Deck 55: Margaret Crouch

Question 1

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Crouch argues that sexual harassment must be understood more broadly than simply workplace and academic harassment in order to see its true nature. What is the true nature of sexual harassment according to Crouch? Do you agree with Crouch that an overly narrow conception of sexual harassment has obscured or concealed this nature? Why or why not?

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Crouch claims that women are treated in public as "open persons." What does it mean to treat someone as an "open person" and what evidence does Crouch provide for the claim that women are treated in such a manner? Do you find Crouch's evidence persuasive? Why or why not?

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Crouch criticizes anti-harassment laws that are rooted in traditional views of gender. Do you find Crouch's criticism convincing? Why or why not?

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Crouch argues that sexual harassment has the effect of maintaining women's subordinate position in society. Can you think of anything besides sexual harassment that also has this effect? Explain your answer.

Question 5

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Of the various forms of sexual harassment that Crouch discusses-workplace, academic, and public-which one do you think is the most serious and most in need of remedy? Are there any serious forms of sexual harassment that Crouch does not discuss?

Question 6

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Of the various means of combating public harassment that Crouch discusses, which in your view are the most likely to be effective? Explain your answer.

Question 7

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-According to Crouch, sexual harassment can occur:

A) in the street.
B) at work.
C) on public transportation.
D) all of the above.

Question 8

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-According to Crouch, public harassment can take the form of:

A) comments on a woman's appearance.
B) unwanted touching.
C) lewd gestures.
D) all of the above.

Question 9

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-According to Crouch, women most commonly respond to public harassment by:

A) confronting their harasser.
B) avoiding places where harassment is likely to occur.
C) reporting harassers to the police.
D) all of the above.

Question 10

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-According to Crouch, women all over the world tend to experience public harassment as:

A) something to be feared.
B) something they are to blame for.
C) something to be avoided.
D) all of the above.

Question 11

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Crouch describes how some women have taken it upon themselves to address public harassment by:

A) forming grassroots anti-harassment organizations.
B) staging public protests to educate people about public harassment.
C) using the internet to post photographs of harassers.
D) all of the above.

Question 12

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Crouch argues that public harassment must be eliminated because it is an affront to women's sexual modesty and virtue.

Question 13

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-According to Crouch, sexual harassment functions to constrain women's freedom of speech.

Question 14

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-According to Crouch, public harassment is a violation of the public norm of civil inattention.

Question 15

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Crouch claims that from the perspective of traditional views of gender, women are harassed when they have done something wrong.

Question 16

Margaret Crouch: Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces
In "Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces," Margaret Crouch argues that the current discourse on sexual harassment must move beyond its narrow focus on the workplace and academia and understand harassment more broadly so as to include harassment in public places such as city streets and public transportation. For only then, according to Crouch, can we see sexual harassment for what it really is: a means of maintaining women's subordinate place in society, in part by constraining their freedom of movement. Crouch discusses how this constraint operates in street harassment by leading many women to avoid traveling alone in public places for fear of unwanted attention. Crouch also discusses how many legal responses to public harassment do not empower women, but actually reinforce their subordination and unequal status by presupposing traditional views of gender and gendered behavior.
-Given the difficulties in crafting effective anti-harassment legislation, Crouch argues that only grassroots organizing can reduce sexual harassment.