Street Harassment

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

photo

Reflection

              Researching street harassment has been quite the adventure. From reading about definitions and studies done on it, to actually reading women’s experiences from different parts of the world, I can definitely say that I learned a lot. This has taught me the different definitions and interpretations of street harassment, how it affects women of color, and how raising awareness can make even the slightest difference.

               My new insight on this issue enables me to see the world differently. I have learned to be more aware of my surroundings; this could be good and bad. It is good through the fact that I will be safer and look out for myself, but it is also a bad thing, because now I feel that I will be more afraid to go out in public. This fear motivates me to try to make a difference. No woman should be subjected to such harassment. This should open the eyes of others because it lets them know that they have a voice, too. They can speak out and raise awareness to this issue so that simply walking out in public can be safer.

-DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

Annotated list of additional resources

Brooks, Katherine. "Fighting Harassment Against Women With Beautiful Street Art." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/15/tatyana-fazlalizadeh_n_5147268.html?utm_hp_ref=arts>.

Buchanan, Nicole T., and Carolyn M. West. "Sexual harassment in the lives of women of color." Handbook of diversity in feminist psychology (2010): 449-476.

Kissling, E. A. "Street Harassment: The Language of Sexual Terrorism."Discourse & Society 2.4 (1991): 451-60. Web.

Logan L. (2015) Street Harassment: Current and Promising Avenues for Researchers and Activists,Sociology Compass, 9, 196–211, doi: 10.1111/soc4.12248.

Here is Dr. Laura Logan’s paper on Street Harassment. It is very helpful and informative on the problem of street harassment. She discusses what it is and how it is a problem. Logan has done lots of work on street harassment and is a very credible source when learning about this problem.

https://vimeo.com/91678581

This video is about Tatyana Fazlalizadeh and how she creates her portraits with a behind the scenes look at the interviews she had with women who were harassed. This helps to understand Tatyana’s cause and helps to understand her story and how she helps women.

http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/

This is a website all about the non-profit organization “Stop Street Harassment.” This will help understand the problem a little better and also gives people a chance to help in any way they can.

http://www.ihollaback.org/resources/myths/

This is a website about the non-profit organization “Hollaback!” This organization helps women AND men to create a safe environment. People can contribute by telling their stories, donating to the cause, or just educating themselves. This is a link to page of myths about street harassment, it is very helpful in understanding what it means and what the lies are.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/10-things-that-street-harassment-is_b_4893376.html

This is a link to an article on The Huffington Post about street harassment. I found it to be informative and interesting to read. It gives a brief summary of what street harassment is and how it is a problem. It’s an easier read and includes stories of people who have been harassed.

-DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

photo

Suggested solutions to the problem

               My first suggestion is that street harassment should be taught in schools. It may be brought up in certain classes, but I feel that a great solution to this is have an actual class or maybe even just have part of the curriculum dedicated to street harassment and assault. Teaching kids in junior high and high school or even elementary school can change how they grow up and how they treat people when they grow older. It should be talked about and taught that street harassment is real and it can be avoided simply by educating others. People, men and boys in particular, can be taught that rejection does not give them a right to harass others. If more people learn that it is a real issue and that real women are affected, then we can maybe eradicate it, even if slowly.

               My next suggestion is simply word of mouth. If a class can’t be taught, then those who are aware of and understand street harassment should spread the word.  Take Tatyana Fazlalizadeh for example. Her project “Stop Telling Women to Smile” has reached lots of attention and all she does is create art and post it in public spaces in hopes that more people will understand. Simply reading a blog and sharing it with others can help. Raising awareness can make such a difference, maybe not eradicating it altogether, but it can let more people be aware of the problem so they learn not to partake in such actions.

               Another suggestion is letting authorities and people in power know about the problem. This can be achieved through petitions, protests, speaking at your next government meeting, and also spreading the word around. Reporting these harassers to authorities can help because not only does it remove them from the area, it gets the attention of the police department. If it is known to the people in power, they can put new laws in place, increase security, or install more security cameras so that others feel safer.

 -DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

photo

Summary

          My research has demonstrated that street harassment is far-reaching, without a doubt. Street harassment affects women of color in a harsh way. Street harassment is a hard concept to define and interpret due to the different factors that take part in it. Women have different experiences and reactions to street harassment, some mild and some extreme. It affects women in the United States and even globally. Raising awareness through art, protests, or even through doing research can make a big impact on the issue.

