Tuesday, November 08, 2022

Hate Speech: A Gentle Rant

I left my University job because the management were tolerating hate speech from students; they were prioritising the income from students fees, their business, above the wellbeing of their staff, their resource.

The self-congratulatory things that the University was patting it's own back about, were not happening in the lecture theatres and performance and recording studios.

The final straw for me was witnessing hate speech happening to two staff consecutively, whom I had encouraged to work there. I felt responsible. I looked at the staff profile of the courses I was contributing to, and tried to address an imbalance that I saw there. 

The problem is that institutional misogyny and racism have to be acknowledged before it is addressed, and there was no willingness to even acknowledge what was happening. I took the view that if you work for an institutionally racist and misogynist organisation, you are condoning what is going on simply by being there.

I was fortunate in that I have a very basic income now from a part-time pension that I can survive on before my state pension kicks in. I felt that I could take the risk and go; I understand that having principles comes at a price, and that I can afford this price where others can't.

I wonder if people even realise that they are using hate speech? I felt very strongly that with so many white male staff, bad behaviour from male students needed to be addressed by them, and not by women or staff who were from diverse cultural backgrounds and who were experiencing this aggression. We always come across as mummies or aunties or resentful moaners when it comes from us. Learn to be allies, adult men. This is not our fight, it's yours!

Like most people, I use social media, and unfortunately see a lot of hate speech there too. I see 'hate-speech-back': one person says something controversial and nasty, and the response is basically lobbing the unpleasant ball back over the net with just as much offensive content. But we have 'block' buttons and 'unfriend' facilities, don't we? My experiences over the past few months have made me realise that hate-speakers breed more hate-speakers, and create a victory for the proliferation of rage on the internet which is neither productive nor positive. I am learning to walk away and think before I respond to provocation, and will have to work harder at not sharing unpleasantness. 

That can be my New Year's Resolution, starting now.



1 comment:

Wilky of St Albans said...

I think I've said before that you did the right thing. Some attitudes are ingrained to the extent that they are the norm - I could do you 10,000 words on that. When change is proposed it is usually because it's expedient to do so - 'hey look at us! we're changing!' and once everyone looks away any change stops.

Having worked in industry (not known for it's PC-ness) for over 46 years it's true to say there have been monumental changes. The mid-seventies were like one long episode of Benny Hill. Thankfully no more. But if someone does look nice then sometimes one does want to tell them, but one stops oneself for fear of an accusation being made (a lot of 'ones' there, deliberately)

There was an interesting comment made in an obit to Leslie Phillips earlier - 'before flirting became sexual harassment'. I don't use social media, but I work with a lot of 'youngsters' who do nothing but and the lack of social etiquette is noticeable. (Don't get me started on on-line dating). It must be easy to escalate an argument when there is no chance of being punched. Hate speech attracts more attention than being nice, and it's all about 'likes' isn't it?

Small acts of kindness. Thats the way to go