tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post4302543694792492508..comments2024-02-29T03:57:00.088-05:00Comments on The Mermaid's Tale: Research Ethics in Anthropology: Problems in/with the fieldAnne Buchananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-53284555136820729722013-05-13T13:41:36.580-04:002013-05-13T13:41:36.580-04:00Readers here might be interested in reading the AA...Readers here might be interested in reading the AAA zero tolerance statement (http://blog.aaanet.org/2013/04/16/zero-tolerance-for-sexual-harassment/) the survey inspired, and the articles Science magazine published online (http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2013/04/survey-finds-sexual-harrassment-.html?ref=hp)and in print (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6130/265.summary). The online Science piece links to a statement from AAPA president Lorena Madrigal. The media coverage and professional responses the survey has thus far inspired moves several steps beyond "buzz."Julienne Rutherfordhttp://aapabandit.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-65238464013049505752013-05-10T14:27:57.128-04:002013-05-10T14:27:57.128-04:00One final nit to pick, and I promise to leave well...One final nit to pick, and I promise to leave well enough alone.<br /><br />I was very surprised by the first paragraph of this post.<br /><br />"Recently there has been a lot of bioanthropology buzz about sexual harassment and assault in “the field”, the diverse, global settings in which professional anthropologists of various types, and their students, do their research. This comes at present on the heels of a brief presentation at the recent American Association of Physical Anthropology (AAPA) 2013 meeting, in which a speaker presented results of a rather informal survey poll in which respondents reported various degrees of sexual harassment, ranging from relatively informal intimidating to true assault. Regardless of the details, the results show that these issues are alive and well in Anthropology."<br /><br />-Why was the presentation described as "brief"? It is exactly the same length as all the other talks that occur at the AAPAs.<br /><br />-It takes little effort to say "a speaker"'s name when speaking of her research. This is the kind of basic thing I make sure to do when I write about the work of others on my own blog.<br /><br />-"a rather informal survey poll" -- I'm not sure what was informal about our survey. The survey instrument underwent intellectual scrutiny by four colleagues, we were careful to use the literature on sexual harassment and chilly climate to bound our questions appropriately. The survey -- and interviews -- were IRB approved.<br /><br />I would just like to see us being careful and respectful with language when talking about a topic that has had profound personal and professional consequences for our colleagues.KateClancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10266484364483890008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-48355689887825087212013-05-10T13:13:16.162-04:002013-05-10T13:13:16.162-04:00Kate's comments make it clear that the right t...Kate's comments make it clear that the right things are already starting to happen. Her work has raised awareness, anthropology departments are responding, grad unions are responding. This post, and many other responses, show people are talking about the issue, and about how to prevent and sanction abuse. Excellent. That, not methodological differences of opinion, is the important thing. Anne Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-3177837732489824802013-05-10T12:34:06.538-04:002013-05-10T12:34:06.538-04:00We'll see what works. Hopefully, policy stat...We'll see what works. Hopefully, policy statements and zero tolerance policies will have some edge to them and lead to a difference. At least for those of us who agree about these issues, which is hopefully the great majority, things might change for the better.Ken Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049713123559138421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-31391188531998673522013-05-10T12:21:47.012-04:002013-05-10T12:21:47.012-04:00Yes. And Holly, thank you for continuing to press ...Yes. And Holly, thank you for continuing to press all these points.KateClancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10266484364483890008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-57107903768253162462013-05-10T12:21:06.175-04:002013-05-10T12:21:06.175-04:00Again, even the preliminary results had quantitati...Again, even the preliminary results had quantitative and qualitative analysis. I don't know why anyone would dare use the word "misrepresent" anywhere near a colleague's preliminary results (that they are careful to couch as preliminary). And I don't know why no one is talking about the qualitative analysis.KateClancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10266484364483890008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-92223177839985133302013-05-10T12:18:48.832-04:002013-05-10T12:18:48.832-04:00One other last point about stats -- this is why ou...One other last point about stats -- this is why our research is mixed methods. Quantitative analysis actually has limited use here. But the qualitative stories are not only powerful, but we have rigorous ways in which to assess the qualitative data that should inform our understanding of the scope of the problem and possible solutions.