The Effect of Sex and Feminist Orientation on Perceptions in Sexually Harrassing Communication

Berryman-Fink, Cynthia; Riley, Kimberly Vanover

doi:10.1080/07491409.1997.10162399

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The men were less inclined than the women to label the donor's behavior as sexual harassment. These findings are consistent with previous work suggesting that men and women make sense of sexual harassment differently (Dougherty, 1999(Dougherty, , 2001b and that women tend to label more behavior as sexual harassment than men (Berryman-Fink & Riley, 1997;Booth-Butterfield, 1989;Garlick, 1994;Hemphill & Pfeiffer, 1986;Mongeau & Blalock, 1994;Thacker & Gohmann, 1993).…”

Section: Sexual Harassment Contestedsupporting

confidence: 94%

Sensemaking, organizational culture, and sexual harassment

Dougherty¹,

Smythe²

2004

Journal of Applied Communication Research

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While EEOC guidelines for managing sexual harassment prescribe a strong sexual harassment policy and aggressive remedial action following complaints, a communication approach suggests a need for a more complex understanding of sexual harassment as diffused throughout an organizational culture. The present case study uses a sensemaking approach to explore the response of members of an academic department to an alumnus donor's serial sexual harassment of three of its members. Sensemaking proceeded through three phases: the phase of discovery, the debriefing phase, and the dispersal phase. Insights into the role of humor, white men, shared experiences, and responding to sexual harassment are discussed.

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Section: Sexual Harassment Contestedsupporting

confidence: 94%

Sensemaking, organizational culture, and sexual harassment

Dougherty¹,

Smythe²

2004

Journal of Applied Communication Research

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“…These men's and women's different discursive constructions of power provide a partial explanation for consistent reports in the literature that men view fewer behaviors as sexual harassment than women do (Berryman-Fink & Riley, 1997;Booth-Butterfield, 1989;Solomon & Williams, 1997;Williams et al, 1995). The findings from the present study suggest that for women, sexual harassment can be initiated by any individual who is perceived as having power, whether that is from a coworker, subordinate, or a superior.…”

Section: Understanding Power and Sexual Harassmentsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…Unfortunately, unwanted sexual attention has the same negative psychological and physiological effects, regardless of the label used to describe the act (Magley, Hulin, Fitzgerald, & DeNardo, 1999). In fact, despite legal definitions of sexual harassment, there is very little common meaning as to what constitutes sexual harassment among organizational members (Dougherty, 2001;Kitzinger & Thomas, 1995); men view fewer behaviors as sexual harassment than women do (Berryman-Fink & Riley, 1997;Booth-Butterfield, 1989;Solomon & Williams, 1997;Williams, Brown, & Lees-Haley, 1995). The inconsistent labeling of sexual harassment suggests that there are important definitional differences in discursive constructions of this term.…”

mentioning

confidence: 91%

Gendered Constructions of Power During Discourse About Sexual Harassment: Negotiating Competing Meanings

Dougherty

2006

Sex Roles

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A qualitative study using same-sex and mixed-sex focus groups and stimulated recall interviews was designed to identify and explore gendered constructions of power during discourse about sexual harassment. It was discovered that the men tended to construct power as hierarchically held by individuals with formal authority. Consequently, they tended to view sexual harassers as managers and supervisors. Women tended to view power as a negotiated process in which power was gained and lost through interactions. Consequently, the women tended to perceive all members of an organization as possible harassers. When these men and women were given an opportunity to discuss these issues during mixed gendered interactions, they failed to recognize the gendered constructions of power. Implications are discussed.

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“…Many organizational communication scholars find that in the case of sexual harassment, there are sharp divisions between men and women about what constitutes a harassing act (Berryman‐Fink & Riley, 1997; Booth‐Butterfield, 1989; Garlick, 1994; Hemphill & Pfeiffer, 1986; Mongeau & Blalock, 1994; Thacker & Gohmann, 1993). According to Dougherty and Atkinson (2006), it is such a cloud of confusion that allows for the rise of a gray area, where a sexual harasser can employ strategies like the use of hypothetical terms to sexualize interactions while at the same time shield himself from responsibility for the inappropriate behavior.…”

Section: Hegemonic Masculinity the Gray Area And Star Warsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Darth Vader Made Me Do It! Anakin Skywalker’s Avoidance of Responsibility and the Gray Areas of Hegemonic Masculinity in theStar WarsUniverse

Atkinson

Calafell

2009

Communication, Culture &Amp; Critique

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In this essay, we examined the interactions of Anakin Skywalker during moral dilemmas in the Star Wars narrative in order to demonstrate the avoidance of responsibility as a characteristic of hegemonic masculinity. Past research on sexual harassment has demonstrated a ''gray area'' that shields sexual harassers from responsibility. We explored how such a gray area functions as a characteristic of hegemonic masculinity by shielding one male, Anakin Skywalker, from responsibility for his immoral and often violent actions. Through our investigation, we found three themes integral for the construction of a gray area that helped Anakin avoid responsibility: phantom altruism, a clone-like will, and the guise of the Sith.

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The Effect of Sex and Feminist Orientation on Perceptions in Sexually Harrassing Communication

Cited by 12 publications

References 27 publications

Sensemaking, organizational culture, and sexual harassment

Sensemaking, organizational culture, and sexual harassment

Gendered Constructions of Power During Discourse About Sexual Harassment: Negotiating Competing Meanings

Darth Vader Made Me Do It! Anakin Skywalker’s Avoidance of Responsibility and the Gray Areas of Hegemonic Masculinity in theStar WarsUniverse

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