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We're currently hosting our discussions at Café Walnut, near the corner of 7th & Walnut in Olde City, just across the street from Washington Square Park. The cafe's entrance is below street level down some stairs, which can be confusing if it's your first time. Our group meets in the large room upstairs.

Since we're using the cafe's space, they ask that each person attending the meetup at least purchase a drink or snack. Please don't bring any food or drinks from outside.

The cafe is fairly easy to get to if you're using public transit. With SEPTA, take the Market-Frankford Line & get off at the 5th Street Station (corner of 5th & Market), and walk 2 blocks south on 5th and then turn right on Walnut Street and walk 2 blocks west. With PATCO, just get off at the 9th-10th & Locust stop and walk 3 blocks east & 1 block north. For those who are driving, I'd suggest parking in the Washington Square parking deck at 249 S 6th Street which is just a half block away.

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UNDERSTANDING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE & THE IMPACT OF THE #METOO MOVEMENT

INTRODUCTION:

While the media focus on the #MeToo Movement has abated somewhat since its heyday in the fall of 2017 and spring of 2018, it's never really gone away and with Harvey Weinstein's ongoing trial several pundits have wondered if it will become an important issue in the 2020 election. This meetup will examine the structural (economic, social, cultural) that appear to drive "gender-based violence" - a blanket term that includes rape & sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse.

We've covered sex & gender issues before in a pair of meetups in the summer of 2017 entitled "The Economics of Sex" and "Sex, Demographics & Declinism":
https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Political-Agnostics/events/wxsktmywkbmb/
https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Political-Agnostics/events/241373059/

The first meetup looked at shifting patterns in dating & marriage due to the development of effective birth control in the mid 20th century and the trend towards dating for a longer period and marrying later in life. The second meetup looked at how declining wages of blue-collar men & the increasing educational & professional advancement of women may be tied to the decline in the marriage rate and how this also coincides with a general decline in the U.S. birth rate.

The connection between these socio-economic trends & gender-based violence may not be obvious, but many feminists are concerned that a lack of economic opportunity for women traps them in jobs where they get harassed and relationships where they get abused. There's also a lot of concern from establishment liberals about men becoming more abusive when they're under financial stress or unemployed, especially if they turn to alcohol or drug abuse, although feminists often see this as an attempt to abrogate the man's responsibility for his actions. Social conservatives often fear that as single mothers with cohabitating boyfriends replace married couples, both the women & children in this environment will be at higher risk of abuse.

We've also covered the structural issues underlying violent crime in several meetups, including one entitled "The Deep Cultures of Violence" and another entitled "Public Safety & Civil Liberties":
https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Political-Agnostics/events/zgmddnywmbwb/
https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Political-Agnostics/events/249161091

The first meetup dealt with cultural factors that drive violent crime rates among poor white Southern males, poor urban black males, poor Hispanic immigrant males, and privileged white males. The second meetup dealt with how crime-fighting policies involve tradeoffs between public safety and civil liberties, and how crime reduction operates on the 3 factors that cause crime: means, motive, opportunity.

The connection between "honor culture" explanations of violent crime & gender-based violence is that the same men who are likely to assault or kill other men due to perceived disrespect may be more likely to use violence against women for the same reason -- i.e. for rejecting their sexual advances or arguing with them in a domestic context. In terms of tradeoffs, there's often a conflict between due process & the presumption of guilt when allegations of sexual assault, domestic violence, or workplace harassment are made. Feminists typically stress that we need to "believe all women" whereas civil libertarians argue that presumption of innocence must take precedence.

Policy makers also differ in the ways they try to reduce gender-based violence. Many feminists insist on focusing almost exclusively on reducing the motive -- i.e. end "rape culture" by teaching men to respect women & ending various forms of "sexual objectification" in our media & culture. Conversely, many establishment liberals want to focus on reducing the means for gender-based violence, which often reducing drug & alcohol consumption, but also taking guns away from abusive men - feminists tend to favor the latter but as I mentioned above, they're often wary of blaming drugs or alcohol for male violence. Meanwhile, social conservatives have their own views of how to reduce the motive -- i.e. return to traditional gender norms & Judeo-Christian morality -- and they also often want to focus on reducing the opportunity for gender-based violence by reducing or eliminating co-ed dorms, pre-marital cohabitation, hookup culture, pornography, etc. There's also significant differences in views of police intervention & incarceration as solutions to gender-based violence - so-called "carceral" feminists and "law & order" conservatives tend to favor the law enforcement approach. However, they often perceive the greatest threats coming from different populations, namely their "out-groups" - i.e. feminists tend to focus on sexual assaults & harassment committed by privileged, straight white males, whereas conservatives tend to focus on sexual assaults & harassment from poor black males, illegal immigrant Latinos & Muslim men. Meanwhile, "anti-carceral" feminists & libertarians tend to be wary of human rights abuses & unintended consequences of a heavy-handed approach and want more focus on sexual education & "transformative justice" solutions.

