimus termed “weathering</a>.” Having these brain regions in continual overdrive is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113169">linked with</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12110-010-9078-0">accelerated biological aging</a>, which can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ssmph.2018.11.003">create vulnerability for health problems</a> and early death. </p>
<p>In our research, we have found that this <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01445-8">weathering process is evident</a> in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.08.011">gradual degradation</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.05.004">of brain structure</a>, particularly in the heavily myelinated axons of the brain, known as “<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002344.htm#">white matter</a>,” which serve as the brain’s information highways. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Computer-generated image of white matter tracts in the brain." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565504/original/file-20231213-21-yeiyph.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rendering of white matter fibers − shown in color − throughout the brain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Negar Fani</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002261.htm">Myelin</a> is a protective sheath around nerve fibers that allows for improved communication between brain cells. Similar to highways for vehicles, without sufficient maintenance of the myelin, degradation will occur. </p>
<p>Erosion in these brain pathways can affect self-regulation, making a person more vulnerable to developing unhealthy coping strategies for stress, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15060710">emotional eating or substance use</a>. These behaviors, in turn, can increase one’s risk for a wide variety of health problems. </p>
<p>These racism-related changes in the brain, and their direct effects on coping, may help to explain why Black people are twice as likely to develop brain health problems such as <a href="https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf">Alzheimer’s disease</a> compared with white people.</p>
<h2>Recognizing racial gaslighting</h2>
<p>In our view, what makes racism particularly insidious and pernicious to the health of Black people is the societal invalidation that accompanies it. This makes racial trauma effectively invisible. Racism, whether it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616659391">originates from people</a> or from institutional systems, is often rationalized, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2020.09.001">excused or dismissed</a>. </p>
<p>Such invalidation leads those who experience racism to second-guess themselves: “Am I just being too sensitive?” People who have the temerity to report racist events are often ridiculed or met with skepticism. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00361-5">extends to</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732220984183">academic spheres</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.009">as well</a>.</p>
<p>This continual questioning and doubting of the circumstances around racist experiences, or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21565503.2017.1403934">racial gaslighting</a>, may be part of what depletes the brain of its resources, causing the weathering that ultimately increases vulnerability to brain health problems.</p>
<p>Interrupting this cycle requires that people learn to identify their biases toward people of color and people in marginalized groups more generally, and to understand how those biases may lead to discriminatory words and behavior. We believe that by finding their blind spots, people can see ways in which their actions and behaviors could be viewed as hurtful, exclusionary or offensive. Through recognition of these experiences as racist, people can become allies rather than skeptics. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.institutionalcourage.org/">Institutions can help</a> to create a culture of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20220045">healing, validation and support</a> for people of color. A validating, supportive institutional culture may help people of color normalize their reactions to these stressors, in addition to the connection – and restoration – they may find within their communities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214053/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Negar Fani receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and Emory University School of Medicine. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathaniel Harnett receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, and the Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. </span></em></p>Racial threats and slights take a toll on health, but the continual invalidation and questioning of whether those so-called microaggressions exist has an even more insidious effect, research shows.Negar Fani, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Emory UniversityNathaniel Harnett, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2184242023-12-13T22:00:39Z2023-12-13T22:00:39ZHow ‘benevolent sexism’ undermines Asian women with foreign accents in the workplace<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564585/original/file-20231208-31-f8j7mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=286%2C24%2C5177%2C3612&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">To address barriers that racialized women with non-native accents experience in the Canadian workplace, we need to understand what kinds of bias they face.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-benevolent-sexism-undermines-asian-women-with-foreign-accents-in-the-workplace" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Immigrants are critical to the Canadian economy, but their talents are under-utilized due to language and accent discrimination, as immigrants often come from non-English or French speaking countries. </p>
<p>Workers with non-native or foreign accents <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/the-accent-effect-toronto-3-1.4409181">are often discriminated against at work</a>, yet our understanding of this phenomenon is limited because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2591">research on this topic has predominantly focused on men</a>.</p>
