October 27, 2008

Critiques of the anti-bullying movement and responses to them - Part 2

Anonymous said:

I am struck by Kennemer's use of the term 'terrorism' because that is exactly how I described my own mobbing experience. I used to refer to my workplace as 'the minefield' because I never knew when or how the next psychological booby trap was going to explode, usually on email, like a sniper attack. When I used the term 'terrorism' in a letter of grievance, the term was then used against me in disciplinary proceedings as an example of my 'uncollegial' and 'extreme' behaviour towards the bullies. It is simply appalling the way complacent senior management reward the complacent, do-nothing, smugly self-satisfied 'hangers on', as Westhues calls them. They stick their noses into the business of their hard-working targets whose only crime is to do their jobs a bit too diligently and too brilliantly to ensure the perpetuation ad infinitum of the complacency and unambitious mediocrity of their academic workplace.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yup, that sounds familiar.

While I was teaching, I was accused of all manner of things, both by administrators and students. Never mind that no proof was ever provided and that I was never given the opportunity to defend myself or even face my accusers. An allegation, no matter how ridiculous, had the ring of truth.

Unfortunately, many of those attacks became personal and included casting aspersions on my education ("Just because you have a Ph. D., you think you're better than everyone else. Grow up!") and my personal life ("He's how old and still not married?").

Real classy, that.