The Coddling Of The American Mind (Trigger Warning Article In The Atlantic...)

sorry, thinking of ways to market my 2016 Girls Of Microagression calendar idea...

Is that last woman REALLY Icelandic or has she appropriated her sweater?

maria's e-mail to the student management at WMUA:

Who has the power at WMUA?

When there is conflict between people in an organization, it can be useful to examine who holds the power. In many social movements, those with less power challenge those with more power in an attempt to equalize power. Students lobbying the administration for a living wage for UMass workers is an example of those with less power (students, workers) appealing to those with more power (administration as an employer) for equity.

WMUA is student-run. Students hold the management positions. Students thus hold what sociologists call "legitimate power" or "positional power". Students with positional power can make choices that are not open to those who are not in that position. A student manager could request that the transmitter be turned off, for example.

Student managers also hold what sociologists call "reward power" and "coercive power". The General Body has been reminded repeatedly of this power, with statements such as "failing to properly refile CDs can be grounds for loss of membership". Fear among the general body that if they criticize the management, they might not get a slot for a show is a manifestation of this power. The ability of the General Manager to decide that the Music Director should receive a pay raise is an example of this power. The ability of the student management to appoint those they view as friends to DD positions or to "groom" individuals to step up into DD positions are examples of positional power. Student managers can bestow rewards (slots, other positions of power) or withdraw them (threat of loss of membership, loss of slots).

Student managers also have the power to try to diminish the power of others. Sociologists talk about "referent power" and "expert power". This is the influence individuals gain by being skilled or experienced or by building loyalty among allies. Community members can be said to have referent and expert power by virtue of their listeners and the experience they have gained in radio. This power can however be limited by, for example, not allowing community members to make posts on WMUA's social media sites.

Student managers can increase their own "referent power" by excluding community members from involvement in station events and by currying validation from student-centric venues like CMJ.

In the conflict at WMUA, community members have much less power than students do. Community members have appealed to "referent power" by seeking support in the Pioneer Valley from listeners. Community members have tried to appeal to the democratic power laid out in the station manual by trying to use the grievance committee process. This process revealed all the more starkly that the democratic power set out in the manual is entirely contingent on an acceptance by all parties that this process be respected. If the democratic process set out in the manual is ignored by those in power, community members lose any power to appeal to democracy.

Traditionally, "old, white men" have had the power in our society. It has become acceptable among progressives to disparage "old, white men". While claims of reverse racism are usually despicable and reactionary and ignore the historical context of power, in this case, it is important to view the power dynamics if one is to come to an equitable view of the situation.

Social activism among young people is to be encouraged, in my mind. In this case, I think there is some misplaced generational angst and some real age bias. This is not a case of students fighting power. This is a case of students using power to fight. There are good targets for a fight. Raising wages, giving the underprivileged a bigger voice, divesting from oppressive businesses, no longer glorifying perpetrators of oppression (e.g. Lord Jeffrey) – these are all honourable and justifiable battles against power. Making sure 70-year-olds can't keep playing tunes on the radio so that younger folks can instead? Not so much.

You've heard the saying "with power comes responsibility". As the holders of positional power, you should understand how your actions play out for those without power. I have had students tell me they are afraid to be seen talking to me, that they might not get a slot if they are viewed as friendly to the community. This is an example of how positional power can be abused.

Please think about this.

i think that's otm personally but i don't get the feeling that this idea that power should be analyzed in the context of particular circumstances a part from the broader societal theory of the case is v popular

maria's situation is why i started this thread and why i was thinking about this stuff. i realize that the thread has gone WAY beyond that though. and that most of the students brought up in this thread are NOT in positions of power. now i'm just thinking about power...

thumbs up for maria

(workplace power dynamics (and the abuse thereof) have always fascinated and astounded me particularly. that people willingly enter into that sort of agreement to be dictated to and all that that entails. and yeah we all have to eat but the results can be horrifying even now. institutional power dynamics also completely fascinating to me too. i should really read a good book on it all someday.)

Those microaggression girls are powerful! Did you... gif them, Scott?

that was a nice letter scott -- i wonder if/how it will be understood -- i'm curious to hear updates.

been reluctant to chime in because this is one of those things where it's best to listen but what is the deal w the WMUA thing and/because...

"Student managers also hold what sociologists call "reward power" and "coercive power". The General Body has been reminded repeatedly of this power, with statements such as "failing to properly refile CDs can be grounds for loss of membership"."

...being encouraged to wipe your own ass is a sign of a power imbalance?

also learning a lot from this thred so ty

Wait, scott, did people at your wife's radio station really invoke "fighting institutional racism" as a justification for firing totally nonracist yet old and white senior citizens from their long held positions as volunteer dj's at a publicly funded radio station? That's what I inferred from your wife's letter. If so, that's vile.

Vile and also bonkers.

If this thread has taught me anything, it is that there are (at least) 2 sides to every story.