<p>However, more than half of Canadian immigrants are women — a statistic that could rise because of <a href="https://smithstonewalters.com/2023/11/08/canada-publishes-immigration-targets-for-2024-2026/">Canada’s ambitious immigration target</a> of half a million permanent residents by 2025. </p>
<p><a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/women-work-and-the-economy/sites/default/files/uploads/files/ircc_knowledge_synthesis_august_23_2021.pdf">Critically, 84 per cent of women immigrants are racialized</a>. To address barriers that racialized women with non-native accents experience in the Canadian workplace, we need to understand what kinds of bias they face. This will help organizations support women immigrants in fully utilizing their talents.</p>
<h2>Accent bias at work</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843231165475">Our recent research</a> examined whether the experiences of women with accents differ from men in the workplace. We did this by exploring how women with non-native English accents — specifically Mandarin — fare in the Canadian job market. </p>
<p>Speaking with a non-native accent involves maintaining speech sounds of one’s native language even after other aspects of speaking English are perfected. That is, speaking with a non-native accent is different from competency or fluency in English. </p>
<p>We used the stereotype content model to conduct our research. This model suggests that all people are judged on two traits: warmth and competence. Warmth is linked to co-operation, while competence is associated with higher status. </p>
<p>Individuals in high-status roles are seen as competent, while those in low-status roles are perceived as less competent. Women are traditionally stereotyped as warm, while men are seen as competent.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An Asian woman in business attire working on a laptop at a desk in a communal office space" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564586/original/file-20231208-21-qlp1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564586/original/file-20231208-21-qlp1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564586/original/file-20231208-21-qlp1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564586/original/file-20231208-21-qlp1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564586/original/file-20231208-21-qlp1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564586/original/file-20231208-21-qlp1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564586/original/file-20231208-21-qlp1dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Eighty-four per cent of women immigrants are racialized in Canada.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In three separate studies, participants were asked to decide whether they would consider hiring potential candidates for a job opening within their own organization or another organization. Participants were given audio recordings of the candidates in which some of the speakers had accents, while others did not.</p>
<p>Our research revealed that Asian women with a Mandarin accent were seen as more friendly, trustworthy and sincere than Asian women applicants with no accent. We found this bias present in both a volunteer student position and a paid marketing co-ordinator position. These amplified warmth perceptions translated into higher ratings of hireability.</p>
<p>There were no differences in warmth perceptions between Asian men applicants with and without accents. This is because men are not usually expected to show high levels of warmth.</p>
<h2>‘Benevolent sexism’</h2>
<p>On the surface, warmth bias may appear advantageous for Asian women with accents. However, it’s crucial to understand that gendered warmth stereotypes, despite <em>appearing</em> positive, are problematic. </p>
<p>These stereotypes are rooted in “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/benevolent-sexism">benevolent sexism</a>.” These beliefs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.491">pigeonhole women into socially acceptable roles</a> by offering women who conform to a sense of affection, idealization and protectiveness. Women who do not conform may face social costs that can negatively affect their career progression.</p>
<p>This kind of sexism is socially acceptable, endorsed by both men and women and rarely seen as problematic. Yet, past research consistently shows that such attitudes undermine women at work. For instance, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310365902">managers with benevolent sexist tendencies do not assign challenging assignments to women</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587231178865">investors with similar beliefs are more likely to fund pitches from men</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, we found these seemingly positive effects of amplified warmth evaluations are only observed in industries traditionally considered feminine, such as fashion and cosmetics. In contrast, there are no such positive effects in industries perceived as masculine, like oil and gas. </p>
<p>This warmth bias contributes to occupational gender segregation, funnelling women towards lower-paying and lower-prestige industries and jobs. At the same time, women are being steered away from industries where they are already severely under-represented.</p>
<h2>Addressing bias at work</h2>
<p>At the government level, non-native accents need to be explicitly recognized as a discriminatory factor affecting the job prospects and well-being of immigrants. Workers with accents are aware of and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886318800997">negatively affected by accent discrimination</a>. </p>
