Stories of Harassment and Discrimination at Social Work Academic Conferences: Thematic Results from a National Sample

Background: Harassment and discrimination are longstanding problems within academia, especially at academic conferences (Biggs, Hawley, & Biernat, 2018; Karami, White, Ford, Swann, & Spinel, 2020; NASEM, 2018). There is a paucity of research surrounding these issues in social work academic conference culture, particularly qualitative data to help elucidate lived experiences of harassment and discrimination. This study addresses that empirical gap by reporting on open-ended responses from a survey about the nature of harassment and discrimination at social work academic conferences.

Methods: The research team launched an anonymous online survey between September 2023 and January 2024. The survey included a final open-ended item inviting respondents to, “...share your own stories of harassment or discrimination, or any additional reflections.” Over 60% (n = 187) responded to this item. Responses were coded and thematically organized using open and axial coding by two team members and then validated through group discussion.

Results: Five key themes were identified. First, respondents spoke to experiences of social exclusion supported by structures of elitism, discrimination, and positional hierarchy. As one individual said, “There is a hierarchical structure to social work conferences in which doctoral and graduate students, along with non-academic social workers, are felt to perceive themselves as outsiders.” Second, experiences of bias and harassment targeted a diverse range of positionalities (e.g., ageism, LGTQ, gender, etc.). Third, social work academic culture enables inappropriate sexist behavior, especially by men. As one individual wrote, “I am deeply concerned how poster sessions are hunting grounds for older men in the academy.” Another respondent related a common experience for job seekers: “I had so many uncomfortable interviews... [interviewing with] just him [a male faculty member] and me in a semi-dark hotel room.” We also found a fourth recurring theme of power imbalances between those harassing and those being harassed. This story was emblematic of people’s responses, “I am very aware of an incident that took place in which a[n] individual very early in her academic career was sexually harassed and bullied by an individual very senior in his academic career.” The fifth theme reflected that participants had to change their own behavior, because the system will not change: “ I need to go to conferences but I will be limiting my participation to required activities.”

Conclusions and Implications: Results highlight the critical importance of recognizing the risks people with non-dominant positionality face. Moreover, a culture of permission infuses the social work academic workplace, structurally facilitating harassment and discrimination. Consistent with Foucauldian (1982) ideas of internalized control, the culture seems to teach women and others in non-dominant positions that they need to police their behaviors to stay safe and advance in their careers. This leads to systemic social exclusion of persons in non-dominant positions and perpetuates the male-based dominance and culture of power within the profession. Ending harassment and discrimination requires culture transformations and a community-wide commitment to written standards for behavior, consequences for those who violate those standards, and protections for those who speak out.