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"Just
a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be no more turning away"
A Momentary Lapse of reason - Pink Floyd
Throughout my years of high school and intercollegiate debate, I have
repeatedly heard accounts of discrimination against women, sexual harassment,
and unnecessary gossip. I have no doubt that most of the debaters and
coaches reading this article have heard about or experienced such incidents.
The intent behind this compilation is not to inform the debate community
that sexism exists, but rather to present a wide variety of personal views
and experiences related to the issue of women in debate. My hope is that
upon reading the following essays, men and women alike will take the time
to think about the issues presented and perhaps even discuss them with
other debaters. The following accounts offer insight into the matter of
sexism in debate-what "sexism" really means and why it has become
an issue well as suggestions as to how the entire debate community can
begin to deal with the frustration many women feel as they struggle to
excel competitively.
---Jenni Ouding, University of Michigan
REBECCA S.
BJORK
While reflecting on my experiences as a woman in academic debate in preparation
for this essay, I realized that I have been involved in debate for more
than half of my life. I debated for four years in high school, for four
years in college, and I have been coaching intercollegiate debate for
nine years. Not surprisingly, much of my identity as an individual has
been shaped by these experiences in debate. I am a person who strongly
believes that debate empowers people to be committed and involved individuals
in the communities in which they live. I am a person who thrives on the
intellectual stimulation involved in teaching and traveling with the brightest
students on my campus. I am a person who looks forward to the opportunities
for active engagement of ideas with debaters and coaches from around the
country. I am also, however, a college professor, a "feminist,"
and a peace activist who is increasingly frustrated and disturbed by some
of the practices I see being perpetuated and rewarded in academic debate.
I find that I can no longer separate my involvement in debate from the
rest of who I am as an individual.
Northwestern I remember listening to a lecture a few years ago given by
Tom Goodnight at the University summer debate camp. Goodnight lamented
what he saw as the debate community's participation in, and unthinking
perpetuation of what he termed the "death culture." He argued
that the embracing of "big impact" arguments--nuclear war, environmental
destruction, genocide, famine, and the like-by debaters and coaches signals
a morbid and detached fascination with such events, one that views these
real human tragedies as part of a "game" in which so-called
"objective and neutral" advocates actively seek to find in their
research the "impact to outweigh all other impacts"--the round-winning
argument that will carry them to their goal of winning tournament X, Y,
or Z. He concluded that our "use" of such events in this way
is tantamount to a celebration of them; our detached, rational discussions
reinforce a detached, rational viewpoint, when emotional and moral outrage
may be a more appropriate response. In the last few years, my academic
research has led me to be persuaded by Goodnight's unspoken assumption;
language is not merely some transparent tool used to transmit information,
but rather is an incredibly powerful medium, the use of which inevitably
has real political and material consequences.
Given this assumption, I believe that it is important for us to examine
the "discourse of debate practice:" that is, the language, discourses,
and meanings that we, as a community of debaters and coaches, unthinkingly
employ in academic debate. If it is the case that the language we use
has real implications for how we view the world, how we view others, and
how we act in the world, then it is imperative that we critically examine
our own discourse practices with an eye to how our language does violence
to others. I am shocked and surprised when I hear myself saying things
like, "we killed them," or "take no prisoners," or
"let's blow them out of the water." I am tired of the "ideal"
debater being defined as one who has mastered the art of verbal assault
to the point where accusing opponents of lying, cheating, or being deliberately
misleading is a sign of strength.
But what I am most tired of is how women debaters are marginalized and
rendered voiceless in such a discourse community. Women who verbally assault
their opponents are labeled "bitches" because it is not socially
acceptable for women to be verbally aggressive. Women who get angry and
storm out of a room when a disappointing decision is rendered are labeled
"hysterical" because, as we all know, women are more emotional
then men. I am tired of hearing comments like, "those 'girls' from
school X aren't really interested in debate; they just want to meet men."
We can all point to examples (although only a few) of women who have succeeded
at the top levels of debate. But I find myself wondering how many more
women gave up because they were tired of negotiating the mine field of
discrimination, sexual harassment, and isolation they found in the debate
community.
