Trigger Warnings and Seeing Offensiveness in Everything is Hurting College Education
155 replies, posted
It's a few days old, but I didn't see any posts about it here. [url=http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/]From the Atlantic:[/url]
[quote]Two terms have risen quickly from obscurity into common campus parlance. Microaggressions are small actions or word choices that seem on their face to have no malicious intent but that are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless. For example, by some campus guidelines, it is a microaggression to ask an Asian American or Latino American “Where were you born?,” because this implies that he or she is not a real American. Trigger warnings are alerts that professors are expected to issue if something in a course might cause a strong emotional response. For example, some students have called for warnings that Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart describes racial violence and that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby portrays misogyny and physical abuse, so that students who have been previously victimized by racism or domestic violence can choose to avoid these works, which they believe might “trigger” a recurrence of past trauma.
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This new climate is slowly being institutionalized, and is affecting what can be said in the classroom, even as a basis for discussion. During the 2014–15 school year, for instance, the deans and department chairs at the 10 University of California system schools were presented by administrators at faculty leader-training sessions with examples of microaggressions. The list of offensive statements included: “America is the land of opportunity” and “I believe the most qualified person should get the job.”
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Jeannie Suk’s New Yorker essay described the difficulties of teaching rape law in the age of trigger warnings. Some students, she wrote, have pressured their professors to avoid teaching the subject in order to protect themselves and their classmates from potential distress. Suk compares this to trying to teach “a medical student who is training to be a surgeon but who fears that he’ll become distressed if he sees or handles blood.”
...
[T]here is a deeper problem with trigger warnings. According to the most-basic tenets of psychology, the very idea of helping people with anxiety disorders avoid the things they fear is misguided. A person who is trapped in an elevator during a power outage may panic and think she is going to die. That frightening experience can change neural connections in her amygdala, leading to an elevator phobia. If you want this woman to retain her fear for life, you should help her avoid elevators.
But if you want to help her return to normalcy, you should take your cues from Ivan Pavlov and guide her through a process known as exposure therapy. You might start by asking the woman to merely look at an elevator from a distance—standing in a building lobby, perhaps—until her apprehension begins to subside. If nothing bad happens while she’s standing in the lobby—if the fear is not “reinforced”—then she will begin to learn a new association: elevators are not dangerous. (This reduction in fear during exposure is called habituation.) Then, on subsequent days, you might ask her to get closer, and on later days to push the call button, and eventually to step in and go up one floor. This is how the amygdala can get rewired again to associate a previously feared situation with safety or normalcy.
Students who call for trigger warnings may be correct that some of their peers are harboring memories of trauma that could be reactivated by course readings. But they are wrong to try to prevent such reactivations. Students with PTSD should of course get treatment, but they should not try to avoid normal life, with its many opportunities for habituation. Classroom discussions are safe places to be exposed to incidental reminders of trauma (such as the word violate). A discussion of violence is unlikely to be followed by actual violence, so it is a good way to help students change the associations that are causing them discomfort. And they’d better get their habituation done in college, because the world beyond college will be far less willing to accommodate requests for trigger warnings and opt-outs.[/quote]
A pretty great academic summary of the phenomenon we've been seeing online and how it's dangerous for those of us still going through the education system.
And on a somber note, if this ends in the article's authors getting their careers manhandled, I'm going to get very frustrated about the state of this generation.
Ahh I remember watching saving private ryan in the 7th grade in all its bloody glory.
Next thing you know you won't get your diploma if you're caught without your safety helmet and ear muffs on, better nerf the world for these poor sensitive students.
[quote]“I believe the most qualified person should get the job.”[/quote]
What kind of inbred thinks this is an offensive statement?
[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;48522914]What kind of inbred thinks this is an offensive statement?[/QUOTE]
A lot do, a whole lot too many.
[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;48522914]What kind of inbred thinks this is an offensive statement?[/QUOTE]
I'm more interested in knowing exactly HOW that is offensive.
