Affirmative Consent

After a discussion of The Hunting Ground we'll then explore whether affirmative consent laws are an effective means to lessen the risk of sexual assault.

"Affirmative consent, also referred to as “yes means yes” policies, define consent as a clear, unambiguous and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. Real consent is marked by the ongoing presence of a yes rather than the absence of a no — both parties must agree to sexual contact verbally or through clear non-verbal cues, and silence or lack of resistance doesn’t indicate consent. Schools with affirmative consent policies must use this stricter standard to evaluate sexual assault complaints within their campus disciplinary systems." (Emba, Christine. Affirmative Consent: A Primer. Washington Post, 10/12/15)

Read either #1, #2, or #3 and then everyone should read #4. Make sure to click on hyperlinks within articles to learn more.

1. Affirmative Consent:Are Students Really Asking? (alternative LINK)
2. Adults Hate Yes Means Yes Laws. The College Students I Meet Love Them
3. The Aziz Ansari Allegation Has People Talking About Affirmative Consent. What's That?
4. When Does Drunk Sex Become Rape?

In your final portfolio entry (#8) please respond to the following:

• Explore your thoughts and ideas about consent laws or policies. Will they work? Why or why not?  Be specific.
• Describe what you think should be done in Clara's case from the last article above. Be sure to explain your reasoning.
• Using information from the articles, conclude by answering these questions:
• How will changing standards of consent affect student behavior, and the handling of sexual assault cases on college campuses and in the larger criminal justice system? What does the need for increasingly explicit rules around consent say about our culture’s understanding of sex?

*TURNING IN YOUR PORTFOLIO: In order to turn in your portfolio, please copy all of your entries into one Google document. Please keep them in the order that you wrote them with the first entry being #1 and the last being #8. Make sure there is a title on each separate entry. Be sure to check the rubric and proofread before submitting. When it is ready, please submit your document to turnitin THROUGH SCHOOLOGY by class time on Monday, February 3. 
*NO BLOG POST THIS WEEK.

The Hunting Ground Responses

• For your the portfolio response (entry #7) connected to the film use specifics from the film and any other articles that you read during this unit to support your responses. You don't necessarily need to answer all of the questions below (although be sure to read the linked reviews or critiques) nor are you limited to these questions-if there are other issues you've been considering feel free to address those:
  
  
  • What is your review or assessment of The Hunting Ground? 
  • What, if anything, does the film prompt you to do? 
  • The film received a 93% positive rating at rottentomatoes.com. Here are a few of those positive reviews Tribune Review, NY Times Review. Do you agree or disagree with this assessment? 
  • Here is a negative review or critique of the film Slate Review. Do you agree or disagree with this assessment?
  • What information that you learned over the last few days is most surprising and why? 
• Does a "rape culture" exist in our society? If so, what is its impact?  
• What kind of responsibility do colleges have to address the issue of sexual assault on their campuses? Why don't they seem to take it more seriously? 
• What should sexual assault awareness programs address? Why? 
• What is the role of bystanders? 
• What other issues that were raised in the film are most important to you?  Why?

The Hunting Ground

Today we will start the film, The Hunting Ground (the film is available to rent at the link).  You will be taking notes. There is a portfolio entry that will be due in response to the film. 

Rape Culture

Today we had a wide ranging and fascinating discussion about the articles that you prepared for your 6th portfolio entry. Here are the scores from that discussion: SCORES

Rape Culture

What are the prevailing social norms and attitudes that help to trivialize or normalize sexual assault in our society? For your next portfolio entry, you'll explore some articles that will help to answer that question (or raise some more). Here is the set of articles that will form the basis of that entry Sexual Assault and Rape Culture Articles (Portfolio#6). As you read and respond to these articles, be sure to click on some of the hyperlinks when available to take a deeper dive into the topic. This portfolio entry is due tomorrow, Thursday, January 23. Please print out a copy of it to use in our discussion.