We have heard only one side here, and given the reporting of the other side is from a guy who has repeatedly stated that he thinks microaggressions are bullshit (and in fact makes jokes about making "calendar girls" out of women complaining about microaggressions) I am really not sure how much weight I give his judgements on how racist the old guys holding all the financial and cultural Capital are.

I have no idea (and don't actually care) what the details of this beef are. But the words that people choose and the poses they strike always say a lot to me about how qualified they are to judge the existence or non-existence of biases they have never experienced!

Beef week for the multiplex, I see.

"Racism" isn't always "what they say", it's more often "what they do, or don't do"

Sometimes saying is doing though (arguably)

Sure it is, but often the things get "done/not done" without any explicitness.

Anyway, I'm not au fait with what happened, so..

Google "WMUA", look for information over the last year or so. Lots of stuff out there that might help you get a fuller picture.

We have heard only one side here, and given the reporting of the other side is from a guy who has repeatedly stated that he thinks microaggressions are bullshit

I suppose what some feel about 'microaggressions' is a kind of instant, probably kneejerk resistance to taking the idea seriously because we've all met people (and we've all been people) who do over-react to things which are just meant as a joke. And have met or been people who use this to claw a bit of power over other people (which isn't justifiable as 'punching up'). This doesn't invalidate the idea but does make it a hard sell

Not a lot from the point of view of the students - this partly explains why

http://www.gazettenet.com/news/townbytown/amherst/17751656-95/student-leaders-shed-little-light-on-wmua-shake-up

Naturally the story with "Station manager explains" has only one photo, of one of the geezers.

As I understand it, the point of microaggressions is not that any of them are a big deal (it's right there in the name, like), any of them can be dismissed as a joke on a good day - the point is noting that a constant murmur of tiny shit builds up to something larger than any individual issue.

It's not an arcane concept in itself, I'm sure it's something that anyone reading this is familiar with the pattern of, though it's more frequently "My co-worker annoys the shit out of me" rather than "This person, consciously or otherwise, doesn't think people like me have the right to exist in the same context as them".

the name is kind of oxymoronic tbh

Non-paywall (free account, but the man is always looking for ways to make you pay, dig?) version of the article Andrew posted: http://www.amherstbulletin.com/home/17761692-95/story.html

Must admit it's the name that gives me discomfort more so than the idea, as andrew says "My co-worker annoys the shit out of me" is instantly agreeable where "microagressions" isn't

So nobody actually knows the details of the incident that led to the djs being shitcanned?

x-post

Dunno -- I think microaggression is a good word for what I see as an immigrant in an anti-foreigner country. No clear stories of "Schleich Di, schass Tschusch", lots of little conversational hiccups, funny impolitenesses, social conventions quickly ignored. There's aggression; it's just little and blink and you might miss it unless you're the target.

Googled it and it seemed one of them violated the harrassment policy but it's not clear how. Not saying the charges weren't trumped up or whatever but that seems different from firing people just to make way for student djs under the guise of pursuing more diverse programming.

I just think the gifs are funny (and quite ambiguous), didn't realize "microaggression" was a tainted concept

Huh, I don't see a paywall on mine, sorry about that.

Microagressions is definitely a casting of the phenomenon in a particular type of context.

In November, Shea made a comment during a discussion about "rape culture" that others in the station were having in the studio while they were preparing for various programs.

Students at the student-run station were upset by his comment, he said, and he never had the chance to explain what he meant until a subsequent meeting a few days later, when he apologized.

But on April 21, police escorted him from the station and off campus, and issued a no trespassing order in effect for two years, requiring that he stay off campus for that time. His program was canceled.

I'm sure he said something gross but being escorted from campus and banned in this way seems possibly overkill. Need to know the actual statement/context to fully pass judgment on the students. However I sort of feel like someone with gross opinions but a wealth of knowledge on experimental music should still be allowed to have a show as long as the gross opinions aren't part of the programming.... If that is in fact the issue. It's still unclear

i don't think microaggressions are bullshit. did i say that anywhere on here? people have said horrible racist and sexist shit to me my whole life. either because they didn't think i would care or they thought i would agree with them. and it has given me a healthy distrust/fear of men in general and men in power particularly. i know exactly what men are capable of doing and saying. and how even supposed "good men" are capable of doing and saying horrible shit.

i do think generic internet gifs are funny though. when people boil down complex issues into catchphrases and slogans i tend to make fun of them. i think they provides an easy way to not think and talk about things.

i also didn't start this thread as a joke and i've read a lot of interesting posts from a lot of people. so, thank you all!

(also, i asked maria to contribute here. maybe she will. she can't remember her login password.)

Must admit it's the name that gives me discomfort more so than the idea

Yes! It's all about people not liking jargon/neologisms/slang - once there is a word for something people try to apply strict categorisation to the idea, which just won't work. How many times have you seen terms within feminism, marxism, critical theory etc. misused because once it becomes a term it can be misunderstood and misapplied.

Yes. Let's please not give people a language to express what's ailing them. How horrible!

