Harold Masursky Award: The CSWA Survey on Workplace Climate and an Uncomfortable Conversation About Harassment Dr. Christina Richey   The CSWA Survey on Workplace Climate Christina R. Richey1, Kathryn B. H. Clancy2, Katharine M. Lee2, and Erica Rodgers 1. The AAS Committee of the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA), christina.richey.2@gmail.com. 2. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign With Gracious Support from the American Astronomical Society’s Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (AAS CSWA) –  Why am I here? –  What’s this rumored problem? – How can you be part of the solution? HARASSMENT: unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. We have a problem The Problem HARASSMENT: unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. Why would this be a problem in this community? –  Power Dynamics are extreme here –  The workplace is untraditional –  The current most-used system to protect those being harassed, the whisper culture, isn’t working –  Our community is steeped in unconscious bias and is set such that white, cisgendered, heterosexual, able-bodied men are the dominant group by a larger percentage than the general population –  It’s a difficult problem to see when you’re not the one being harassed –  The evidence is anecdotal CSWA Survey on Workplace Climate •  We recruited 426 participants for an online survey •  Questions were confined to experiences in their current and previous positions within the past 5 years only –  We obtained IRB approval (#15354, University of Illinois) for this project –  Thank you to those who gave their time by responding to our survey –  The CSWA also provided funding for this project How often do you hear the following language from your PEERS? Negative comments about religion or lack thereof 141 109 426 Total 66% 32 Negative remarks about mental ability/disability 155 77 58% Negative remarks about physical ability/disability or 152 74 57% Rarely 66 Transphobic remarks 20% Sometimes Comments about not acting “feminine enough” or 135 61 Often 180 Sexist remarks Racist remarks 161 Homophobic remarks 159 0 70 82% 145 52% 55 45% 29 140 49% 210 280 350 How often do you hear the following language from your SUPERVISOR? Negative comments about religion or lack thereof 68 Negative remarks about mental ability/disability 63 31 Negative remarks about physical ability/disability or 68 20 Transphobic remarks 426 Total 25% 32 24% 22% Rarely 6% Sometimes 23 Often Comments about not acting “feminine enough” or 52 Sexist remarks 105 Racist remarks 20% 27 44% 67 20% 69 Homophobic remarks 10% 33 0 50 100 150 200 In your current position, how often have you been VERBALLY harassed because of the following characteristics? 29 Religion or Lack Thereof 11% 16 Gender (Female, Male, or Non-binary) 81 57% 48 1% Gender Identity (Cisgender or Transgender) Sexual Orientation 426 Total Rarely 17 5% Sometimes 2% Often Mental Disability Status 6 2% Physical Disability Status 8% 19 12 Race or Ethnicity 0 30 60 90 120 150 In your current position, how often have you been PHYSICALLY harassed because of the following characteristics? Religion or Lack Thereof 426 Total <1% Gender 27 9% 8 0 Gender Identity Sexual Orientation 1% Mental Disability Status <1% Rarely Physical Disability Status 2 Race or Ethnicity 2 Sometimes <1% Often 0 1% 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 What group(s) was the individual(s) that PHYSICALLY harassed you a member of? Non-University/Organization/ Institution Affiliated or Surrounding Community Member 7 Non-Academic Staff (Secretaries, Support Staff, etc.) 3 College/University/Organization/ Institution Administration 2 Supervisors outside of the Physics/ Astronomy Department or Organization/Institution 4 Supervisors within the Physics/ Astronomy Department or Organization/Institution 13 Peers outside of the Physics/ Astronomy Department or Organization/Institution 11 Peers within Physics/Astronomy Department or Organization/ Institution 15 0 5 10 15 110 In your current position, do you feel or have you ever felt unsafe because of any of the following personal characteristics? 