As members of this community, however, we have great freedom to define
it in whatever ways we see fit. After all, what is debate except a collection
of shared understandings and explicit or implicit rules for interaction?
What I am calling for is a critical examination of how we, as individual
members of this community, characterize our activity, ourselves, and our
interactions with others through language. We must become aware of the
ways in which our mostly hidden and unspoken assumptions about what "good"
debate is function to exclude not only women, but ethnic minorities from
the amazing intellectual opportunities that training in debate provides.
Our nation and indeed, our planet, faces incredibly difficult challenges
in the years ahead. I believe that it is not acceptable anymore for us
to go along as we always have, assuming that things will straighten themselves
out. If the rioting in Los Angeles taught us anything, it is that complacency
breeds resentment and frustration. We may not be able to change the world,
but we can change our own community, and if we fail to do so, we give
up the only real power that we have.
LISA HOBBS
An experience that all policy debaters share is that of selecting or receiving
a partner. There is undoubtedly a strategic function of most team pairings;
coaches and debaters hope pairings will produce successful (by that I
mean winning teams). Most coaches and debaters have strong feeling about
what kinds of things should be considered when pairing a team--including
such things as personal compatibility, commitment level, debate experience,
intelligence, and speed. One of the considerations taken when pairings
were made on my high school squad was gender, and it had a tremendous
impact on my perception of females as debaters.
On my high school squad, we were advised that a team should NOT consist
of two females if we wished to be as successful as possible. We were told
that a female needs a male to provide "balance" to a team, while
a male does not need a female to provide that same "balance."
Two females might not be viewed as credible by judges and/or might appear
as "catty," "too aggressive," or "bitchy."
Two males, on the other hand, did not have to face these same concerns.
The underlying message behind this pairing philosophy seems to present
female debaters with a double bind. Either females lack what it takes
to be credible (e.g., competitiveness and confidence) because they are
female, or they are branded as "too aggressive" if they act
with a certain degree of assertiveness. When females attempt to fit into
a pre-existing, mold of what a successful debater is, they are frequently
cautioned to avoid appearing "bitchy." Either way, the "problem"
for female debaters is directly linked with the fact that they are females.
Unfortunately, the message I received in high school followed me throughout
my debate experience. In the course of my seven years as a debater, I
debated with both males and females. Quite honestly, I was reluctant to
debate with another female; it did prove to be more difficult debating
with a female than it was debating with a male. When debating with a female,
my partner and I were described as both "too passive" and "bitchy,"
among other things. We would strike particular judges because we did not
think that women would receive a fair hearing from them. In contrast,
when debating with a male (of significantly less experience than my partner),
we were not described in the same ways, nor did we feel we had to strike
judges. However, there were judges that we felt we must continue to strike
because of my female presence. So at least in part, I experienced exactly
what I was taught in high school.
It seems that I am saying that the people I learned from in high school
were right; females do need to overcome being "female" to be
successful. To a certain extent, I do believe that being a female puts
you at a disadvantage as a debater. However, I do not view being a female
as something to be overcome. Males do not have to overcome being male."
Females should not have to view their gender as an obstacle to be over-come.
Instead, coaches, judges, and debaters must (re)consider how it is that
they view such things as success, credibility, aggression, and competence.
We must consider the possibility (I mean the reality) that debate exists
with that which is "male" as the norm. Additionally, we must
consider what messages accompany certain "strategic" choices.
In my case, the way pairing decisions were made in my high school taught
me that I was at a disadvantage before I even had a chance to debate.
I do not have a remedy for what I see as some sizable inequalities that
exists within the activity of debate. However, as a debate coach and former
debater, I would like to offer the suggestion that if an entire gender
does not "fit" into debate, we consider changing the practices
of debate, not the people.
JOY RHYNE
Debate has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me. That is
not to say that there have not been negative aspects. I think that it
is important for every woman in debate to be honest with herself. We are
unfortunately the victims of sexual harassment and discrimination, but
I do not believe that means we are destined to inferiority. It is imperative
that we fight against rigidly defined gender roles in order to become
full and equal participants in the debate community--that is not to say
that women must deny their femininity to be successful debaters. Instead,
I think each woman should be true to her own identity; if her femininity
is an important part of her psyche, then she should by no means feel compelled
to deny it or try to hide it in exchange for increased debate achievements.
