Short Essay
Sexual harassment has been protruding into the college setting where unfair power dynamics and predator protection resides. I will briefly explore the definition of sexual harassment and the court system and institutions blatant disregard for victims. Next, I will describe power dynamics and perception, tying a connection from the sport industry to the music industry. Finally, I will conclude with how predators avoid repercussions and the importance of data to build a safer society for those on the weaker end of the power dynamic.
Matthews (2000) explains the history of the legalized term, sexual harassment, in the 19th century. Sexual harassment includes an extreme amount of badgering, sexual innuendos, threats, and sexual assault. Despite this legalized definition in the 1970’s, the courts are still behind on standing behind women who are sexually harassed by dismissing what is supposedly considered illegal and annoying or insulting. In the majority of these cases, the predators in a position of power are male and the victims are women, which ties into the social construction theory. As straight men have proclaimed themselves the dominant group, they have created the product of their own repeated interactions and patterned ways over time that best serve them, the social world that men can thrive in and women fight to survive in.
Kirby (2002) noticed that many women are taught about sexual harassment at surface level and are aware it exists, but become so desensitized to the sexual language and innuendos of predators that when the abuse becomes more extreme, they can no longer identify it as such. The majority of success stories in sports and music come from men, therefore, the power dynamic, respect, and trust is institutionalized in women towards men, putting women at greater risk of abuse under such power dynamics.
Predators are highly skilled in such society at avoiding any career repercussions (or repercussions in general) for sexual harassment (O’Connor, 2022). Although the notion that victims' careers and lives are spared for the protection of perpetrators are intuitive, O’Connor explains the significance of hard data. The numbers are yet another piece of evidence that can help victims stand up against the kyriarchy.
In conclusion, sexual harassment in fields of work, such as conservatory, tie a relation to one another. The dominant group continues to thrive in their power by legalizing sexual harassment and assault. When reflecting on the elements of a kyriarchy, the rules and foundations of conservatory power dynamics are the feeding grounds for sexual harassment, sexual assault, and institutional betrayal.
References
Kirby, Sandra L. "Women Under the Dome of Silence." Canadian Woman Studies, 2002///Winter/Spring, pp. 132-138. ProQuest; SIRS Issues Researcher, https://go.openathens.net/redirector/morainevalley.edu?url=https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2250220331?accountid=1977.
Matthews, G. (2000/Dec. 1,). Sexual Harassment. https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265870142?searchid=1718140810&accountid=1977
O'Connor, S. (2022/08/19/, 2022/08/19). It's Not Always the Perpetrator Who Pays Highest Price for Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Irish Times https://go.openathens.net/redirector/morainevalley.edu?url=https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2717165661?accountid=1977
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