Navigating “Me, too” in the Geosciences

Abstract

We have seen the "Me, too!" movement expand across all aspects of humankind. From Hollywood, where it grew legs, to Congress, state legislatures, the White House, huge corporations, small businesses, sports, television personalities, the military, the Olympics, religions, and, yes, to GSA. Before Harvey Weinstein-before something hit the proverbial fan-GSA was already receiving and addressing complaints from members who experienced harassment (ranging from bullying to sexual assault, but most commonly, gender harassment). We launched a review of our ethics position, our obligations, and our Code of Conduct to ensure our Society has the means to effectively deal with unprofessional behavior at GSA meetings, field trips, and other sponsored events. GSA recognized the absence of good definitions and effective procedures and made moves to correct that. GSA's initiative was timely and good strides have been made. We are taking "proactive measures." I believe people in the geosciences have excellent skills to address harassment, prejudice, and gender issues. We have the scientific skills and intellect to address many societal problems and we are good at using these skills. We routinely gather data, review published studies, and conduct in-depth conversations with experts. This is second nature to the professional geoscientist. What is not second nature to us is how to employ these skills in our interpersonal relationships, including our interactions with colleagues, staff, students, and even our families. And this can make a big difference. So, first, let's look at facts. The Facts. Data. The scientist's friend and staple for sound analysis. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published in the summer of 2018 a report, "Sexual harassment of women: Climate, culture, and consequences." Though mostly about women, because they are the target of most harassment, it includes substantial data on men, too. Incredibly, studies on sexual harassment from the 1980s through today continue to show that sexual harassment of women is widespread in workplaces and that the rates of sexual harassment have not significantly decreased. This is a disturbing finding. Let's look first at how sexual harassment was defined in the National Academies study: Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination that consists of three types of behavior:

Red Lake Breccia

“…Communities of discourse have emerged around both geoethics and responsible mining to address growing concerns around sustainability, as well as socioenvironmental justice in geoscientific and extractive industries (Ayeh & Bleicher, 2021). The sociocultural dimensions of geoscientific practice, research, and training have begun to be problematized in more varied and nuanced ways, especially around gender disparities (Gries, 2019;Nentwich, 2010;Thornbush, 2016), racism (Bernard & Cooperdock, 2018;Bush & Mattox, 2020;Dutt, 2020;Mattheis et al, 2019), and colonialism (Liboiron, 2021). Geoethics integrates philosophical and practical approaches to address ethical relationships between the geoscientist and self, the profession, society, and the Earth (Peppoloni & Di Capua, 2017).…”

The intersection of geoethics and diversity in the geosciences

“…Joyce (2016) reported on a climate of sexual hostility in the US Forest Service and National Park Services. Gries (2019) addressed this issue in her 2018 GSA Presidential Address, 'Navigating "Me, too" in the Geosciences'. These issues appear to be endemic, as Libarkin (2019; accessed 1 March 2020) reported 1023 publicly reported incidents of sexual misconduct in institutions of higher education.…”