As a Southern woman, I think the pressures I felt within the debate community
were great. At the beginning of my collegiate debate career I was not
very focused on the competitive aspects of debate. My partner and I would
win some debates, but what was most important to me at that time was socializing
with other debaters. I do not encourage other women in debate to adopt
such an attitude, but I also do not think that women who have such an
attitude should be stigmatized. I found that as one of the few females
on the debate circuit I was accepted socially by almost every other debater
I met, whether they were junior-varsity participants or one of the top
first-rounds. I was able to have fun with these people and it did not
seem to matter that I was often much less successful in debate than they
were. In fact, I think that it was easier for them to "hang out"
with me because I was not in direct competition with them.
When I changed partners and became part of a first-round team, things
changed. I can recall countless occasions when friends of mine virtually
ignored me in discussions about debate rounds or issues and addressed
all of their questions to my male partner. This kind of behavior marginalized
my worth as a debater. It always amazed me that other debaters (who were
my friends) could totally ignore me as a "debater"; I was only
truly recognized in a social context. I think the social side of debate
is important--some of my best friends are debaters--but every debater
should have the opportunity to develop both the social and the competitive
sides of debate.
I do not mean to imply that women in debate have little hope of becoming
true equals to the men of debate or that they are destined to occupy only
a social role and will forever remain at the peripheries of debate success.
However, I do believe that feminine women face special challenges because
they seem to fit the traditionally defined gender roles of our society
at large. Women are not taught to be competitive; such ambitions are reserved
for men. Argumentation itself has traditionally been associated with men
because they are thought to be more rational and logical than women, who
are supposedly driven by their emotions. In society, these views have
started to change. Women have become successful in these so-called "male
areas" and I think that debate as well will increasingly come to
reflect these changes. A woman can be feminine and still excel at argumentation
and logical reasoning. I fundamentally disagree with those in the debate
community who would urge women to become more "masculine" in
order to achieve a higher level of debate success. Giving into stereotypes
will only serve to perpetuate such myths. As a debater, I resisted such
pressures, held on to my femininity, and still managed to have a successful
debate experience. I encourage other women in debate to do the same. We
must fight the pressure and be true to ourselves; there is no fundamental
reason why only "masculine" women can succeed in debate.
As a final note, I think that it is important for all of us to encourage
more women (and minorities as well) to participate in collegiate debate.
I know that many female high school debaters decide against debating in
college because they feel the activity is too hostile to women. I think
that this is a tragedy and that coaches and debaters alike should discourage
such attitudes. After all, our society is sexist, but does that mean women
should avoid becoming active participants and leaders? Of course not.
In the same way, women should not shy away from collegiate debate. I can
honestly say that I have acquired many valuable skills through my involvement
in debate. Giving up is not the answer. Raising awareness will certainly
help, but I think the key really lies with the women in debate themselves.
We must decide to stay involved, encourage other women we know to participate,
and most importantly, refuse to settle for anything less than real equality
and complete autonomy.
LISA DIX
Karen Finley, one of my favorite poets, writes with power and knowledge
of her experiences as a woman. Her poem entitled "I Was Not Expected
To Be Talented" is for me a powerful expression of my feelings about
being a woman in debate. The poem goes like this ...
Just smile, act
pretty, open the door, and clean the toilet. You say one day at a time
well, it's a slow death! Remember the homeless, the poor, the suffering.
Well, I'm suffering inside!...You know why I only feel comfortable around
the collapsed, the broken, the inebriated, the helpless and the poor-'CAUSE
THEY LOOK LIKE WHAT I FEEL INSIDE! They look, they look, they look like
what I feel inside! You see, I WAS NOT EXPECTED TO BE TALENTED.
I am using this poem
to relate to my experiences in debate as a woman. I feel that it is important
for me to be as honest as I can about my experiences, yet at the same
time to relate a message that is positive for women who are entering the
activity. The story I'm about to tell is a coming to terms about my "place"
in debate as a woman. I am a policy debater at the University of Utah.