        My understanding of this problem has changed simply because of the research I have done and the experiences I have read about. I learned that street harassment is even more complicated than I thought. With this project, I have become a little angrier about this issue simply because it seems impossible to stop. It is everywhere, no matter where you go; it occurs more in the streets or urban areas and areas of poverty, but is unavoidable. There are different reactions to street harassment, passive-simply trying to ignore the harassment and active-confronting and fighting back towards the harasser, like Logan stated in her discussion with the class. Women learn to fear their surroundings and take precautions when leaving their homes because they never know when a harasser will come lurking in their corner.

-DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

photo

Description of how the problem is an intersectional issue

Street harassment is an intersectional issue, not just with gender, but with race and socioeconomic status. Of course, different women experience different types of harassment, but a big factor that is affected by this is race, as stated in the work by Buchanan and West. They also stated that Latinas and African American women experience most of the harassment simply because they are women of color and because of their neighborhood and status. In Buchanan and West’s paper, they discussed the topic of racialized sexual harassment. It is different and distinct from just racism and sexism because it is a combination of the two. An example is that a White co-worker told a Black female firefighter that he did not like her because she was black and because she was a woman. This occurs everywhere, and it is disturbing to know that it even occurs in the workplace. Street harassment also happens to men, especially men of color. As discussed in Logan’s article, black men in particular get harassed and are put into racist situations by their own police officers. Race and socioeconomic status play a big role in street harassment.

 -DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

photo

Discussion of an institutional example

Many institutions are affected by this issue of street harassment. One in particular is political institutions, such as the democratic and republican parties. How are these affected? Well, those politicians elected to represent each party have to be aware of the problems of the people in order to change and fix things, which in this case, is street harassment. The people of both parties are affected by policies and laws, so the way that political parties deal with issues can make a difference in the lives of the people. Because street harassment is slowly becoming a known issue, political institutions should take action to fight for and protect those being harassed. For example, a woman, or a group of women who have been harassed in the streets see this as a big issue, so they try to get the attention to the person in charge of the city, the mayor, to see if he or she can do something to help them. The mayor has to see that this is an ongoing problem in his or her city, understand it, and make changes. This relates to what Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is doing in her work for “Stop Telling Women to Smile.” Although she is not in a political institution, she does a lot for trying to get the attention of people, which means that she is most likely trying to get the attention of authorities and people in power to make a difference. Since her portraits are posted throughout different cities, she means for people to pay attention and notice them. Because she, herself, cannot change the laws, I believe that her hopes are for those in power to reach out and try to help.

-DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

photo

Discussion of an everyday example

Street harassment can affect an individual in their everyday lives. For example, I have had experiences with street harassment that have definitely had an impact on my life. I don’t want to sound dramatic, but one instance in particular was a bit of a traumatizing experience. Because of this event, I have been extra careful when out in public, I am always aware of my surroundings, I carry pepper spray with me, and purposely take the long way to school just to avoid areas that I believe are unsafe, uncomfortable, and downright scary to go through. Recently, about a year ago, I got on the train after class, just like I did every day. A few stops later, several people boarded and I noticed that one man in particular kept looking at me. At first, I didn’t really think anything of it, but then it got worse. He started to smile a dirty smile at me and kept trying to get me to talk to him. I ignored him and tried to make it look like I didn’t notice him, but he kept at it and started to say vulgar things and call me baby. I felt scared and so I moved to a different car, when all of a sudden I saw him follow me. I sat next to a woman and started to text my brother to pick me up from the train station because I did not feel safe taking the bus home. At the train station, I got ahead of everyone and ran to the doors (where there were more people around). I looked around to see if my brother was there yet, but when I turned my head, I saw the man standing next to me and he asked me something disgusting. I got so scared that I ran out of the station and to my amazing luck, my brother’s car was right outside. I ran into the car and made my brother fly out of there without looking back. I was so happy to get out of there.

This is just one somewhat extreme example of street harassment. Many women have similar or even worse experiences.  Different people react differently to certain things. Because of my positionality, being young, Hispanic, and a woman, it is as if my harasser took advantage. It is as if my harasser took advantage of my positionality, being young, Hispanic, and a woman. He saw me as weak and simply as an object that he can control or have. He felt entitled, especially being an older white male. My positionality also contributed to my reaction. I felt threatened, weak, and scared which has a lot to do with who I am. I already knew and felt that as a woman, especially of color, I was seen as less of a person…which is why I ran away and felt like there was nothing I could do to help myself. My reaction and understanding of this experience relates to Kissling’s work on street harassment. She talks about women’s experiences, how they feel about being harassed, and sexual terrorism. The way I feel and reacted is similar to theirs. The sexual terrorism, which in my case was how my harasser tried to dominate me by producing fear, was definitely felt and experienced on the train that day.

-DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

gif

Analysis of a second scholarly source

         Nicole Buchanan and Carolyn West discuss how women of color are affected by sexual harassment. Although this article, Sexual Harassment in the Lives of Women of Color, is about sexual harassment and not specifically street harassment, it discusses how women of color in particular deal with sexual harassment on a daily basis. Sexual harassment is a part of street harassment such that those who are harassed on the street are assaulted in a sexual, vulgar way. Buchanan and West talk about different definitions of sexual harassment and different coping strategies among women of color including African American, Latina, and Asian American women.

          The legal definition of sexual harassment has to do with employers and the workplace. It was not until 1976 that sexual harassment was legally recognized as a form of sex discrimination. It took different incidents for it to become illegal in the workplace, which is sad for those that had to experience it. Psychologists have defined it within a stress and coping framework. The person who is harassed must recognize that the harassment is stressful and then cope with it accordingly. Different people cope in different ways. Buchanan and West come to ask if women of color experience more harassment than white women. Their research is contradictory, some findings are that they experience the same or even less and the reason for this is that research fails to consider different factors that raise the vulnerability of the woman like for example job status or where they live. To sum it up briefly, Buchanan and West explain that it is hard to find consistent data because the harassment depends on different factors and definitions. The socioeconomic status of a woman matters, her race, her job status, her neighborhood, and this is a main reason why it is hard to find accurate data and definitions of harassment.

          For coping strategies, like stated previously, different people cope with things differently. For example, less Latinas quit their jobs after being harassed due to their socioeconomic status. They have also reported using more avoidance and denial to cope with harassment; they do not file complaints. Black women reporting using other coping strategies such as demanding them to stop, threatening their harasser, telling on them, or trying to get them fired. Buchanan and West also state that race is a big factor when dealing with harassment. It is common for women to be racially and sexually harassed, specifically black women. With these strategies, it is difficult to find consistent data because women react differently based on their situations and attitudes.

          Overall, this work was very informative and really shed light on the problem of sexual harassment of women of color. As I’ve stated several times before, it is hard to define certain issues because there are so many factors that go into them. With street harassment, a form of sexual harassment, there is race, gender, and status. And with each factor, there are different definitions, interpretations, and ways of dealing with harassment. This leads me to the question…how are we ever going to find a solution street harassment when there are so many factors that play into it? How are we ever going to find a definition for this problem when different women and men interpret it differently? These questions are complicated and are complicated to deal with. I would say that a first major step is clearly defining the problem and understanding it. Once we understand it completely and have others (especially those in power) understand it, we can solve it one step at a time. This reading relates to Kissling’s work such that they both have problems defining harassment because it is such a global problem. Kissling differs in a way that she discusses the experiences and definitions of women from different countries and here, Buchanan and West discuss the experiences and coping strategies of women of different races and ethnicities. All three writers have something in common: they are raising awareness and doing their best to try to solve this issue by trying to define it and interpret it as best they can.

-DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

photo

Analysis of a Scholarly Source

                Elizabeth Arveda Kissling wrote a paper on street harassment titled Street Harassment: the Language of Sexual Terrorism. She discusses the meanings of harassment and what they mean to women and how men use it. With several examples of street harassment from women around the world, she expands on how it is an international issue that is not yet quite understood. Kissling argues that this issue requires both local and global attention and solutions. In the first part of her work, Kissling discusses women’s interpretations of street harassment. She spoke with women in different countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Germany, Taiwan, and of course America. The comments made to women on the streets range from a mere ‘hello baby’ to more vulgar sayings and even threats. Some women see these as a form of compliment or as a confidence booster. Men say that they cat-call women to let them know that they are acknowledged and want to compliment them. Others say that women are simply asking for it by the way they dress. In fact, a woman from Lebanon says that a woman who dresses in tight clothing that exposes her body is “loose,” and that it is her fault that she is harassed.

