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The Context and Consequences of Sexual Harassment in Southeastern Archaeology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2018

Maureen S. Meyers ,
Elizabeth T. Horton ,
Edmond A. Boudreaux ,
Stephen B. Carmody ,
Alice P. Wright  and
Victoria G. Dekle
Maureen S. Meyers*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, P.O. Box 1848, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA
Elizabeth T. Horton
Affiliation:
Arkansas Archaeological Survey, Fayetteville, AR 72201, USA
Edmond A. Boudreaux
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, P.O. Box 1848, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA
Stephen B. Carmody
Affiliation:
Department of Social Science, Troy University, 132 D MSCX, Troy, AL 36082, USA
Alice P. Wright
Affiliation:
Appalachian State University, Department of Anthropology, ASU Box 32016, Boone, NC 28608-2016, USA
Victoria G. Dekle
Affiliation:
University of Kentucky, Department of Anthropology, 211 Lafferty Hall, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
*
(memeyer1@olemiss.edu, corresponding author)
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Abstract

In 2014, the Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC) conducted a sexual harassment survey of its membership. The survey's goal was to investigate whether sexual harassment had occurred among its members, and if so, to document the rate and demographics of harassment. Our findings include a high (66%) level of harassment, primarily among women, with an additional 13% of respondents reporting sexual assault. This article provides an overview of the survey and responses. Additionally, we analyze survey data aimed at capturing change over time in harassment and assault, correlation between field and non-field tasks and harassment and assault, and correlation between gender of supervisor and harassment and assault. We also discuss the effects of harassment and assault on careers. We conclude with suggestions for decreasing the rate of harassment and assault and urge professional archaeological organizations to document sexual harassment and assault to mitigate the effects on their members and on the discipline as a whole.

En 2014, la Conferencia Arqueológica del Sureste (SEAC, por sus siglas en inglés) realizó una encuesta de sus miembros sobre acoso sexual. El objetivo de la encuesta fue investigar si los miembros de la SEAC habían sufrido formas de acoso sexual y, de ser así, documentar la tasa y los indicadores demográficos de quienes habían sufrido acoso. Nuestros hallazgos incluyen un alto nivel de acoso (66%), principalmente dirigido a mujeres; además, un 13% reportó casos de asalto sexual. Este artículo proporciona una síntesis de la encuesta y las respuestas. Además, analizamos los datos de la encuesta para detectar cambios a través del tiempo en la ocurrencia de casos de acoso y asalto sexual y correlaciones del tipo de tarea (trabajo de campo o no de campo) y género del supervisor con la frecuencia de acoso o asalto sexual. Discutimos los efectos del acoso y asalto sexual para las carreras profesionales. Concluimos con algunas sugerencias para disminuir la tasa de acoso y asalto sexual, y recomendamos que las organizaciones arqueológicas profesionales documenten el acoso y asalto sexual con el fin de mitigar las consecuencias para sus miembros y la disciplina en su totalidad.

Type
Articles
Information
Advances in Archaeological Practice , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , November 2018 , pp. 275 - 287
Copyright
Copyright 2018 © Society for American Archaeology 

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References

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