<p>Despite this awareness, accents are not an explicit protected category under the Canadian Human Rights Act, although they are related to the protected category of national or ethnic origin. This lack of protection undermines the legitimacy of accent discrimination. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An Asian woman giving a presentation to a group of people using a whiteboard" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564587/original/file-20231208-17-1pyf3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564587/original/file-20231208-17-1pyf3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564587/original/file-20231208-17-1pyf3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564587/original/file-20231208-17-1pyf3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564587/original/file-20231208-17-1pyf3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564587/original/file-20231208-17-1pyf3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564587/original/file-20231208-17-1pyf3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">To foster positive attitudes toward accents, racialized women with accents should be in visible and high-status roles in the workplace.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At the corporate level, race and gender biases are commonly addressed in equity and diversity initiatives, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/pragyaagarwaleurope/2018/12/30/bias-is-your-accent-holding-you-back/">but accent bias is often overlooked</a>. To fight accent bias, more awareness needs to be raised about accents and how they affect racialized women in the workforce. Recruitment and hiring processes also need to be more objective by focusing on assessing job-relevant knowledge, skills and abilities.</p>
<p>Organizations and managers should foster positive employee attitudes toward accents by emphasizing the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/09/13/the-benefits-of-cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace/">benefits of a multicultural workforce</a>. Equally important is ensuring there are racialized women with accents in visible and high-status roles. </p>
<p>This stands in contrast to a popular solution of “accent reduction.” <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/31/accent-reduction-racist-or-empowering-a-look-at-the-controversy.html">Accent reduction programs stigmatize accents</a> by suggesting they need to be corrected. Instead of focusing on what workers with accents can do to “fit in,” organizations need to focus on removing systemic barriers that workers with accents face.</p>
<p>Our research serves as a reminder to not evaluate workers based on stereotypes. Even purportedly positive stereotypes can undermine the careers of racialized women.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218424/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ivona Hideg's research has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Hancock's research has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Winny Shen's research has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). </span></em></p>Recent research explores how women with non-native English accents — specifically Mandarin — fare in the Canadian job market.Ivona Hideg, Associate Professor and Ann Brown Chair in Organization Studies, York University, CanadaSamantha Hancock, Assistant Professor, DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, Western UniversityWinny Shen, Associate Professor of Organization Studies, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2176402023-12-04T13:28:30Z2023-12-04T13:28:30ZCertain states, including Arizona, have begun scrapping court costs and fees for people unable to pay – two experts on legal punishments explain why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562784/original/file-20231130-19-9k4bbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Several U.S. states are eliminating criminal fines and fees for people who can't afford them. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/dollars-bills-with-law-gavel-legal-issues-royalty-free-image/1479990448?phrase=excessive+courts+costs+US&adppopup=true">Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In today’s American criminal legal system, courts impose fines and fees as a means to punish people and hold them accountable for legal violations. </p>
<p>At times, people are sentenced to pay without incarceration, but frequently people across the U.S. are sentenced to both jail time and fiscal penalties. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1745-9133.12442">Those costs</a> are assessed by individual courts and include processing and filing charges, jury fees and fiscal penalties such as interest charges and late penalty fees. The collected money is then used to pay for costs such as the administration of court-appointed attorneys, probation, detention and diversion programs.</p>
<p>But these fines and fees are often levied without any consideration for an individual’s ability to pay – and <a href="https://www.thecharlottepost.com/news/2023/10/11/local-state/how-north-carolina-turns-the-poor-into-criminals/">can add up</a> to thousands of dollars. Given the potential consequences of legal debt on people unable to pay, including the loss of the right to vote and further criminal infractions, we conducted a <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/2/1/tab-article-info">multistate study</a> on the impact of fines and fees.</p>
<p>What we found is that these types of sanctions do not improve public safety or serve as an effective deterrent in reducing further crime. More troubling is that the negative consequences of fines and fees are disproportionately felt by people of color and those who are poor. </p>
<p>Because of these potential financial hardships and adverse effects, U.S. lawmakers have begun to limit the types and amounts of fines and fees that can be charged.</p>
<h2>What the research shows</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2022.8.2.01">our study of eight states</a> – California, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Washington, Georgia, Missouri and Texas – we found extreme variations in how court-imposed fines and fees were used.</p>
<p>Some states had <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/1/221">statutes mandating a minimum amount</a> of fines and fees to be imposed on people for specific crimes and infractions; other states did not. Some local judges sentenced people unable to pay to jail as a violation of their sentence; other judges in different counties within the same state did not. To collect outstanding debts, some states <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/1/82">even sued</a> formerly incarcerated people for the cost of their room and board; other states did not.</p>