[QUOTE=itisjuly;48522937]A lot do, a whole lot too many.[/QUOTE]
Can you provide an example?
[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;48522914]What kind of inbred thinks this is an offensive statement?[/QUOTE]
The reddit hiring process asks you this question, and if you agree, you don't get hired.
[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;48522914]What kind of inbred thinks this is an offensive statement?[/QUOTE]
Those who believe gender and 'race' quotas are only a good thing.
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;48522956]Can you provide an example?[/QUOTE]
Reddit.
[QUOTE=Fangz;48522959]The reddit hiring process asks you this question, and if you agree, you don't get hired.[/QUOTE]
Though what sane person would want to work for fucking Reddit anyhow.
[QUOTE]But if you want to help her return to normalcy, you should take your cues from Ivan Pavlov and guide her through a process known as exposure therapy. You might start by asking the woman to merely look at an elevator from a distance—standing in a building lobby, perhaps—until her apprehension begins to subside. If nothing bad happens while she’s standing in the lobby—if the fear is not “reinforced”—then she will begin to learn a new association: elevators are not dangerous. (This reduction in fear during exposure is called habituation.) Then, on subsequent days, you might ask her to get closer, and on later days to push the call button, and eventually to step in and go up one floor. This is how the amygdala can get rewired again to associate a previously feared situation with safety or normalcy.[/QUOTE]
Thank god, there are still people in this world who understand that there is a bigger picture when it comes to shit like this.
I'm afraid of spiders but I've killed so many in my apartment that it's sort of moot now. Some tumblr queen would probably be crying instead.
Does this mean I can eat a peanut butter sandwich and not get pulled aside for offending someone who is deathly allergic to peanuts?
[QUOTE=Protocol7;48522990]Thank god, there are still people in this world who understand that there is a bigger picture when it comes to shit like this.
I'm afraid of spiders but I've killed so many in my apartment that it's sort of moot now. Some tumblr queen would probably be crying instead.[/QUOTE]
They'd probably just scream "YOU'RE TRIGGERING ME" at the spider, expecting it to apologize and leave.
We didn't have any of these "YOU'RE TRIGGERING ME" types at my high school, so I'm not too sure what to expect when I head off to college in a week.
Honestly, I'm still incredibly confused where the triggering and all that came from, but jfc anytime I hear it or something similar, the urge to punch someone in the face rises.
Though, I tend to watch what I say around people just because of political correctness out of control, because seriously, the moment I say something even remotely racist or sexist, I'll never hear the end of it.
My trigger is learning. No school for me. :v:
[QUOTE=BuffaloBill;48522953]I'm more interested in knowing exactly HOW that is offensive.[/QUOTE]
its because its probably implying that only the people who work the hardest will get the job they want, meanwhile they want to believe that life is spoonfed to them.
[QUOTE=nagachief;48523093]Though, I tend to watch what I say around people just because of political correctness out of control, because seriously, the moment I say something even remotely racist or sexist, I'll never hear the end of it.[/QUOTE]
Probably shouldn't be saying racist or sexist things then should you? What benefit does saying something that demeans another race or gender have? This isn't "pc gone mad!!!!!", this is being a decent human being and not being a cockgargling mouthbreather with zero empathy around others.
The concept of triggers is pretty reasonable, somebody who has been through a traumatic experience (especially recently) is not going to react well to encountering content with that in it normally. A heads up that "hey this has some pretty graphic descriptions of rape in it, so yeah...only read it if you can take it" is in no way "offensive" and anybody who believes as such has got to be lacking empathy.
None of this has gotten out of control in the public sphere, and it's barely out of control on the Internet. It's a pretty fucking small minority of people who try and attribute trigger words to everything they can. And how many of those people are trolls doing it to cause even more backlash is totally up in the air.
This is so fucking ridiculous. People go to universities to do things like challenge their own opinions and preconceived notions, as well as to learn in an intellectually free environment. Stupid thinking like this leads to banning things that might be "triggering" or "offensive", and leads to people not actually discussing and even ignoring some very difficult and touchy subjects. This can easily snowball in to simply banning things that could that some people don't like. It's a pretty slippery slope.
