tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post492144016227614462..comments2024-03-27T13:28:18.163-04:00Comments on Balter's Blog: #MeToo investigation of famed paleoanthropologist David Lordkipanidze sees light of day at long lastMichael Balterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-85594918996977061122018-09-09T13:40:53.586-04:002018-09-09T13:40:53.586-04:00One of Lordkipanidze's victims in this story s...One of Lordkipanidze's victims in this story sent me some thoughts on the "cultural relativism" discussion, and she agreed to have me post them anonymously in this comments section. She says: <br /><br />"I saw some of the discussion around 'cultural relativism' and have to say I was a little frustrated by it. I mean fine, the person used the term incorrectly and in a way that might come across as an excuse for not intervening. But the point is that cultural differences and perceptions about cultural differences absolutely factor into these situations for victims and witnesses, for whom they can create considerable anxiety about running afoul of cultural norms, as well as for perpetrators and their allies, who exploit them either to excuse bad behavior or--as in Jordi Agusti's comment in the story--to argue that the offense couldn't have happened because it goes against the culture. So if people really want to change the 'culture' that allows sexual misconduct to thrive in international fieldwork settings (and I don't accept Susan Anton's argument that focusing on individual offenders detracts from that goal--we need these examples to reveal how these things happen, which your piece does in a very nuanced way) they have to look at how working in a foreign country or with a foreign project director/colleague affects the dynamics. It doesn't matter if the cultural differences are real or not--people are acting or not acting based on what they perceive.<br /><br />I think the piece is especially valuable for the way it examines how the media covers #MeToo. An additional concern I have about the shocking Harvey Weinstein revelations and their effect on media coverage of sexual misconduct is that now, if the offenses aren't sufficiently horrific as described--if it's groping or forced kissing and not rape, e.g.--then editors/readers aren't interested, despite the fact that such 'lesser assaults' can still have terrible, lasting consequences for victims as well as their field of study."Michael Balterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-36892771615261626912018-09-08T22:48:29.638-04:002018-09-08T22:48:29.638-04:00Many thanks to those who are leaving their thought...Many thanks to those who are leaving their thoughts and describing there experiences. The comments from the last colleague are a reminder that while some may recover from experiences of harassment or assault and go on to have successful careers, many do not. How that works out depends largely on how much support they get from colleagues, especially senior men and women who are in a position to protect them if they get their priorities right.Michael Balterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-70838014497418373332018-09-08T22:36:45.526-04:002018-09-08T22:36:45.526-04:00I worked for four field seasons on a different sit...I worked for four field seasons on a different site in Georgia, one with a mixed Georgian / international team. "Cultural relativism" is obviously a nonsense excuse, but it was also used to excuse inappropriate behavior (thankfully, not extending to assault -- at least, not in my case) at the site that I worked on. "Cultural relativism" allowed my (male) supervisors to avoid taking a stand for the women on the project. I left the project because the harassment grew too intense; unlike some of these other women, my career hasn't really recovered from that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-38942358288035966892018-09-08T12:25:51.450-04:002018-09-08T12:25:51.450-04:00I spent two weeks working at Dmanisi, to my best r...I spent two weeks working at Dmanisi, to my best recollection, in the summer of 2005. While my memory of that time is vague, I do expressly recall when Lordkipanidze visited the site for a celebratory dinner. He arrived with other men and jerry-cans of cheap white wine. I heard talk of earlier parties where large amounts of the powerful brandy 'cha cha' were consumed, one instance where visiting Japanese researchers were literally drunk under the table. While this was a second hand tale, I was directly told at the time by a young searcher that she was physically accosted by Dr.Lordkipanidze and that it was common knowledge that he was sexually interested in visiting young women. I was only mildly surprised because the atmosphere at the site seemed male dominated.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16426719368106294622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-29363462051270865642018-09-08T10:47:41.740-04:002018-09-08T10:47:41.740-04:00If anyone has trouble posting a comment, please go...If anyone has trouble posting a comment, please go to the contact page on my Web site, michaelbalter.com and send me the text. I will post it for you. Let me know if it is supposed to be anonymous or if you want your name used.