I did not debate in high school, although I did do some individual events.
From my experience in high school, I think individual events were sort
of the "woman's place." I was not expected to be talented in
debate; however, I feel that women can be VERY talented if they are just
encouraged to participate. This is the reason I am writing this paper.
I believe that by subverting the notion of a "woman's place"
in debate, and by being able to define our own "place" as women,
more women will be encouraged to participate in debate at the high school
and collegiate levels.
The first time I was aware of my "place" in debate as a woman
was at a regular season tournament. I was at the awards ceremony listening
to the top twenty speaker awards; not one of them was a woman. Women were
winning awards at the novice and junior levels, but for varsity women
to win speaker awards was out of the question. I thought to myself, at
least we were winning some awards, but my coach quickly told me that not
very many women ever win speaker awards past the junior and novice levels.
I guess I am very reluctant to accept that novice and junior debate is
the only "place" for women. I am not taking anything away from
novice and junior women debaters; my argument is that these women deserve
a chance to win on the varsity level as well.
Another experience that reminded me quickly where my "place"
in debate is was in a round at the beginning of last season. A male debater
put his arm around me during cross examination and said, "chill out,
babe." I quickly thought to myself, "I am not your babe,"
but I said nothing and immediately sat down. I felt very objectified,
humiliated, and angry. By treating me as a sex object, that male debater
quickly put me in my "place."
Women in debate have to deal with a double standard. If we are not feminine
enough we are thought of as "bitchy," yet if we are too feminine,
we are not taken seriously. I urge all women to hold on to both. We need
to construct ourselves outside of the masculine/ feminine dichotomy-we
should be able to have a place in debate because we are talented. At the
1992 National Debate Tournament, my partner (who is a woman) and I noticed
that there were only four women teams at the tournament (76 teams total),
and none of the women teams advanced to the double octafinal round. In
fact, only four women cleared at all. Not one woman won a speaker award.
I am proud of those women who were in the out-rounds. I am also proud
of all the women who are in debate. It is time for women to demand a "place."
It is past time for women in debate to be considered talented. I feel
that if women are encouraged on the high school level to start and stay
with debate, we will not be the minority or the marginalized. Only then
can we truly get past being placed in a subordinate position; we will
be able to define our own "place" in debate on our own terms.
BECKY KIDDER
I agree with all of the authors involved in this Project that the disparity
in the number of men and women in debate is a phenomenon that needs to
be addressed. My intent is to offer a solution for all women who feel
they have been discriminated against because of their sex and for all
the people who feel that unequal treatment of women occurs. My intent
is not to "bash" men or to deny women's feelings. I have attempted
to address how we can constructively eliminate discrimination based upon
sex while focusing on the broader issue of why women are not more competitively
successful.
I strongly believe that the most effective tool to combat inequity and
to understand why women feel disadvantaged is open discussion and communication.
If we are not willing to explore why we are not consistently in out-rounds
and in the top twenty speakers, then we have already defeated ourselves.
How can we correct this disparity if we cannot pinpoint the root causes?
We can assume that it is due to an inherent belief that women are not
as intelligent or talented, in which case we have not addressed how to
correct the problem or founded our arguments in substantiated evidence.
I cannot fathom how anyone can believe that the best judges and coaches
assume women are less capable; I give the majority of this community more
credit in their intellectual openness. There are two questions we must
explore to evaluate why women are not more successful: why women feel
they are not encouraged to participate and why they make the decision
to quit. We need numbers, figures and evidence to discover the reasons
why we have this problem, none of which have yet been provided.
I do not believe that incidents of harassment and bias based upon sex
do not occur, but my experiences in debate do not support the conclusion
that institutionalized discrimination runs rampant in the community. My
own passiveness when confronted with this issue in the past not only serves
as an illustration of how I characterize the debate community generally,
it is also an example of what women must not do if they truly want to
understand and confront the issues of discrimination and competitiveness.