<p>In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, for instance, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1541204016669213">our research</a> there showed that financial burden increased the chances among juvenile offenders to commit additional crimes within two years of their initial arrests.</p>
<p>In another statewide <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/15412040231180816?journalCode=yvja">study in Florida</a>, we found that fees increased recidivism and, in particular, that Black youth with restitution fees had a higher recidivism likelihood. Our study further found that Black and Hispanic youth tended to receive higher fees compared to white youth regardless of the alleged crimes. The average fees for Black juveniles was US$709.50, and $633.30 for Hispanic youths. In stark contrast, the average fees for white juveniles was $426.50.</p>
<p>A wealth of <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/1/221">research has illustrated</a> how unpaid court fines and fees force people to make decisions regarding <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/2/57">housing</a>, <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/2/36">medical care</a>, education and even food and <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/pound-flesh">medication</a>. </p>
<p>In an <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-issues-dear-colleague-letter-courts-regarding-fines-and-fees-youth-and">April 23, 2023, letter</a>, the U.S. Department of Justice warned court officials and state agencies that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/22/justice-department-fines-pardons-gupta/">imposing fines and fees</a> on offenders who cannot pay may result in them losing their jobs, driver’s license, right to vote or even their home. </p>
<h2>Changes across the country</h2>
<p>Depending on the crime, Arizona juveniles and their parents faced <a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/selfservicecenter/Juvenile-Law/Vacating-Juvenile-Monetary-Obligations#Vacated">a slew of costs</a>, including probation supervision fees, family counseling services, drug and alcohol screenings and even a $25 administrative fee for court-appointed attorneys.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://legiscan.com/AZ/text/SB1197/2023">a new law</a> says they don’t have to pay any of those anymore. </p>
<p>Though the law does not put an end to fines relating to restitution charges or driving under the influence of alcohol charges, it does eliminate all fees assessed by a juvenile court — for court-appointed attorneys, probation, detention and diversion programs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A white woman stands in front of an American flag as she delivers a speech." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562549/original/file-20231129-23-wg1e6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562549/original/file-20231129-23-wg1e6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562549/original/file-20231129-23-wg1e6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562549/original/file-20231129-23-wg1e6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562549/original/file-20231129-23-wg1e6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562549/original/file-20231129-23-wg1e6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562549/original/file-20231129-23-wg1e6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has eliminated various fines and fees for juvenile offenders.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/arizona-gov-katie-hobbs-gives-a-brief-speech-prior-to-news-photo/1695716056?adppopup=true">Rebecca Noble/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Arizona was not alone. Indiana, Illinois, Montana, California, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Virginia have also enacted similar laws that eliminate or reduce juvenile fines and fees. </p>
<p>As these states have learned, monetary sanctions do far more harm than good and inflict disproportionate hardship on those least able to pay them. </p>
<p>“These fees put unnecessary financial stress on children and their families when they should be focused on rehabilitation,” <a href="https://gilavalleycentral.net/governor-hobbs-signs-bill-relieving-arizona-families-from-excessive-legal-fees/">Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs</a> said in October 2023. “They hold individuals back at a time in their life when what they really need is help moving forward.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217640/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexes Harris receives funding from Arnold Ventures. She is affiliated with the Fines and Fees Justice Center as a board member.
Dr. Harris is the chair of the Washington State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (non-partisan, Federally appointed). She is also the faculty regent to the University of Washington Board of Regents. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex R. Piquero received funding from Arnold Ventures to undertake the study in Florida referred to in the article. Professor Piquero receives no funding at this time from any sources and no external sources of funding were used to prepare this piece. </span></em></p>The imposition of fines and fees on people unable to pay has had a disproportionate impact on Black and Latino communities.Alexes Harris, Professor of Sociology, University of WashingtonAlex R. Piquero, Professor of Sociology & Criminology and Arts & Sciences Distinguished Scholar, University of MiamiLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2170502023-11-12T14:02:41Z2023-11-12T14:02:41ZRegina hospital allegations point to an epidemic of bullying and discrimination in health care<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558148/original/file-20231107-15-3o7m1j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C34%2C1920%2C1043&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Complaints of racial discrimination at the Regina General Hospital highlight how bullying and harassment are damaging workplaces across Canada. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://momsandkidssask.saskhealthauthority.ca/hospitals-facilities/hospitals-health-centres/regina-general-hospital">(Moms & Kids Health Saskatchewan)</a></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/regina-hospital-allegations-point-to-an-epidemic-of-bullying-and-discrimination-in-health-care" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Foreign-trained physicians at Regina General Hospital have <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/the-most-toxic-place-foreign-trained-doctors-file-human-rights-complaint-alleging-discrimination-1.6627237">alleged that discriminatory practices</a> by the hospital’s “racist, and discriminatory leadership” have led to them being targeted and sidelined. </p>