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DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR DISCUSSION:

The videos & articles you see linked below are intended to give you a basic overview of the research on gender-based violence and the effects of the MeToo Movement. As usual, I certainly don't expect you to read all the articles & watch all the videos prior to attending our discussion. The easiest way to prepare for our discussion is to just watch the numbered videos linked under each section - the videos come to about 47 minutes total. The articles marked with asterisks are just there to supply additional details. You can browse and look at whichever ones you want, but don't worry - we'll cover the stuff you missed in our discussion.

In terms of the discussion format, my general idea is that we'll address the topics in the order presented here. I figure we'll spend about 30 minutes on each section.

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I. STATS & LAWS ON RAPE & SEXUAL ASSAULT:

  • HOW COMMON ARE RAPE & SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE U.S., AND CONSIDERING UNDER-REPORTING IS A MAJOR CONCERN, HOW SOLID IS THE DATA?

  • WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE RISK DISTRIBUTION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RACE & CLASS?

  • IS MOLESTATION OF BOYS & MALE PRISON RAPE SO COMMON THAT ROUGHLY EQUAL NUMBERS OF MEN & WOMEN ARE ASSAULTED EACH YEAR?

  • IS SEXUAL ASSAULT MORE COMMON IN AREAS WITH MORE YOUNG PEOPLE - LIKE COLLEGE CAMPUSES - OR IN CERTAIN SUBCULTURES, LIKE INSULAR RELIGIOUS SECTS OR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES?

  • HOW COMMON ARE FALSE RAPE ACCUSATIONS? CAN WE PUNISH FALSE ACCUSERS WITHOUT DISINCENTIVIZING RETRACTIONS?

  • ARE RAPE SHIELD LAWS THAT PROHIBIT CROSS-EXAMINING PLAINTIFFS ON THEIR SEXUAL HISTORY JUSTIFIED BECAUSE IT'S IRRELEVANT? SHOULD THIS EXTEND TO ASKING ABOUT PRIOR SEXUAL CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT?

  • SINCE ALCOHOL IS INVOLVED IN ABOUT HALF OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS, CAN WE REDUCE SEXUAL ASSAULT MERELY BY REDUCING ITS AVAILABILITY OR TAXING IT MORE?

  • WHO SHOULD WE CONSIDER “SEX OFFENDERS”? ARE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRIES EFFECTIVE - AND IF SO, ARE THEY ETHICAL?

  • CAN SOME SEX OFFENDERS BE REHABILITATED? FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT, IS CHEMICAL CASTRATION EFFECTIVE - AND IS IT ETHICAL?

  • IS LONG-TERM INCARCERATION FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT JUSTIFIED FOR ISOLATION & EXPRESSIVE PURPOSES, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T RESULT IN REHABILITATION NOR DETERRENCE?

1a) Christina Hoff Sommers, "Sexual Assault in America: Do we know the true numbers? " (video - 4:49 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNsJ1DhqQ-s

1b) Cristen Conger, "5 Sobering Facts about Male Rape" (video - 4:12 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDR3daN4ig8

1c) NowThis World, "What Is A Sex Offender? What Rights Do Sex Offenders Have?" (video - 3:10 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vNH_9vzqqo

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II. STATS & LAWS ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

  • HOW COMMON IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE, AND HOW DOES IT VARY BY PAY GRADE & PROFESSION?

  • IS MALE SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN MORE COMMON THAN FEMALE SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF MEN? HOW COMMON IS SAME-SEX HARASSMENT?

  • WHY DON'T ANTI-HARASSMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS APPEAR TO WORK?

  • DO INTERVENTIONS LIKE CLOSED OFFICE DESIGN & DISCOURAGING AFTER-HOURS FRATERNIZING HELP REDUCE SEXUAL HARASSMENT? HOW CAN WE WEIGH THIS AGAINST ITS POSSIBLE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON TEAM-BUILDING & MENTORING?

  • IS THE "GRAHAM/PENCE RULE" A GOOD WAY TO AVOID ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OR A FORM OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION?

  • SHOULD EMPLOYERS BAN EMPLOYEE DATING, OR MERELY ENSURE DATING EMPLOYEES DON'T OVERSEE ONE ANOTHER? ARE "LOVE CONTRACTS" A GOOD IDEA?

  • DO LARGE SETTLEMENTS IN CIVIL SUITS DETER SEXUAL HARASSMENT OR INCENTIVIZE FALSE CLAIMS?

