Workplace Issues
Sexual Harassment/Discrimination
| Topic area |
Workplace Issues |
| Target audience |
Classes composed primarily of male CS/E students |
| Activity type |
Reading; writing; worksheet; group discussion |
| Time required |
1 class period |
| Attachments |
|
| Additional materials |
-
"The New Rules of Sexual Harassment" by Marianne Lavelle, U.S. News &
World Report, July 6, 1998.
-
"Advice From the Texas Instruments Ethics Office: Sexual Harassment,"
WWW Ethics Center for Engineering & Science, National Science Foundation,
1 August 1999, <http://onlineethics.org/text/corp/sexharass.html>.
-
"The dark side of employee email" by Janice C. Sipior and Burke T. Ward,
Communications of the ACM, July 1999.
-
"It Rhymes with..." by David Gregory, NBC News Transcripts, Dateline NBC,
August 4, 1997 (Lexis-Nexis News Transcripts search terms: Dateline AND
MacKenzie AND harassment).
|
| Background needed to complete the assignment |
Prior to class, students should read the materials (except the Dateline
NBC material which can be handed out after class) and fill out the reading
comprehension worksheet. |
| References |
-
"Sex & the CEO" by Miriam Horn, U.S. News & World Report, July
6, 1998.
-
The Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, month of July, 1997 (many articles).
-
"'Seinfeld' case fallout Award creates Catch-22 for companies" by Del Jones,
The USA Today, July 17, 1997, Money Section, Page 4B.
-
"Sorting out sexual harassment :
The 'Seinfeld' ruling shouldn't silence people who have genuine reason
to complain." The Des Moines Register, July 18, 1997, Main News, page 12.
|
| Last modified |
|
Abstract:
Computer science and engineering students are part of a primarily male
populated environment; their classmates are mostly male, their teachers
are mostly male, their coworkers will be mostly male. Sipior and
Ward describe two types of harassment: quid pro quo and hostile
environment. Male students may be unaware of their own behaviors,
however unintended, that create a hostile environment. This module attempts
to increase this awareness. While the quid pro quo type of harassment
generates the most press, the selected materials and associated comprehension
worksheet aims to ensure that the reader does not miss the more subtle
hostile environment type of harassment. The case study presentation
and writing assignment deals exclusively with the hostile environment type
of harassment by
examining the real life scenario of an executive telling a joke with
sexual connotations.
Goals for the activity:
-
An understanding of the current definition of sexual harassment as determined
by U.S. law and court decisions.
-
Identification of the two kinds of harassment.
-
Increase awareness of behaviors that may, even unintentionally, create
a hostile environment.
-
Practice analyzing a social situation.
-
Have students consider their position and possible responses to such behaviors.
Knowledge / skills / attitudes to be developed (behavioral objectives):
Procedure:
After performing the readings, class discussion can begin with the
comprehension worksheets. This discussion would focus on the "definition"
of sexual harassment and the types of harassment.
The remainder of class is spent discussing the case study of Jerry MacKenzie,
Miller Brewing Co., and Patricia Best.
A writing assignment can be given requiring students to discover information
and write a paper critically evaluating the case.
Assessing outcomes:
The comprehension worksheet can be graded on a pass/fail (or A/C/F)
scale; it's primary purpose is not assessment but guaranteeing readiness.
The case study discussion can be assessed on level of participation.
A writing assignment can be assessed on the soundness of the critical
analysis of the case (e.g., succinct description of case; identification
of the involved parties, the main idea, and the evidence; examination of
evidence for inconsistencies/weakness in logic; summary and statement of
their own feelings).
Additional remarks:
Author contact information:
Jay Fenwick
Department of Computer Science
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
http://www.cs.appstate.edu/~jbf
jbf@cs.appstate.edu
Page maintained by: kwb@csee.usf.edu