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by daeken 4667 days ago
The last thing we need is yet another article (albeit a fairly well-written one) about the problems faced in the abstract, with no solutions in sight. So I'm going to propose one thing you can do. Yes, you. If you see someone being an asshole, particularly if they're someone you know already, make them aware of what they're doing and why it's inappropriate. This works just as well for casual sexism as it does 'bully' attitudes in the workplace.

Seriously. Speak up. We as a community have a tendency to be passive-aggressive, talking in hushed tones about how X acted that night, or how we really wish that Y would stop making racist comments on team outings. In the words of a wise man, "Shut up and say something."
2 comments
justrudd 4667 days ago
Exactly. This comes down to releasing a little bit of your inner sheepdog[1].

[1] http://www.killology.com/sheep_dog.htm

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sp332 4667 days ago
How is "speak up" less abstract than "just listen"? They're both good advice. But there are so many issues that you'll have to be abstract to describe them collectively. I think "just listen" is good advice because you have to know what kind of problems there are before you can even recognize someone being an asshole.
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daeken 4667 days ago
"Just listen" can be helpful to identify problems, but here's the issue: we all already know of 99% of the problems! We just don't act on them. Social pressure is a powerful thing, and most of the time that's all it takes to correct issues.

"Speak up" isn't abstract, it's concrete: if you hear someone say something inappropriate, tell them. That's it. Simple as that.

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sp332 4667 days ago
we all already know of 99% of the problems!

I strongly disagree. Minor changes in wording can affect the gender gap. It doesn't involve anyone saying something inappropriate. http://www.ere.net/2013/03/01/you-dont-know-it-but-women-see... Stereotype threat can dramatically affect test scores. http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/definition.html Most people have no idea these things exist. Fixing them takes more awareness than just telling off the "bad guys". You have to change your own behavior.

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