TheDanger Talk: Conflicting Values, Politics and Discourses in Feminist Practice program area at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) focuses on the experiences of women and men who engage in feminist practice but who are in some ways inhibited or silenced by the feminist discourses that surround their work. This interdisciplinary program brings together scholars and community practitioners to take part in a variety of intellectual activities including: (1) the formation and evaluation of a discussion/study group whose purpose is to define and establish the parameters of "danger-talk" in a particular area of practice- in this case abortion work; (2) a faculty seminar whose members will explore the complex intellectual and psychological issues related to "danger-talk" for scholarship and practice, (3) a symposium and (4) a White Paper that will provide a discussion and critique of "danger-talk" and the implications for feminists. It is anticipated that faculty in Medicine, Nursing, Psychiatry, Public Health, Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Art & Design, Engineering, Law, Education, and Public Policy will participate.
1. Discussion/Study Group: Abortion and "Danger-Talk" (six sessions - completed) Abortion providers are often silenced or trapped by the terms and frame of the feminist abortion rights discourse. Those who provide and assist with abortions are loyal to feminism and the necessity of protecting women's right to choose and to maintain control over their bodies; however, their loyalty comes with a price- they must maintain a code of silence, often denying their responses to issues associated with their work- issues related to violence, loss, trauma, and personal threat. In effect, feminists ask providers to bear in silence the ethically complex and potentially traumatic burdens of their important work. Frank and open dialogue about their experiences constitutes a dangerous talk for feminist practitioners, dangerous because these practitioners may be threatened from within and from without.
The purpose of the discussion/study group was to learn more about the parameters of dangerous talking and to better understand how to create a safe environment in which to explore these types of conversations. Men and women who work (or have worked) at Planned Parenthood were invited to participate in the discussion/study group activity. These participants helped explore the following questions, among many others: Are feminists, by surrendering to the terms of the contemporary abortion discourse ("pro-choice" versus "pro-life"), complicit with the social and political forces that silence practitioners' voices? How can feminists confront the traps of this discourse and create a capacity for protecting women's right to abortion while giving recognition to the complex ethical, psychological and spiritual issues intrinsic to abortion?
Planned Parenthood staff members were chosen for the discussion/study group because, in general, they are inspired by their feminist ideals and their deep desires to make a better world. They are devoted workers, describing their work as meaningful and gratifying. Informally, however, they report significant struggles with psychological "fall-out" from their work. For this reason, program co-directors Jane Hassinger and Lisa Harris explored the experiences of those who directly assist with and attend to abortion work. The overall purpose in forming and conducting this discussion/study group was to learn more about "danger-talk" and the safe venues that can be created for faculty and students who wish to explore the contested space created by feminist ideals and an individual's personal (and, at times, conflicted) beliefs and experiences. For this reason, the discussion/study group was evaluated using a pre-post test design, with both process and summative evaluations developed, under an IRB approved protocol. The discussion/study group generated the following: a collection of narratives from practitioners about their experiences engaging in highly contested practices; information about ideal group composition and size; the number of sessions needed to create group cohesion and perceptions of safety when engaging in "danger-talk"; and reading materials that will facilitate the exploration of the complex, emotional and psychological "safety" issues related to "danger-talk".
The discussion/study group gave us pilot data which we have presented at scholarly meetings around the country. We used our data to successfully secure funding to conduct the group at diverse sites around the country, which is ongoing now.
2. Faculty Seminar (completed) The faculty seminar focused on a broader context of women and men's suppressed narratives- or so-called "Danger-Talk"- related to politically, culturally, scientifically and ethically contentious issues. A faculty seminar was created to share stories/narratives about the silencing that makes it dangerous for feminists to talk openly about politically or socially charged ideas or experiences. The faculty seminar met approximately bi-weekly over a three-month period. We are considering production of an edited collection of stories of "dangertalk" across multiple disciplines.
3. Symposium Our experiences in the workshop and faculty seminar lead us to envision a national workshop at UM on these topics. Planning is underway.
4. White Paper We will produce a White Paper that will include a summary of all three proposed activities and future activities that will be catalyzed by this program.
This program is co-directed by Lisa Harris (Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Studies) and Jane Hassinger (Women's Studies, Psychology, IRWG). For more information, please contact Lisa Harris at lhharris@umich.edu or Jane Hassinger at jahass@umich.edu.).