I did not debate in high school, nor had I ever seen a debate before my
mom, who is an ex-debater, encouraged me to participate in collegiate
debate. Despite such obstacles to succeeding competitively, I have continued
debating; for the most part, judges and coaches have been willing to listen
to my technical difficulties and inexperience and have still encouraged
me to persevere. There have been incidents in which I felt that my sex
put me at a disadvantage or that it was assumed that my femininity was
compromised by my debate style and I was thus chastised, but I cannot
be sure that this was the case because I rarely challenged it. We must
be willing to spur discussion with those we perceive to be at fault for
acting as oppressors. Those who use derogatory language must be challenged
by competing voices. For instance, when you are in a round and someone
discredits your argument or attacks you and you perceive that it is based
upon your sex, why is it wrong to tell the person that you think they
are confusing the issues, that their attack was discriminatory, and that
they owe you an apology? What can you possibly lose? You will feel that
you have prevented yourself from being victimized and everyone watching
will be forced to evaluate the merits of the arguments as well as the
issue of discrimination. This is the only way to bring the issue into
the open.
We must be careful not to victimize those who never intended their statements
and actions to discourage women. There is a big difference between intentional
and unintentional discrimination. Many feminists would disagree with this
statement, but I think that those who are misperceived due to choice of
words or actions are the people who can make the biggest difference. These
are the people who are most willing to change; labeling them as sexist
only serves to breed resentment and foster defensive backlash. Those who
do not intend to discriminate can only change if we make them aware that
their statements and actions are derogatory; the lack of justification
for discrimination will be exposed by such discussions. Granted, very
few people would be willing to say that their actions are based upon a
desire to discriminate, but questioning the foundations for their actions
forces them to defend their position and forces us to analyze the credibility
of the arguments as well as our own perceptions. Such critical analysis
on both sides is the only way to achieve positive results.
It is the obligation of debaters, coaches and judges in individual college
and high school programs and within the debate community to challenge
discrimination, as well as to listen, provide positive support and voice
their own opinions when female debaters are frustrated by what they perceive
to be unfair treatment. If women feel comfortable sharing their experiences,
then we have taken the first step to open communication and the advancement
of women into the upper ranks of debate. Only when we become confident
that our success is based upon the merits of our argumentation can we
feel that debate is a rewarding experience.
The fact that I think we need to document the reasons why women are not
succeeding does not mean that we should ignore issues of inequality; it
does, however, mean that we should focus on understanding the complexity
of the problem. "Isms" are very powerful. They make black and
white what is really very gray. Open communication based upon a desire
to understand and learn is a very powerful tool. Our best hope to promote
diversity and tolerance is to reach out to others through communication--not
to isolate them using labels.
CORI DAUBER
I never know what to say when people ask me if I think debate is sexist.
On the one hand, I feel completely comfortable in this community; I've
had positions of authority, and I have, after all, beaten men out for,
among other things, jobs. Nor do I have any trouble maintaining authority
with my male students. On the other hand, it is impossible to dispute
the numbers. All you have to do is look around at a debate tournament.
The percentage of women at the competitive and even more at the coaching
levels is nothing short of appalling-and has changed little over the years
I have been involved with debate.
The question then is, why are the numbers what they are and what can be
done about it? It seems to me that, more than anything, women need to
keep perspective and remember why they are in the activity. Debate is
ultimately empowering-for everyone. It gives people the skills they need
to succeed in the world. Is it harder for women to "break in"
to the top levels of debate? I suspect so. Is there a shortage of female
role models? Definitely. Does that mean debate is sexist? Perhaps in the
sense that it mirrors the larger society it is apart of. More value is
placed on the characteristics that have been associated with masculinity:
aggressiveness, forcefulness, and the like.
What women in debate have to remember, I think, is two things. First,
those traits may have been traditionally associated with masculinity but
they are not intrinsically masculine. In other words, it is possible to
develop those traits while remaining feminine. I was at a meeting once
where one of the most feminine women I have ever met stood up in front
of a room full of men (she was chairing the meeting) and said "OK,
I've had it. Nobody leaves this room until you people are able to make
a decision on this." Believe me, they decided--fast. Is that harder
to develop those traits without losing femininity? Yes. Is that fair?