  • SHOULD NON-SEXUAL WORKPLACE BULLYING BE TAKEN AS SERIOUSLY AS SEXUAL HARASSMENT & MADE ILLEGAL?

  • IS THE TENDENCY FOR FEMALE BOSSES TO BULLY FEMALE SUBORDINATES CAUSED BY SUCCESSFUL WOMEN ASSIMILATING MALE ATTITUDES OR BY FEMALE SOCIAL STATUS RIVALRY?

2a) NPR, "Low-Wage Workers Say #MeToo Movement Is A Chance For Change" (podcast - 5:42 min.)
https://www.npr.org/2018/02/06/583428098/low-wage-workers-say-metoo-movement-is-a-chance-for-change

2b) WSJ, "Do Sexual Harassment Training Videos Work?" (video - 3:26 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K7dmFgaEqc

2c) WCNC, "'Billy Graham Rule' - Former NC deputy suing sheriff's office citing religious discrimination" (video - 2:21 min.)
https://youtu.be/-a2otOWcR4Q

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III. STATISTICS & CAUSAL FACTORS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:

  • HOW COMMON IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND HOW DOES IT VARY BY RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION & CLASS?

  • WHAT ARE THE THEORIES ABOUT THE CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? DO CHILDREN OF ABUSERS TYPICALLY OFFEND AS ADULTS?

  • ARE WOMEN AS LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS MEN? IF SO, WHY DON'T WE HEAR MORE ABOUT ABUSED MEN?

  • ARE MANDATORY ARREST POLICIES IN CASES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS TO POLICE EFFECTIVE OR COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE?

  • SHOULD COUPLES' COUNSELING BE USED IN LESS SEVERE CASES OF DOMESTIC ABUSE?

  • DO DIVORCE & CHILD CUSTODY CASES OFTEN LEAD TO FALSE CLAIMS OF SPOUSAL OR CHILD ABUSE?

  • WOULD A RETURN TO TRADITIONAL NORMS THAT ENCOURAGED EARLY MARRIAGE INCREASE OR DECREASE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

  • SINCE ALCOHOL IS INVOLVED IN MANY CASES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SHOULD WE TRY TO PREVENT IT BY REDUCING ALCOHOL'S AVAILABILITY OR INCREASING ITS COST?

  • DOES WOMEN'S ECONOMIC INEQUALITY INCREASE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? IF SO, HOW CAN WE EXPLAIN THE "NORDIC PARADOX", I.E. NORDIC COUNTRIES HAVE THE HIGHEST GENDER EQUALITY RANKINGS IN THE WORLD BUT THE HIGHEST RATES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (~50%) IN THE E.U.?

3a) Seeker, "Just How Common Is Domestic Violence?" (video - 2:58 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNbG3FIGk_w

3b) Robert Van Krieken, "Theories of family violence" (video - 6:29 min, watch til 5:40)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNq7kJ6k-LU

3c) Newsy, "Democrats blast NRA for opposition to VAWA" (video - 3:28 min.)
https://youtu.be/Sf1YpSrbBL0

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IV. IS THE #METOO MOVEMENT WORKING OR BACKFIRING?

  • HAS #METOO CAUSED THE NEWS MEDIA TO COVER GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE DIFFERENTLY? IS A SHIFT FROM "EPISODIC" TO "THEMATIC" FRAMING BENEFICIAL?

  • DOES THE MATCH.COM POLL SHOW THAT MEN ARE BEING OVERLY CAUTIOUS IN DATING? HOW DOES THIS TIE IN WITH MILLENNIALS HAVING LESS SEX & DELAYING MARRIAGE?

  • DO POLLS SUGGEST #METOO SCARED MEN INTO AVOIDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT, BUT ALSO CAUSED EMPLOYERS TO HIRE LESS WOMEN? WILL BANS ON NDAs HELP OR HURT SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS?

  • DOES THE INCREASE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTS AFTER #METOO SUGGEST THE RATE WENT UP OR REPORTING WENT UP? WHY AREN'T CONVICTIONS ALSO GOING UP?

  • HAVE POLICE BEGUN PROCESSING RAPE KITS AT A HIGHER RATE AFTER #METOO? WILL THIS CAUSE RAPE CONVICTIONS TO GO UP IN THE LONG TERM & CUT RECIDIVISM?

4a) CBS, "#MeToo has affected how single men behave [on dates], new survey finds" (video - 4:44 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcmVyia2ceA

4b) 9News, "Study: Women facing less sexual harassment, more gender discrimination" (video - 1:59 min.)
https://youtu.be/DwyOVWBYw8s

4c) RT, "Is #MeToo movement becoming radicalized? 'Right to speak up' vs. 'False accusations' Debate" (video - 3:55 min.)
https://youtu.be/N_rOBBv4u6A

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