24% 100 90 80 70 60 102 50 40 30 20 10 0 5% 5% 20 2% 8 Race or Ethnicity Physical Disability Status 2% 2% 2% 11 10 10 Mental Sexual Disability Orientation Status Gender Identity 23 Gender Religion or Lack Thereof In your current position, how many classes/meetings/conferences/field work/ opportunities/etc. have you skipped per month because of feeling unsafe? Student 2 1 Staff scientist/Research scientist/Non-tenured professor/or Equivalent 3 3 Sr. Staff scientist/Sr. Research scientist/Tenured professor/or Equivalent 7 2 1 Postdoc 2 11 8 6 or more 4 4 to 5 2 to 3 Other (please specify) 1 to 2 2 0 5 10 15 20 Survey Preliminary Conclusions •  Scientists in the astronomical and planetary science communities experience and witness inappropriate language, verbal harassment, and physical assault. •  Abuses that relate to gender are those that appear in the greatest proportion in this sample. •  Inappropriate comments, harassment, and assault lead to a number of scientists feeling unsafe in their workplaces, and pursuing fewer scholarly opportunities as a direct result of these experiences. The Solution The problem is HARASSMENT Why is a solution needed? And why should we be the community to fix this greater societal issue? –  Human Decency –  Because it’s 2015 –  Because we’re currently in the spotlight and forefront of this issue –  Because we’re some of the most intelligent people of the planet and we can do better –  Because we brag about wanting to be diverse and inclusive –  Because the science in this field is being directly impacted HUMAN DECENCY! How to Make it STOP: Reporting •  Read the policy for your university, facility, or business to know what to do •  Document issues •  Write a statement or give a testimony to the Office noted in policy •  Efforts will be made as much as possible to ensure privacy in the issue •  At no point is the person, university, workplace, etc. allowed to retaliate against a harassment complaint –  If the person becomes intimidating or threatening in any way, report to the proper authorities (campus security, police) •  Talk to someone While at The DPS •  The Anti-Harassment Statement of the AAS: “Any individual covered by this policy, http://aas.org/policies/anti-harassment-policy, who believes that he or she has been subjected to harassment should contact the AAS Executive Officer or other Society Officer. Other Society Officers include the President, past President or President-elect, senior Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer. He or she is not required or expected to discuss the concern with the alleged offender. All complaints will be treated seriously and be investigated promptly. Confidentiality will be honored to the extent permitted as long as the rights of others are not compromised.” Andy  Rivkin,     DPS  Treasurer   Anne  Verbiscer,   DPS  Secretary   Jason  Barnes,     DPS  Vice-­‐Chair   Kevin  Marvel,  AAS   Execu2ve  Officer   Bonnie  BuraF,   DPS  Chair   How to Make it STOP: Accountability •  EVERYONE here can work within their universities, departments, sub-fields, and professional societies to discuss what they can do to provide a safe, inclusive environment that is conducive to our scientists being able to do the best science possible, as a group of the best people possible. •  AAS Ethics Task Force to update AAS Ethics Statement: https://aas.org/posts/news/2015/10/aas-ethics-task-forceseeks-member-comments-suggestions How to Make it STOP: Being an ‘Ally’ Ally Verb: 1. Combine or unite a resource or commodity with (another) for mutual benefit. 2. Side with or support (someone or something). Allyship is a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/or groups of people. (https://theantioppressionnetwork.wordpress.com/allyship/) Allyship is about understanding that you don’t know everything, have not lived every experience, and cannot fully ever understand what another person is experiencing, yet you can respect their experiences. Additional Resources •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy’s Anti-Harassment page: http://www.aas.org/cswa/harassment.html Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy’s Unofficial Blog: http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com Women in Planetary Science’s Blog: http://womeninplanetaryscience.wordpress.com/blogroll/ Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy’s Unofficial Blog: http://astronomyincolor.blogspot.com Ally Blog Post by Stephen Rinehart: http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2014/03/guest-post-sometimesbeing-good-isnt.html Resources when all else fails: http://www.aauw.org/resource/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplaceadditional-resources/ Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network page on Sexual Harassment: https://rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/sexualharassment 10 Things All ‘Allies’ Need to Know by Jamie Utt: http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/11/things-allies-need-to-know/ How to Be an Ally: https://theantioppressionnetwork.wordpress.com/allyship/ Be the change