               Kissling goes on to say that street remarks have many functions of social control, meaning that those who harass use it to feel some sort of control of the situation or environment. For example, men usually see that public spaces belong to them and when women get into these spaces, they are trespassing and it is a sort of punishment, whether violence or sexual assault. Men admit that they harass women merely just to objectify them and humiliate them or that it is a sort of reward for her because she looks good. These remarks remind women of their status of women; that they are sexual objects whereas men are not. Because of the remarks, women tend to fear sexual assault and rape. It keeps them from going to public places and even walking in one’s own neighborhood, an activity that men take for granted. This leads to Kissling defining define sexual terrorism, which is a system by which males frighten and through fear control and dominate females. This terrorism is manifested in many ways such as rape, sexual harassment at work, and wife battering.

               The thing with street harassment is that it is hard to talk about because it is hard to define. Different people, women, have different definitions and interpretations of it. Kissling concludes by saying that we need to understand communication processes because they can play a role in helping to find a clear definition and for raising awareness to street harassment.

               I found Kissling’s work to be very informative. I agree with her point that it street harassment is an international issue and that there are so many different ways to interpret it. Because it is such a hard concept to interpret, it is also hard to define. One question that people may have is that how can we get solutions to this? It is hard to find a solution, but as Kissling says, communication is key. Although Kissling does not say that women of color have this problem specifically, she does mention that she spoke with women of different cultures, not just white. This differs from the “Stop Telling Women to Smile” work of Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, such that Kissling literally discusses the issue and Tatyana raises awareness by posting portraits in public places. They are both addressing street harassment, but in different ways. This work by Kissling is similar to the work of Laura Logan. They both wrote papers discussing street harassment, the definitions, and how it is a problem. Overall, Logan and Kissling’s papers raise awareness and try to explain how it is a difficult concept to define. Both also discuss that solutions to this problem include spreading the word and communicating with people.

-DG

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

Analysis of a Web Source

              The Huffington Post recently had an article on Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, the woman behind the public art project called “Stop Telling Women to Smile.” The article was titled, Fighting Harassment against Women with Beautiful Street Art, and it shed light on Tatyana’s work on street harassment.

               In 2012, Tatyana started this project of creating portraits of the brave women who shared their stories about being harassed in the streets. These portraits have statements on them as well like “My name is not baby” or “Women are not seeking your validation,” which are very powerful and create a bold presence for women, says Tatyana. These wheat paste portraits are posted in public places, usually in places that the women say are uncomfortable and unsafe for them. These portraits have been seen in many cities, such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles. Tatyana launched a campaign to fund her project, STWTS. According to the Huffington Post, the works are provoking a real dialogue concerning the treatment of women in public spaces.

               Tatyana realized that there are many different types of people that can relate to this. She states that as a black woman, it is particularly true that most people want to tell women that their experiences are not important or valid and she feels that with this growing project, that it will get others to see her and other women’s point of view.

               I am particularly glad that The Huffington Post had this article published because it discusses a really important issue and it informed readers of a person who is doing something really important and great to this cause. Even though this was not specifically about women of color, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, a black woman, chose to create portraits of mostly women of color. I agree with everything said on this subject of street harassment in the article and with what Tatyana is fighting for. The questions that a person who cares about justice on the basis of gender might ask about this are do you think this is a solution towards the issue of street harassment? Do you think this might get enough attention that those harassers will realize their wrongs? These are important questions because street harassment is a real problem and these women are real and deserve to walk down the streets without feeling unsafe. I feel that this is an actual solution; these powerful portraits are purposely placed in the streets where potential harassers may see them. Even though these are just portraits, they send a strong message and let others know how unsafe the streets are for women. This post reminds me of the essay by Laura Logan such that it sheds light on street harassment and how powerful words are. Logan says that raising awareness makes a difference, even if its small and Tatyana’s portraits definitely do just that.  

-DG

photo

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

credit

[gwsprojectdg-blog]

Introduction

Street Harassment Directed at Women of Color

by DG

The issue that I want to discuss is street harassment directed at women of color, focusing on urban areas. I feel that street harassment has become a bigger issue, and that people are becoming more aware of it. This problem contributes to oppression on the basis of gender such that it targets women. When people (especially me) hear the words “street harassment,” they typically picture men harassing women on the streets through cat calling or groping. It’s as if the men feel entitled, and the women are subjected to accept these acts. This problem matters because women should not be degraded or harassed by men just because they think they have entitlement. Women deserve respect. I am very interested in this topic because I feel that no one, especially women, should be subjected to such harassment. I, unfortunately, have been a victim of harassment as well. It was not extreme, but it was enough to feel violated and disrespected. I believe that spreading the word and educating people can help make a difference, no matter how small.