https://techandsocialchange.mit.edu/2018/10/08/988/ MAS.S63 Fall 2018 | Wednesdays 10-1 in E15-341 Wed, 10 Oct 2018 14:42:43 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.1 https://techandsocialchange.mit.edu/2018/10/08/988/#comment-2139 Wed, 10 Oct 2018 14:42:43 +0000 http://techandsocialchange2017.wordpress.brownbag.me/?p=988#comment-2139 You clearly put a lot of thought into these principles and the envisioned convening. I was particularly impressed by your reminder not to ignore the materiality of interventions — that systems of oppression are ultimately constituted by specific bodies in specific places at specific times. This is easy to forget in the design process. I would have liked to see an additional value regarding design within brave spaces. When handling sensitive topics, such as sexual assault, it is important to create spaces where people feel respected, their stories are honored, and yet others feel comfortable to challenge ideas with civility. This is particularly important for sexual assault, where the language used is often the source of confusion. I have seen multiple times survivors describing their rape, and men (usually) disagreeing with the use of the term. How do we honor the experience of the survivor in her own words while civilly challenging the resistance to her language? How do we arrive at consensus around the use of terms related to sexual assault? Regarding the convening, I was wondering if you envisioned a formal curriculum being formed around these stories as a structure to provide boys clear values, skills and guidelines for sexual engagement moving forward (e.g., understanding consent and how to operationalize it in sexual settings.) I think it would be a good opportunity to engage survivors in the creation of this curriculum to ensure it covers the “teachable moments” from their experiences, and challenges the mindsets of the perpetrators. Regarding how I could help, this topic is actually one in which I have quite a bit of experience. I took a semester-long course in college about sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and interned for a semester at a SA/DV hotline. I also ran our college Women’s Center, in which I organized campus programming on consent, supporting survivors, and challenges around reporting. I would love to support this effort if it moves forward!

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