<p>Ten physicians trained in Africa and Asia filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission alleging they have faced bullying, harassment and racial discrimination. They claim that since a new director for the division of internal medicine was hired, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/human-rights-complaint-internal-medicine-regina-general-hospital-1.7021106">white physicians have been given more favoured shifts</a>.</p>
<p>When the physicians brought their concerns to hospital administrators, they said their complaints were dismissed. <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/the-most-toxic-place-foreign-trained-doctors-file-human-rights-complaint-alleging-discrimination-1.6627237">A Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) spokesperson said</a> the health authority was committed to having a representative workforce and would not comment on legal matters. Saskatchewan’s health minister <a href="https://regina.ctvnews.ca/sask-health-minister-says-alleged-racism-at-regina-hospital-under-third-party-review-1.6633523">said the SHA has launched a third-party investigation into the circumstances</a>.</p>
<h2>Physicians in distress</h2>
<p>Workplace violence in the form of bullying, harassment, sexual abuse and discrimination is not new to health care. The industry operates within a framework of entrenched hierarchical structures that create fertile ground for senior professionals to exhibit negative behavior towards their less experienced and trained counterparts. In fact, <a href="https://www.cma.ca/physician-wellness-hub/content/bullying-workplace">a 2018 survey by Resident Doctors of Canada</a> noted that more than three-quarters of medical residents said they had experienced workplace bullying, harassment and intimidation.</p>
<p>While bullying can manifest in any workplace, a more significant and enduring issue emerges when a toxic work environment not only tolerates but also enables such behavior. <a href="https://doi.org/10.36834%2Fcmej.57019">A systematic review</a> of 52 studies into workplace bullying in medicine found that it was prevalent and led to a range of negative outcomes that impact patient care and physician burnout.</p>
<p>In addition to causing distress to those directly impacted, widespread abuse in hospitals has far-reaching negative consequences. The rupture of trust and a breakdown in support invariably leads to a greater <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-019-0433-x">likelihood of medical errors and misjudgments</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A stressed Black doctor in scrubs sits with her head resting on her hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Workplace bullying in hospitals can have far-reaching negative impacts on health-care workers and patients.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Racialized physicians in particular are more likely to encounter racism at work, and when this happens, they usually feel abandoned by their employers. This is re-enforced when complaints go unaddressed or if they are unfairly dismissed through policies designed by the organization. </p>
<p>In British Columbia, <a href="https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/613/2021/02/In-Plain-Sight-Data-Report_Dec2020.pdf1_.pdf">a 2020 report</a> described widespread systemic racism against Indigenous Peoples in the provincial health-care system. Almost 60 per cent of Indigenous people described witnessing racism and discrimination.</p>
<p>Hospital reputations are also adversely affected, which undermines patient confidence and draws unfavourable scrutiny. Bullying at work also has an <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Bullying-and-Harassment-in-the-Workplace-Theory-Research-and-Practice/Einarsen-Hoel-Zapf-Cooper/p/book/9781138615991">impact on the organization as a whole</a>. The negative impact on a person’s self-worth can significantly affect their performance at work. Frequent employee turnovers, diminished staff retention and a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0935-9_8">general decline in employee morale</a> can result in significant financial consequences. An environment that is unsafe and antagonistic compromises the standard of care provided to patients and jeopardizes the fundamental <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hippocratic-oath">principles of professional ethics</a>.</p>
<p>Like other health issues, workplace bullying has severe consequences and can lead to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.28933/ijprr-2020-01-1205">long-term psychological stress</a>. Bullying is also linked to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/40/14/1124/5180493?login=false">cardiovascular illness</a>, musculoskeletal disorders, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2011.00932.x">sleep problems</a>, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v15i4.1733">generalized pain</a>. For those who are already struggling with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, workplace bullying can increase the <a href="https://www.suicideinfo.ca/local_resource/workplace-suicide-prevention/">risk of suicide</a>.</p>
<h2>Independent oversight needed</h2>
