Several years ago I took a management course needed for my major. With the book was some extra material that explained situations that come up in the work place that managers have to resolve. In the videos the situation is explained from multiple points of view, and then the interactive program asks the class what the final answer should be. Keep them? Fire them? Move them to another Department? Those are just generic answers.
One particular video really bothered me. It dealt with sexual harassment. Woman worker used to date Man worker. They broke it off. However, he still loomed around and touched her inapproriately. She asked that he be moved to a different department because she felt uncomfortable. However, other co-workers provided information why it wasn't harassment. They had pictures (you got to see them) of him touching her leg with her smiling. According to the workers, it was taken a few days ago. Another employee supplied an email about the woman sending lies and gossip about the man. The man's testimony was basically "She still has the hots for me". The woman's testimony to why she was smiling in the picture "It's hard when you are being harassed. Especially if they have seniority and can buddy their way into management to get you fired." After all of this, the class was to weigh in on the verdict. The class chose it wssn't harassment because a.) what gossip was going around and b.) they had a previous relationship. The video confirmed that as the correct answer as to why it was a fruitless claim. The final video that explained what happened afterwards was that she was fired.
This bothers me on two levels. That sexual harassment is null if there is a previous relationship (we often see this as an excuse used in sexual assault cases). And two, all women turn into nasty gossipers when a relationship turns sour.
I didn't let this video bother me for years. I wrote it off with an eye roll. The professor was sexist anyways towards women, categorizing us as shampoo and hair-loving individuals who all want lots of babies. He didn't even help women when they wanted help in class. He likely ordered it because it mirrored his own views.
Thanks to my influence from feminists blogs such as this, I now see it is as wrong. I fear this is how not only the school views women (for ordering this book) but how McGraw-Hill views women as well. It's been two years since I have taken the class, but I still fear the newer editions likely use the same crap.
What are your thoughts?
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yes you should. You really really should. And then you should also start a campaign to get the material banned from use
heck, you can also start a petition - and I will sign it!!!
It would be really awesome of you to send a letter! And I second that I would sign a petition.
So I don't comment very often but the person being harrassed is the only one qualified to judge if someone else is intruding on them. Christ. I'm not exactly the best person in the world but a little respect is in order. If someone tells another person that someones actions make them uncomfortable then the person being told is responsible for maintaining an appropriate boundary.
Write the letter and where do I sign the petition?
second this too
MASHBengal: I work in higher ed publishing, but not for this publisher. *Definitely* write to the editor of the book, whose name you should find in the text's front matter, about the unsuitable nature of this ancillary material. They do pay attention to student/user feedback like this.
I would also talk to the dpeartment head about his behavior. Youre probably going to have to show some proof, so figure how to do that. Even a complaint to the department head would do something to raise suspicion.