Life is unfair. Do women have to work harder to gain acceptance in debate,
and wait longer? I think that is probably true. What is the answer? I
think the answer is the second thing I'd like women in debate to remember:
why they are in the activity. Do you think you have been exposed to sexism
in debate? Have you lost rounds you thought you should have won or not
gotten the travel schedule you deserve? OK. Now what? You can quit, throw
up your hands in disgust and say, "What can I do, the activity is
sexist." That to me is cutting off your nose to spite someone else's
face. The alternative is to say, "All right, debate is, in my perspective,
sexist. I'm not in it to win rounds--although winning is nice--I'm in
it to develop the skills I need to survive and succeed in a world that
is far more hostile than debate could ever be. I'm sticking it out."
Not only does that choice benefit you in the long run, it benefits the
entire activity. There will be more role models for those coming behind.
There will be more women visible at tournaments, making an argument with
their very presence. Although women may need more time, this activity
is ultimately about competition. Win enough and you will not be ignored
for long. Demand respect and you will eventually have it. Call people
on it if you think they are being sexist and things will slowly change.
The alternative is to deny yourself an experience that will prepare you
for the world better than any other I know.
A final thought: sexism is a dangerous word. It should be used very carefully
and with great consideration. I have seen too many women who, when unsuccessful,
used the charge of sexism as a crutch. You have to be careful to fully
evaluate your own performance and carefully consider the reasons why you
failed. That is the only way to improve in debate or anything else. I
am not saying that there isn't sexism in the world; there certainly is.
I'm not saying it is easy to overcome obstacles resulting from sexism;
it is not. I am saying that we do ourselves a great disservice if we are
too quick to attribute our failings to that cause. Leaving is easy, staying
is hard. But some clichés are clichés because they are true:
nothing good comes easy.
JENNI OUDING
"When men are aggressive in cross-x they look dominant; when women
are aggressive, they look like bitches." I'll never forget these
words-spoken to me four years ago by a female judge after a rather heated
debate. At the time, I saw this view as an unfair double standard, yet
as I reflected upon the implications of that statement, I began to question
my role and abilities as a female debater. When I graduated from high
school, I was convinced that I would never amount to anything as a college
debater, and decided not to try. Fortunately, the summer after my freshman
year in college, one of the members of the Michigan debate squad convinced
me to give debate a trial run. It was one of the best decisions I've ever
made. I find debate to be one of the most intellectually rewarding and
socially stimulating events that I've ever been involved in.
Unfortunately, I know that many-if not most-female high school debaters
quit debate before college without feeling that they have ever really
excelled in the activity. Though the reasons for quitting are undoubtedly
diverse-choice of schools, academic load, parental desires, etc.-I can't
help feeling that the double standard I first encountered four years ago
may play apart in that decision. While I have no easy answers or advice
to give to female debaters, I can only make one plea: Don't give up. I
know that being female in a male dominated activity can be difficult if
not just damn frustrating, but my personal feeling is that the only way
to truly change stereotypes is to prove them wrong. This is the way I
feel about debate George Bernard Shaw said it. "People are always
blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances.
The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look
for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make
them." I can't deny that the circumstances under which female debaters
operate are difficult, but no one will change those circumstances unless
people speak out and try to instill in the debate community a more tolerant
atmosphere. It may mean working a little harder, giving a little more,
taking a little more ... but if in the end you can truly say that you
have succeeded, believe me, the debate community will remember you for
it. As more and more women come to be remembered and recognized for their
argumentation skills, attitudes will change. And some day, though it may
not be right away, that double standard that almost made me cut my debate
career short will cease to be a factor in the decision of whether or not
to debate in high school or college.
I hope that these essays have been educative if not thought provoking.
You may not agree with all of the views presented, but hearing each individual
viewpoint at least forces us to formulate our own beliefs and challenge
our own ideas. None of us can single-handedly change the world, much less
the entire debate community, but once individuals come to recognize the
difficulties women face in competitive debate and acknowledge and discuss
the complaints which many female debaters harbor, perhaps then we, as
a community, will become more understanding and tolerant. Tolerance means
instilling a conscience in those who view women as lesser competitors,
but tolerance breeds respect, and I think we all could use just a little
respect.
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