<p>It’s time to understand workplace violence as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/workplace-bullying-should-be-treated-as-a-public-health-issue-190330">public health issue</a>. Substantial change may finally be achieved by allocating the proper financial and legal resources required for assessing, substantiating and intervening in to workplace bullying under the framework of the <a href="https://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-29.5/">Public Health Act</a>. There is <a href="https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2020.384384">no independent oversight of complaints in Canada</a>, and it’s time to acknowledge that internal <a href="https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2020/07/07/the-dangers-of-mishandling-harassment-complaints/">human resource departments are ill equipped</a> to deal with this issue.</p>
<p>A bold step forward would be the appointment of a national commissioner for workplace violence with the authority to probe allegations and impose heavy penalties. Such a dedicated entity would send a clear message: workplace harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated.</p>
<p>Workplace bullying could be significantly reduced by a public health mandate that includes a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/eis/field-epi-manual/chapters/Interventions.html">universal prevention focus</a>, intensive intervention and ongoing public health surveillance. </p>
<p>Through a national public health mandate, the commissioner could prevent and address workplace bullying, harassment and sexual abuse through mandatory, sector-specific training for workers and employers. </p>
<p>They could also oversee a confidential and standardized reporting system for complaints. This would remove the risk of retaliation by employers or supervisors and circumvent internal investigations that can be riddled with conflicts of interest.</p>
<p>A public health framework also allows experts to improve strategies to prevent bullying. Legal mechanisms with financial and criminal penalties would create an accountability framework for organizations that promotes safe and respectful workplaces. These strategies, along with a regulatory authority that can intervene, will improve workplaces across Canada.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217050/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Walker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Internal reviews are insufficient to investigate discrimination by hospital administrators and external frameworks are needed to protect employees who face bullying and harassment.Jason Walker, Program Director & Associate Professor, Industrial-Organizational and Applied Psychology, Adler UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2167522023-11-06T05:41:48Z2023-11-06T05:41:48ZAlmost 2 million Workforce Australia payments have been suspended in the past year, with devastating impact<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557629/original/file-20231106-17-ql7rgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=793%2C1013%2C6478%2C3889&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/search/stressed-man?image_type=photo">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last year the federal government replaced the jobactive employment support program with what was expected to be a more flexible and improved support system for jobseekers, Workforce Australia.</p>
<p>Yet, in the 16 months the contracted-out system has been running, almost 2 million income support payments have been suspended, affecting 70% of participants.</p>
<p>Under the new system, participants must meet a <a href="https://www.workforceaustralia.gov.au/individuals/obligations/learn/points#:%7E:text=You%20must%20meet%20any%20minimum,activities%20to%20earn%20the%20rest.">points target</a> to receive payments.</p>
<p>For example, if the default points target is 100 per month, this can be met by a minimum of four job applications (worth 5 points each) and a mix of other activities. Points targets are adjusted to 60 per month for parents and people with disabilities.</p>
<h2>Why are payments suspended?</h2>
<p>Payment suspensions are supposed to get people to comply with requirements such as attending job interviews and undertaking training, education classes or other activities to reach their points target.</p>
<p>When these criteria are not met, participants are given a two-day grace period to resolve the problem, after which payments are automatically suspended. The suspension remains until the target is met or the suspension is lifted by a job service provider. The average suspension period is four days.</p>
<p>The figure of almost 2 million payment suspensions, cited at a <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=COMMITTEES;id=committees%2Festimate%2F27448%2F0002;query=Id%3A%22committees%2Festimate%2F27448%2F0000%22">Senate Estimates</a> committee meeting last month, showed they have been occurring at an alarming rate since Workforce Australia started.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Man handing document across a desk to another person" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557635/original/file-20231106-19-klr6a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Workforce Australia participants might be required to attend a certain number of job interviews to reach their points target.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/search/unemployed-job-interview?image_type=photo&page=4">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Committee member and Greens senator <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=COMMITTEES;id=committees%2Festimate%2F27448%2F0002;query=Id%3A%22committees%2Festimate%2F27448%2F0000%22">Janet Rice</a> highlighted concern about the high suspension rate and representatives from the Department of Employment, which runs the program, agreed it was an issue.</p>
<p>If 70% of participants have been suspended, that makes it very likely some people have lost payments multiple times. These people might be long-term unemployed due to health, disability or discrimination in the workplace.</p>
<p>Suspending payments to these already disadvantaged groups has a devastating impact because income support payments are grossly inadequate. The single person rate of JobSeeker payment is only $749.20 per fortnight, and the maximum rate of Commonwealth rent assistance is $101.07, adding up to $860.27 a fortnight.</p>