[QUOTE=hexpunK;48523132]Probably shouldn't be saying racist or sexist things then should you? What benefit does saying something that demeans another race or gender have? This isn't "pc gone mad!!!!!", this is being a decent human being and not being a cockgargling mouthbreather with zero empathy around others.[/QUOTE]
Holy shit calm the fuck down. What's considered racist or sexist can go from KKK white supremacist opinions to those dumb 'microaggressions' I've never heard of until now.
Nice use of homophobic slurs, by the way. " Do as I say, not as I do."
[Quote]The concept of triggers is pretty reasonable, somebody who has been through a traumatic experience (especially recently) is not going to react well to encountering content with that in it normally. A heads up that "hey this has some pretty graphic descriptions of rape in it, so yeah...only read it if you can take it" is in no way "offensive" and anybody who believes as such has got to be lacking empathy.
None of this has gotten out of control in the public sphere, and it's barely out of control on the Internet. It's a pretty fucking small minority of people who try and attribute trigger words to everything they can. And how many of those people are trolls doing it to cause even more backlash is totally up in the air.[/QUOTE]
Have you actually read the article?
[QUOTE=BuffaloBill;48522953]I'm more interested in knowing exactly HOW that is offensive.[/QUOTE]
It's probably the "your work force doesn't has enough women, hire more or pay the price, even if you don't find women as better qualified as men applicants"
[QUOTE=hexpunK;48523132]
The concept of triggers is pretty reasonable, somebody who has been through a traumatic experience (especially recently) is not going to react well to encountering content with that in it normally. A heads up that "hey this has some pretty graphic descriptions of rape in it, so yeah...only read it if you can take it" is in no way "offensive" and anybody who believes as such has got to be lacking empathy.
[/QUOTE]
As a law student, you have to deal with your sensitivity to the subject of rape if you're going to be learning about laws regarding rape, and what legally constitutes rape. You can't leave the room during that segment, or ask your teacher to remove it from the curriculum because it doesn't sit well with you. If you can't cope, you need to find a new degree that you can deal with. It'd like studying to be a microbiologist but not believing or wanting to hear about evolution because your a creationist and don't agree with the institutions views on it.
[QUOTE=hexpunK;48523132]Probably shouldn't be saying racist or sexist things then should you? What benefit does saying something that demeans another race or gender have? This isn't "pc gone mad!!!!!", this is being a decent human being and not being a cockgargling mouthbreather with zero empathy around others.
The concept of triggers is pretty reasonable, somebody who has been through a traumatic experience (especially recently) is not going to react well to encountering content with that in it normally. A heads up that "hey this has some pretty graphic descriptions of rape in it, so yeah...only read it if you can take it" is in no way "offensive" and anybody who believes as such has got to be lacking empathy.
None of this has gotten out of control in the public sphere, and it's barely out of control on the Internet. It's a pretty fucking small minority of people who try and attribute trigger words to everything they can. And how many of those people are trolls doing it to cause even more backlash is totally up in the air.[/QUOTE]
...see what I mean? That was one hell of an overreaction. And no, it's out of control in both the public and internet sphere, just blown to the absolute extremes on the net.
[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;48522914]What kind of inbred thinks this is an offensive statement?[/QUOTE]
It's probably considered a "microaggression" because people say only the most qualified people get the job, and then they look at the job and see mostly white men, and then the phrase means "the most qualified means white men."
[QUOTE=hexpunK;48523132]Probably shouldn't be saying racist or sexist things then should you? What benefit does saying something that demeans another race or gender have? This isn't "pc gone mad!!!!!", this is being a decent human being and not being a [b]cockgargling mouthbreather[/b] with zero empathy around others.\[/QUOTE]
"Don't say offensive things or you're a [implication of homosexuality] [ableist slur]"
good job
[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;48523213]It's probably considered a "microaggression" because people say only the most qualified people get the job, and then they look at the job and see mostly white men, and then the phrase means "the most qualified means white men."[/QUOTE]
That doesn't even work, the 'microaggression' is “I believe the most qualified person [i]should[/I] get the job.”