<br /><br />Thanks for your interest.Michael Balterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-69835317824872225982018-09-08T10:43:52.728-04:002018-09-08T10:43:52.728-04:00I posted a response and when I clicked ‘preview’ n...I posted a response and when I clicked ‘preview’ nothing happened - my text is not recoverable?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-73516550758333414222018-09-07T19:31:12.119-04:002018-09-07T19:31:12.119-04:00Yes, both a cultural difference might be involved ...Yes, both a cultural difference might be involved here, as well as the atmosphere of party and dis-inhibition of alcohol. But there is another aspect as well (see http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-drunk-powerful-dark-paradox-disinhibited.html . People who become well known and have high rank in any profession do have a tendency to develop what has been labelled variously as "self-affirmation fallacy", "hubris syndrome", and "the power paradox" - loss of empathy or mirroring, loss of ability to detect nuance, and so on. See Jerry Useem's piece last year in the Atlantic "Power causes Brain Damage". https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/power-causes-brain-damage/528711/<br /><br />This might be helpful in understanding why men who are wealthy, in positions of power, great celebrity, or even temporary popularity, might exhibit behaviour that is, shall we say, unbecoming to a gentleman and a scholar. As a general note of caution to anyone who deals with such people, it might be wise to also take this discussion beyond the sexual arena and consider other instances of abuses of power in the same light. Gaia's sisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03467272516080497955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-92023491498342618242018-09-07T18:50:58.685-04:002018-09-07T18:50:58.685-04:00Thanks to those who have left thoughtful and suppo...Thanks to those who have left thoughtful and supportive comments. I agree totally with the comments on cultural relativism and I think the researchers who were there at that time would now agree with them too.<br /><br />Although I am no longer doing months-long investigations of sexual misconduct, I still do short-term ones which I flag on social media. Anyone who wishes to should feel free to get in touch with me privately.Michael Balterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-51246752669963930712018-09-07T18:42:36.642-04:002018-09-07T18:42:36.642-04:00Thank you so much for sharing this. The quote disc...Thank you so much for sharing this. The quote discussing cultural relativism and anthropologists not being in the position of judging foreign cultures highlights an important feature that distinguishes how our discipline engages with these field situations. It's unfortunate to encounter this concept being used to almost diminish the intentionality of his actions through the concern over foreign bias. While it is important to recognize differences in cultural rules of behavior, this rationalization has the dangerous flip side of implying that this is acceptable behavior in Georgia--it is not. Unwanted sexual advances and sexual assault are viewed as just as reprehensible across the Caucasus, and often has severe consequences for the targeted women. As an anthropologist and woman from (and working in) this region, it is an appalling trend among well-established, powerful male academics to target and harass foreign women collaborators. It is often an expression of power derived from baseless stereotypes of foreign sexual expression. I have personally heard high-ranking local scholars enthusiastically refer to their foreign collaborators as easy conquests with no repercussions, unlike local women. We cannot use our discipline to give these predators a cultural loophole or escape to justify their behavior because it is a back-handed insult to the culture they are a part of. It is just as foundational that anthropologists point out structural inequalities and power dynamics that allow powerful people like Lordkipanidze to exploit and harm their colleagues and get away with it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-18804465458013877472018-09-07T16:40:30.299-04:002018-09-07T16:40:30.299-04:00I have worked on digs in South Africa, Greece, and...I have worked on digs in South Africa, Greece, and Peru, and EVERY SINGLE field season has included dodging wildly inappropriate advances and propositions, and, in two cases, physically fighting back against a man who thought he could do as he wished to me. It's beyond time that this behaviour is exposed and the perpetrators held accountable for their abuses. Thank you for ensuring that this story is told.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-22905072390872330472018-09-07T16:04:14.081-04:002018-09-07T16:04:14.081-04:00Thank you for posting this.Thank you for posting this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com