Harassment and Women in Tech

At a time when we are becoming more acutely aware of the level of harassment endemic in American businesses, government, and the entertainment industry, we must pay particular attention to women working in technology fields. Some new research conducted by the non-profit organization Women Who Tech, revealed the full story of the level of harassment which is going on in tech industry. We need to encourage more women to enter technology fields, and play a part in the rapid growth and cutting edge developments. Women have something to add to this industry. But it is difficult for women to break into the field, and then to stay in the field because of an often hostile work environment as well as rather significant levels of sexual harassment. Because of the "brogrammer" atmosphere, women are being left out of this sector of the economy and limited in their potential for professional growth. Listen to our discussion with Justyn Hintze from Women Who Tech as we discussed their research on women in tech and the shocking level of harassment they face.

Sexual Abuse and Insufficient Labels

Listen to our eye opening discussion on the rhetoric and language around women who have experienced sexual abuse. We specifically discuss the dichotomy of the labels "victim" versus "survivor" and how these terms are insufficient to describe the experience of many women who have experienced sexual abuse. We also acknowledge the implicit values attached to these labels and what that means to the women as they process the experience and try to move on. In researcher Rebecca Murphy-Keith's research, she uncovered a third term which some women preferred to use: thriver. Listen to us discuss the idea of post-trauma growth and overcoming.

Human Trafficking - Part 1

The International Labor Organization estimates that human trafficking is a $150 billion a year industry worldwide. According to the State Department, trafficking is the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise. And it's an enterprise that is devious, and nimble, and well-funded, and really good at evading law enforcement and hiding in plain sight. It is also probably in your town, your city, maybe even your neighborhood.

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Karrin Anderson about her work and research in the area of human trafficking. We talk about how trafficking has changed, and how we as witnesses have changed our thinking and views of trafficking and of victims over the years. In the first episode of this 2 part series, we discuss what human trafficking is, what it isn't, and popular misconceptions about trafficking.

Women and the Alt-Right

In this fascinating discussion, I talk with Dr. Paul Johnson from University of Pittsburgh about the Alt-Right, their beliefs and ideologies, and a brief history of how they started. 

The Alt-Right, is a general umbrella term for a set of right wing ideologies, groups, and individuals whose central belief is that white people, and most particularly white men, are under attack in our society by a system of multi-culturalism, and in their thinking political correctness gone out of control. The foundation of Alt-Right thinking is that white men have been displaced and emasculated by women and minorities, who are NOT equal to white men.

The Alt-Right movement has had significant success attracting social misfits who hear the message that if they are rejected by women, then it is not their fault, but it is the fault of our societal power structures which are systematically undermining the overall success of white men. They are the victims of an emasculating power struggle with women and minorities, which contributes to a bitter resentment toward both.