[QUOTE=hexpunK;48523132]
None of this has gotten out of control in the public sphere, and it's barely out of control on the Internet. It's a pretty fucking small minority of people who try and attribute trigger words to everything they can. And how many of those people are trolls doing it to cause even more backlash is totally up in the air.[/QUOTE]
There's so much truth in this statement. I'm someone who advocates the use of Content Notes to inform readers of potentially distressing topics that are incredibly common [in terms of physical/psychological damage] and/or can be traumatic (e.g. Rape, Assault, etc.) when someone is not yet mentally prepared to confront them, but I generally refuse to include content notes that are just there because "muh feelings" or situations where its not commonplace.
Let's take this example that I had to witness on an NUS page (Name removed for privacy).
[img]http://i.imgur.com/hYb2OFy.png[/img]
The link that was provided was [b]just a bloody consultation from the UK government asking for the views of Trans* persons ([url=http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/women-and-equalities-committee/news-parliament-2015/inquiry-into-transgender-equality/]Source[/url]) into Transgender Equality in Ireland. [/b]
Transphobic commentary might be somewhat possible, so I could agree with that, but a "Trigger Warning" for "Government" - Yes, for all intents and purposes, I feel the government here has been incredibly shitty, but certainly not to a degree that they are "triggering". All that is is just you trying to make something that it isn't. I've had to deal with very rude politicians, but that didn't mean they became a "trigger" - it just made them appear as assholes and I simply agreed to disagree (and put a middle finger up to them at the General Election!)
Trigger Warnings had an innocent meaning and intent behind them, but I would share similar sentiments that unfortunately, people who have been incredibly sensitive snowflakes demean the actual purpose of them - because of the "Triggered" memes that are generated, it leaves people who have genuinely been in a traumatic event to be ridiculed and not taken seriously by the mainstream public.
Reminds me of that biology professor at the university of Kentucky, he would get a dozen hatemails each semester from students refuting evolution or telling him he's going to hell for teaching evolution.
It's sad that some students are coming in and are not willing to do what it takes to be what they want to be.
There's so much stupidity going on at the moment.
People labelling groups of people as the causes of inequality rather than teaching everyone to exercise empathy and discourage making premature judgements on the individual.
It would be easy to say that these people are "Social Justice Warriors" - but by doing so, it creates another label and creates ANOTHER DIVISION.
Basically, treat everyone (everyone) as you would wish to be treated and drop the micromanagement B.S.
[quote]Jeannie Suk’s New Yorker essay described the difficulties of teaching rape law in the age of trigger warnings. Some students, she wrote, have pressured their professors to avoid teaching the subject in order to protect themselves and their classmates from potential distress. Suk compares this to trying to teach “a medical student who is training to be a surgeon but who fears that he’ll become distressed if he sees or handles blood.”[/quote]
This is dead on. It's why my parents are disappointed that I'm not a doctor, for that matter. I hate blood.
Our class is around 200 people, and despite 95% of the class being foreign (mostly Chinese and Indian), some turbo-bitch tumblrite managed to nab a spot in the last 5%. One of our case studies involved labor costs in some office setting somewhere and trying to identify how scheduling could be rearranged, inefficient workers laid off, etc. to cut costs.
Sure enough, this crazy cunt spent all 10 minutes of her presentation on the "wage gap" that existed in the company (keep in mind, no employees had their gender listed, so she just assumed based on their completely fake made-up names) and how we would have to [b][i]decrease the salaries of all male employees[/i][/b] to match the average salary of females, thereby cutting costs.
She naturally failed the assignment (one of two in the entire class, so 50% of her grade) and made a big stink with the dean about it.
Maybe finance/accounting is not the best choice for someone that put off by the non-existent wage gap.
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