<br /><br />As the person who performed all sixteen of the first wave interviews, and cried through many of them, I can say that the qualitative data is moving and represents an urgent need for change.KateClancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10266484364483890008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-49594595372401481322013-05-10T12:16:28.146-04:002013-05-10T12:16:28.146-04:00I think changing the culture is what is going to h...I think changing the culture is what is going to have to happen... and there are two parts. The first is that victims and witnesses both have to think about the broader consequences of not speaking up, so that they (particularly witnesses) do so. The second is that perpetrators have to learn to fear this, so no matter what kind of sexism is in their hearts, they don't act on it.<br /><br />But again, once we can do more analysis with our much larger dataset, we'll be able to look at personal and field demographics, and our mixed methods analysis, to arrive at some stronger conclusions.<br /><br />I don't see cultural change as utopian, but necessary. And we've seen major cultural shifts just in the US in the last few decades that make me hopeful that a group of well-meaning and conscientious anthropologists can make change even faster.KateClancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10266484364483890008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-54558983858557236652013-05-10T12:13:30.902-04:002013-05-10T12:13:30.902-04:00Ken, not sure if you've been following the sto...Ken, not sure if you've been following the story of our research, but the AAA has released a zero tolerance statement. Also, anthro departments across the country have contacted me to tell me they are convening special committees to think about how they can be more proactive and preventative about these issues in the future. I have also heard about some grad unions thinking about the language of their sexual harassment policies and how they can educate their members about how these policies apply in the field.<br /><br />When we are done analyzing the full dataset (remember, the survey ends today) -- which now is well over 500 individuals -- we will submit a manuscript for peer review. Perhaps when we are able to see what's going on in the data, that can motivate next steps as a field.KateClancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10266484364483890008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-29903420602948366032013-05-10T12:10:31.683-04:002013-05-10T12:10:31.683-04:00This, for starters. But it is not rational to want...This, for starters. But it is not rational to want, request, or need a representative sample for these research questions, not only for Holly's point (which is true) but because generally, this is not what we expect in other bio anthro research. We take selection bias into account when we do our analyses, and take people to task if they don't bother to do so. We try for as representative a sample as we can, while not demanding that folks who study human biological variation measure every human. Methodological confounds are not reasons to doubt the data, but to be careful with interpretation. Which, if you know any of the four of us on this project, is something you can trust.<br /><br />Also, one last thing on selection bias: I think an argument can be made that many people will fill out the survey because they had a GREAT experience, and want that included in the sample as well. Our recruiting efforts since the preliminary analysis have also made a special effort to capture those with good experiences (because we want to see if there are interesting differences between good/bad exps) and the survey is now open to all field-based science.<br /><br />We started with bio anthro because we are bio anthro, and the rapes my friends were telling me about -- you know, the ones that made it impossible for them to even open the files with their dissertation data because they would get flashbacks -- were happening at bio anthro field sites. We have been careful to point out that bio anthro is situated to evaluate this issue because of our feminist history, and exactly because there's a good chance it's WORSE, not better, in other subfields.<br />KateClancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10266484364483890008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-63612325205242079982013-05-09T17:54:37.629-04:002013-05-09T17:54:37.629-04:00Prospective Anthropology students? Graduate stude...Prospective Anthropology students? Graduate students who are trying to decide what to do their dissertation work on, and where? And with whom? Anne Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-22495618273197400332013-05-09T17:53:21.959-04:002013-05-09T17:53:21.959-04:00Yes, these are definitely two separate issues. Ex...Yes, these are definitely two separate issues. Except that if the science misrepresents the problem, then the extent of the problem becomes the issue, when it's not really the issue at all. The issue should be what you say -- how to keep harassment and abuse from happening. To my mind we don't need any statistics at all. Anecdotes and reports should suffice. Anne Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-31957775489039014582013-05-09T17:43:49.323-04:002013-05-09T17:43:49.323-04:00And who are we worried about misinterpreting this ...And who are we worried about misinterpreting this study and why? That would be a useful thing to flesh out. Holly Dunsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260104967932801186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-49434262145147601192013-05-09T17:41:32.187-04:002013-05-09T17:41:32.187-04:00Now, if those are not separate discussions, I'...Now, if those are not separate discussions, I'd love to know why not. That's not sarcasm. That's sincere. Holly Dunsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260104967932801186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-61585481167422162542013-05-09T17:40:19.143-04:002013-05-09T17:40:19.143-04:00I wish we could have two separate discussions abou...I wish we could have two separate discussions about this. One where science and statistics minded people are using it as an example for how hard it is to get a representative sample. A purely academic discussion.