Judging Steubenville

• We'll start by taking a few minutes to check in about the impeachment trial that begins today.
• Next, we'll pick up our discussion about Steubenville football by watching Amy Schumer's Football Town Lights
• After discussing, you'll have time to complete an entry for your portfolio (#5) about the documentary, Roll Red Roll.
• If you want to understand more about the aftermath of the case to make your conclusions, you may read the any or all of the following articles: Results of Steubenville.  Your portfolio entry should begin by describing your initial reaction to the film (what did you think? what is your review or assessment of the film? why?) Then, please respond to the following questions (*note, if you have more to say, you are certainly not limited to these questions):

• Was justice served in this case?
• What in the identity of the town was influential to what happened (consider economic, cultural, social aspects)?
• What do you think of the role of the media in this story?
• Comment on the students involved.
• Comment on the adults involved.
• What about the kids who filmed what was going on? What sorts of consequences (if any) should they face? Are they bystanders or perpetrators? What about the kids who were texting about it? What is their role?
• This event occurred over five years ago; do you think events like this could still happen? If so, do you think this is a common or normal set of facts or is Steubenville different than other places (conversely, is Deerfield different or could this happen here)?
• With any time left, you can get started on the next entry in your portfolio-here is the set of articles that will form the basis of it Sexual Assault and Rape Culture Articles (Portfolio#6)

Football Night in America

Yesterday and today we watched the documentary Roll Red Roll which is available on Netflix. If you missed class and don't have access to Netflix, you can read this article instead: Rape Case Unfolds on Web and Splits City.

When finished, if time, we'll start reading these articles: Results of the Steubenville Case

#MeToo and Sexual Harassment in Politics and Business

Please make a copy of the following document and then work to complete it by the end of class today. If you are unable to do so, please finish it by class time tomorrow.  This will be the 4th entry in your portfolio for this unit.

Silence Breakers

Beyond Schools: Sexual Harassment in the workplace and in public

After discussing the articles you read for the last assignment, today we'll look at and respond to several videos. The responses to the videos will make up entry #3 to your portfolio
Make a copy of the following document to use today:
That's Harassment

Current Events and Sexual Harassment Contd.

We started class today by gathering information about and then discussing the Iranian missile attacks that occurred last night.
Then, we had a short discussion about the sexual harassment articles that you read for today before being given time to finish the (Section C) questions about the last section of information.

Sexual Harassment Continued

After finishing and discussing the sexual harassment scenarios and corresponding charts from yesterday, we'll see how some of these instances occur beyond the realm of hypothetical in an arena in which students are familiar-the school.
Read these articles actively: Sexual Harassment in Schools
Answer these questions as you read or after you read: Harassment Article Questions.
Your responses to these questions are the second entry in your portfolio so be sure that your responses are thorough, detailed, specific and your OWN work.

Welcome Back !

After some welcome back conversation and reminders (blogs, outside reading, civic engagement) we'll begin thinking about our new unit.
With sexual harassment and sexual assault continuing to dominate our news (from last year's Supreme Court confirmation hearings, the Bill Cosby case, as well as stories from many of our other major industries with much of it fostered by the #MeToo movement that began on Facebook), it's important to understand these issues and discover the places where we may confront them.

While we examine both topics, our unit will contain two major assessments. The first will be a portfolio of your writings and reflections about a number of different articles and activities that will serve to help you become aware of the significance of these issues.  The portfolio will be assessed both for completion and quality. Here is the rubric that I will use to assess the quality of your portfolio work: Portfolio Rubric 2020.

We'll begin our unit with the topic of sexual harassment. The chart below will be the first entry in your portfolio. Here are your instructions:

• Read this definition of sexual harassment and this list of actions that may possibly constitute sexual harassment. Discuss with your partners.
• Then, using those definitions, go through these scenarios and fill out the chart as you go. The most efficient way to do this is to have two chromebooks open; one with the scenarios and one with the chart. Share the chart with all members of your group.
• Make sure that you put all of your partners' names at the top of the chart.

Group #1 Billy Alexa A. Stephen Hannah	Group #2 Trevor Bailey Ally Emma	Group #3 Alana Alexa W. Will	Group #4 Ty Scott Adam	Group #5 Brooke Savanna Zach
Group #6 Cassandra Carly Laith	Group #7 Nickko Charlie Vittoria	Group #8 Sophia Marissa Leah