(See? We're perfectly capable of misunderstanding each other without fancy words.)

this is impactful to Frederik

I wasn't complaining about the terms - the opposite really - and I'm only being half serious. But I see lots of people who think, for example, that 'patriarchy' means that men literally get together to arrange the oppression of women. The internet has allowed large numbers of people who have no training to wander into professional fields and read (and misunderstand) ideas. The idea of 'cultural marxism' is a good example. But mostly it's an internet culture that will sum up a field with 4 or 5 cherry picked out of context quotes and pretend that is what people are talking about.

(Just ignore my posts, actually. I'm not well at the moment and I can't even tell what they mean myself)

Pop culture is responsible for a lot of this imo, personally growing up the only thing I knew about feminism and other social movements was what reached me through pop culture -- mostly sitcom jokes and right wing talk radio. This is largely how most Americans encounter feminism, environmentalism, etc., through the distorted and cynical lens of pop culture, which often has a vested interest in belittling such movements and portraying them as radical and dangerous.

the other night i was playing rocket league and one of my opponents kept popping up on voice chat to sarcastically say "check your privilege, you need to check your privilege/you're triggering me". weird to think of kids encountering the term for the first time this way

Yes! It's all about people not liking jargon/neologisms/slang - once there is a word for something people try to apply strict categorisation to the idea, which just won't work. How many times have you seen terms within feminism, marxism, critical theory etc. misused because once it becomes a term it can be misunderstood and misapplied.

Your posts are fine, dowd! And I also think there's just a natural reaction to make jokes about terms that are overused or become trite to the point of catchphrases, especially when there is a disconnect between the seriousness of the initial referent and the prevalence/misuse to the point of banality. And sometimes we just make jokes about things that are fucked up and horrific because it's a human coping mechanism ... a form of gallows humor.

here's some coddling: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/12/tennessee-school-wins-right-to-ban-gays-and-women-whove-had-sex-this-is-who-we-are

From Gawker:

The demands of student activists at Lebanon Valley College include changing the name of the campus’s Lynch Hall because of its racial connotations, even though it is named for a former school president who had nothing to do with lynchings.

Shld be changed to Blue Velvet Hall

students gathering at Jeffrey Beaumont Theater

Repeating myself here but re that last link it must be to do with having no power to change all kinds of everyday crap that gets thrown at you and then you get this one chance to make a symbolic change and it's ...

Can't wait for Conor Friedersdorf and FIRE to pound on this: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article49686940.html

Or perhaps it's more that I won't wait. We all know it's not gonna happen.

Or this: http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/cms/lib/MD01001351/Centricity/Domain/8052/Family-Community%20Letter.pdf

I heard about that Baltimore letter on NPR tonight. Simultaneously overreaching AND ineffectual. Everbody's gonna love that.

this is from a right-wing college news website but i read through the minutes that they're discussing and there is some truly fascinating discussion about 'wellness' and geopolitical student body initiatives: http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/25500/

The new bylaw restricts the current Undergraduate Students Association Council to only weighing and voting on “matters directly and substantially pertaining to student welfare issues,” defined as “issues pertaining to student (health), resources, education, safety.”

[...]

The vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA, called the resolution “petty bullshit.” His sister, also of SJP, defended the 2014 boycott measure as related to student-health: “You are in a place of privilege and we don’t have the power and this resolution is just really frustrating that we have to constantly reaffirm and what student wellness affects us. If we tell you something is our student wellness you have to believe us you cant pick and choose [sic].”

I was really irritated by a fb comment on a friend's post a couple weeks ago when someone attempted to use "what's going on with college campuses" as a balance to complaints about regressive shit being said by republican politicians in the US. That's not even wrong. Not even in the same realm!

college campuses are, at least for those that have large undergraduate populations, populated by young people who are still figuring out who they are. which is kind of a complete headfuck because thousands of them are all crammed into one area, with interactions with people not their own age being mostly limited to instructors and the administration, especially in towns where every store and resource is staffed by their peers

so many weird behaviors, attitudes brought from home, new ideas they pick up and cling to as identity-defining. i met a woman who lived in the same residence hall i did my freshman year of college who just had to get out, to go back home and maybe go to a community college or smaller school because there were more people living in our building than there were in her entire hometown and she couldn't deal. i wasn't really dealing well with anything, myself.

on one hand you have people who notice the inherent fucked-up pieces of the system in play who are looking for safe spaces, for places where they can concentrate on parts of their identity that are important that the student body (and administration) might not even care about. on the other hand, you have the administration, the obvious other party, who wants to keep things going and struggles to react, and overreacts, with impunity because absent student trust (which they are ridiculously bad at cultivating) they flail around.

what does an environment that treats you with respect, regardless of your sexuality, gender, race, or health look like? what about all the things you'd never really questioned before encountering all these people who have had much different experiences from your own but now live feet away from you? how do you deal with that without having any real tools to do so, and when you find the tools you don't know how to use them?