<br /><br />Yet, separately, and COMPLETELY unrelated is the discussion of why this is happening to people and what we can do to prevent more of it or to deal with it best when it continues to happen. Another kind of discussion all together from the first one. Holly Dunsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260104967932801186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-70440070356676727952013-05-09T15:43:29.240-04:002013-05-09T15:43:29.240-04:00Well, it could be that we were accused of just pol...Well, it could be that we were accused of just politicizing inaccurate 'estimates' of things, or of post-modernizing in the sense (whether correct or not) of just making subjective claims.<br /><br />Of course, sexual harassment _is_ a subjective issue. The problem with not having a sense (that we seem now, in fact, to have) is that one might just grab the rapist, dust one's hands, and say "There, that's that!" So, while prevalence in a rigorous estimation sense may be not needed (or achievable by some sorts of surveys), there seems to be no reason to doubt the plurality and spectral nature of the offenses, which both makes it clear that some solution would be warranted, and that the spectrum of behavior--the different types of unwanted behavior--may help design some sort of preventives.Ken Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049713123559138421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-82148748901728744292013-05-09T15:39:01.198-04:002013-05-09T15:39:01.198-04:00And, to follow on JKW's points, a danger of in...And, to follow on JKW's points, a danger of inaccurate survey results, particularly if they overestimate the extent of the problem, is that Anthropology will be unduely tainted, when the problem is -- I would guess -- no greater in this field than in others. Anne Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-55639985968517310312013-05-09T14:57:45.562-04:002013-05-09T14:57:45.562-04:00Holly, I'm not sure if your reply is to my com...Holly, I'm not sure if your reply is to my comment or not. I agree that one victim is one too many. This is not a one time scandal. My point is that this is indicative of an ongoing cultural problem (you can see this in business literature under the term "organizational behavior") that is not limited to anthropology. I would argue it is also merely a symptom of the toxic environment that is so pervasive in academia. <br /><br />I'm suggesting that rather than talk about this as an isolated ethical problem, we need to promote ethical literacy among our profession (students, researchers, instructors, and administrators alike). Ethical literacy requires an ability to spot the problems, reason through those problems, and engage in moral imagination (See e.g. Nancy Tuana, "Conceptualizing moral literacy", Journal of Educational Administration, 2007; 45(4): 364-378. Available at http://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/for-current-faculty-and-staff/strategic-plan-folder/prof-ethics-study-team/Appendix%20B%20Ethics_Tuana.pdf)<br /><br />And, as I mentioned at the AAPA symposium, we need to move beyond a compliance-based ethics discussion. Each one of us can promote a different culture - one that doesn't tolerate hostile environments, harassment, or assaults and one that thinks about the broader impacts (e.g. career trajectories, well-being, etc) of both victimization and whistleblowing. JKWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09292737413026824514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-19944533236171504812013-05-09T14:47:23.588-04:002013-05-09T14:47:23.588-04:00This was meant to answer your question Holly, but ...This was meant to answer your question Holly, but Anne and Ken already beat me to itAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05068601494828074316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-47980961356674541052013-05-09T14:45:07.838-04:002013-05-09T14:45:07.838-04:00Hi Holly, I agree with you that it’s not a one tim...Hi Holly, I agree with you that it’s not a one time thing and there's plenty of evidence for that. I shouldn't speak for Ken but I think he was saying that in a hypothetical case where it was only a one time thing, then we might actually treat it differently. <br /><br />I think the questions and critiques about sampling and prevalence matter because those words (rates, prevalences, etc.) have very specific meanings. That is what I was trying to say in my previous post about sampling. But you're right, people shouldn't need prevalences to be moved to make a change. So why use the term? Whats being calculated is not really a prevalence, unless we're really just interested in people who have answered the survey, and it's not necessary. <br /><br />Also, in a previous comment you mentioned that some people will probably want to keep the "playful" environment that they currently have in the field (grabass, etc.) I think those same people would use questionable statistics to say that its not really a big problem in the field. Why not bypass that potential altogether? Sometimes statistics aren't necessary. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05068601494828074316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-76908484372384716412013-05-09T14:44:00.512-04:002013-05-09T14:44:00.512-04:00The details probably don't matter so long as, ...The details probably don't matter so long as, as seems to be the case, they show that these are not one-off offenses. A false sense of precision could even undermine a call to some sort of action, by making the issue seem to be some sort of statistical-technical one.<br /><br />Again, it's my personal view that it's important to know that this happens and not just because of rare malefactors.Ken Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049713123559138421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-19640643642397207412013-05-09T14:41:51.385-04:002013-05-09T14:41:51.385-04:00I personally agree but think you're being utop...I personally agree but think you're being utopian. Why don't we all agree not to lie, cheat, etc.?<br /><br />To me--I know, I am a cynic!--committees and institutions just shove paper around and cost time and energy, but how much do they really constrain behavior, especially remotely where there aren't witnesses (as, for example, there sort of are in a mouse-housing facility).<br /><br />Consensus here may be impossible, too. though I hate to say it, not every man thinks pressing one's attention on women is a wrong thing. Some thing that to do that is our Darwinian mandate (this is not me, by the way--I'm still scared of girls!).<br /><br />So what to do is going to require some careful thought, to balance reaching accepted standards, but also enough constraint to have them followed most of the time. Well, perhaps like you, I'm an idealist and think it might happen....Ken Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049713123559138421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-18655311030652510242013-05-09T14:37:53.444-04:002013-05-09T14:37:53.444-04:00In fact, in my opinion, such measures aren't n...In fact, in my opinion, such measures aren't needed, particularly because, as Dan said, it's impossible to actually know the denominator. You allude to this, saying that you hope prevalence is actually lower than it seems to be from these data. Because the data are from self-selected participants, it's likely that the results will be over-estimates of 'actual' rates than would be a random sample of the population at risk.<br /><br />But it doesn't matter. It's already clear, even before any statistics are done, that there's a problem. Trying to turn that into science isn't necessary, imo, in part because the statistics can't be accurate, and won't be accurate in ways we can't know, but more importantly because even one instance of harassment or abuse is too many. The focus, on my mind, should be on how to prevent it from happening, and how to sanction those at fault when it does. Anne Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-85534429139785979172013-05-09T14:28:31.361-04:002013-05-09T14:28:31.361-04:00But it's not a one time thing.
If there was...But it's not a one time thing. <br /><br />If there was a perfect sampling and a good estimate of prevalence was possible to calculate, (a) let's hope it's actually smaller than the estimates from the pilot data suggest but (b) whatever it is, it's not nil. What would hypothetically change about how you go about establishing preventative measures? What's different about how you go about protecting future victims? <br /><br />I've seen several people react to #safe13 (aka this) with critiques of the sampling and questions about prevalence and I'm trying to understand why these questions actually matter here. I'd love to understand if you can help...Holly Dunsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260104967932801186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-83841542883920755562013-05-09T14:28:24.550-04:002013-05-09T14:28:24.550-04:00Ken, I don't think we need a "consensus&q...Ken, I don't think we need a "consensus" statement. I agree with you that those can be rather hollow. I also don't think that a uniform approach is preferable (since the particularities of field sites, study protocols, personnel dynamics, etc should all be considered in deciding what procedures may be appropriate). <br /><br />IMO what needs to happen is that each institution, each department, each investigator must integrate ethical (and legal) considerations into our culture, particularly during planning stages -in other words, each of us needs to be responsible enough to think about these problems and have a plan in place before going out to the field (or into the lab, classroom, etc). <br /><br />A standing ethics committee could serve as a valuable resource in helping members think through the particulars (not giving answers or a "seal of approval" so-to-speak but, rather, by providing guidance to make sure that certain factors have been considered during the decision-making process). JKWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09292737413026824514noreply@blogger.com