<p>Meanwhile an average share house rent in a capital city like Melbourne is $446 per fortnight - with single renters often paying double - and this leaves people without much room for delays to their income support payments.</p>
<h2>The damage caused by suspending payments</h2>
<p><a href="https://research.curtin.edu.au/businesslaw/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/03/AJLE251casey.pdf">Research</a> into the impact of payment suspensions on people’s mental health shows the consequences are dire.</p>
<p>This is especially so during the current cost-of-living crisis when people have enough to worry about just paying rent, buying food or keeping a car on the road. </p>
<p>The harm caused by suspending payments is apparent in my recent analysis of the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Workforce_Australia_Employment_Services/WorkforceAustralia/Submissions">individual submissions</a> to the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Workforce_Australia_Employment_Services/WorkforceAustralia">parliamentary inquiry</a> into Workforce Australia.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jobseeker-rule-changes-what-you-must-do-under-the-new-points-based-activation-system-185759">JobSeeker rule changes: what you must do under the new 'points-based activation' system</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>I coded the frequency of words relating to poor psychological wellbeing as represented in the table. Of the 69 submissions reviewed, 52 identified how payment suspensions caused high levels of stress and affected trust of the job service provider.</p>
<hr>
<iframe src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/15629350/embed" title="Interactive or visual content" class="flourish-embed-iframe" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width:100%;height:400px;" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<div style="width:100%!;margin-top:4px!important;text-align:right!important;"><a class="flourish-credit" href="https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/15629350/?utm_source=embed&utm_campaign=visualisation/15629350" target="_top"><img alt="Made with Flourish" src="https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg"></a></div>
<hr>
<p>The word-frequency results show threats to payments have a devastating effect on the mental health of people receiving unemployment payments. Many felt bullied by their job services providers.</p>
<p>The impact of suspensions is reflected in this quote from one of the submissions. As one 53-year-old woman said in her submission:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I would ask you to consider and recognise that those of us who are reliant on this system are deprived of any means to control our circumstances. A system failure, a missed phone call, a misunderstanding or a simple lack of communication can lead to a suspension of payments.</p>
<p>The stress associated with being constantly under threat by the whims of a particular person, system faults or even a missed phone call is immeasurable. That I might be unable to eat, go to the doctor, pay for medication, buy petrol, pay bills on time (so as not to incur further costs), pay for internet/phone … is considerable and has a massive impact for those of us who are living under these unfortunate circumstances. </p>
<p>It effects our physical and emotional health, our ability to participate in our communities, our sense of future and diminishes our sense of self-worth and our accomplishments – reducing them to meaninglessness while keeping us in poverty.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Why is the suspension rate so high?</h2>
<p>The suspension rate is high because the criteria people must meet to receive payments are unrealistic, and because job service providers make mistakes.</p>
<p>Some people can’t meet targets or report points under the points model on time, or don’t attend appointments because they’ve been given insufficient notice or the appointments have been scheduled at times they are already working or in training.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.julianhillmp.com/NESA-Conference_2023.html">a speech</a> last month, Labor MP Julian Hill, who heads the parliamentary inquiry into Workforce Australia, told a conference the powers of the system’s providers to make decisions affecting payments was a “major false economy”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/victims-now-know-they-were-right-about-robodebt-all-along-let-the-royal-commission-change-the-way-we-talk-about-welfare-209216">Victims now know they were right about robodebt all along. Let the royal commission change the way we talk about welfare</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This “false economy” of payment suspensions has been a fixture of job services requirements for nearly two decades.</p>
<p>Workforce Australia was meant to have addressed this with the points model. Instead, the points reporting is onerous and there is no evidence it improves the employment prospects of people who have been struggling to find work.</p>
<h2>The next steps</h2>
<p>When the parliamentary inquiry into Workforce Australia submits its report this month, it is likely to recommend big changes including returning and payment suspension decisions to the government’s former Human Services department, Services Australia.</p>
<p>If that happens, it will be vital to move swiftly. </p>
<p>As was the case with the former government’s highly discredited and unlawful automated debt assessment and recovery system, <a href="https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au/">Robodebt</a>, the widespread use of payment suspensions is unfair and causes acute distress to people already surviving on inadequate income support.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216752/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simone Casey commenced employment with Economic Justice Australia, a peak organisation for community legal centres providing specialist advice to people on their social security issues and rights, after completing the research for this article.</span></em></p>Unrealistic criteria and poor communication are causing people who need it most to lose an important income support.Simone Casey, Research Associate, Centre for People, Organisation and Work, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.