Freedom of speech in academia - OfS research finds sex and gender hardest topic to discuss

[ArabellaScott]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74z8l8vkx3o

'The issues most frequently highlighted by those expressing concern were race and racism, as well as sex and gender, with women more likely to feel unable to speak out.
...
Prof Jo Phoenix won a case for constructive dismissal with the Open University, and a tribunal found she had faced harassment for her gender-critical views.
She said she welcomed the OfS guidance, but said some universities might take more to change their workplace culture, adding: "It's like bringing a bucket of water to a burning fire."'

The polling from OfS:

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/ofs-publishes-free-speech-guidance-as-polling-shows-one-in-five-academics-do-not-feel-free-to-teach-controversial-views/

'Sex and gender is the top topic academics feel restricted discussing, and there is considerable variation depending on context. Perceived restrictions on discussing sex and gender are consistent across the political spectrum.'

from the polling:

'Male academics are more likely than female academics to say their university prioritises freedom of speech over not causing
offence (56% vs 37%).'

'In all three contexts, female academics are more likely than male academics to say they do not feel free discussing challenging/ controversial topics. In particular, a fifth of female academics (21%) say they do not feel free in their research compared to one in ten (11%) male academics saying the same.'

'Of those who have experienced negative comments/ treatment, this most often came about after expressing views on sex/
gender (38%)'

'Those with permanent contracts are more likely than those on fixed-term contracts to be very confident they understand what “freedom of speech” means in higher education (37% vs 26%).'

'Male academics are also significantly more likely than female academics to say they are very confident in their understanding (41% vs 27%).'

'Male academics are more likely than female academics to say that they
feel free to discuss challenging/ controversial topics in each scenario'

'Perceived restrictions around discussing sex/ gender and race/ racism are consistent across the political spectrum.'

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/freedom-of-speech-in-higher-education-survey-outcomes/

I'm not surprised. I don't think there's been another topic where academics have been either hounded from their jobs (e.g. Stock, Phoenix) or suffered abuse (e.g. Freedman).

The cancelling that goes on for gender heretics is chilling.

This is from the Regulatory Advice:

'Example 3: Direct discrimination

Professor A at University B attempts to run a seminar series and a conference to explore issues of sex and gender. Professor A holds gender-critical beliefs: the belief that biologicalmsex is real, important, immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity. Gender-critical beliefs are protected beliefs for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.
Following protests about ‘transphobia’ from staff and students, the university requires her to cancel the seminar and the conference. Because of her gender-critical beliefs, the head of Professor A’s department instructs her not to speak to the department about her research, about a cancellation of her invitation to another university, or about the accusation that she is a ‘transphobe’.
In acting in this way, University B may have directly discriminated against Professor A. It is also likely to have breached its ‘secure’ duty.'

'Example 35: student handbook on misgendering

University A’s student handbook states: ‘Misgendering is never acceptable. You must always address or refer to a person using their preferred pronouns.’

This blanket ban on misgendering is likely to breach the ‘secure’ duty.
44
For instance, a student writing a dissertation in criminology might refer to trans women as ‘he’ because the student considers this necessary for clarity. This is unlikely to amount to harassment.
There may be circumstances in which the use of dispreferred pronouns could amount to harassment. For instance, repeated and deliberate misgendering directed by a teacher to a particular student in one of their classes may amount to harassment.
However, we would expect that any code of conduct that regulates the use of pronouns on these grounds would narrowly tailor any restriction to those circumstances. It must not, in intent or effect, prohibit the expression of a lawful viewpoint (for instance, the viewpoint that gender is a fiction).'

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/freedom-of-speech/securing-free-speech/

'...holds gender-critical beliefs: the belief that biologicalmsex is real, important, immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity...'

That's likely to give them all the vapours, they're going to have to put a big trigger warning on the front of the guide, or they're like to find it's been burnt in a purity ritual on the quad. 🤣

I suspect this poll and guide are going to cause some ruptions, for sure.

I just wondering how academia is going to square this circle, the guide seems to flying in the face of the 'knowledge' that is being taught on so many degree courses. If this is a guide to academia and academia isn't teaching anything like this they how can academia claim to be in fact academia. 🤯

Is it me, or do those stats read as though men are convinced it’s all fine, nothing to see here!?

Men- sure they have freedom of speech, the university prioritises FoS.

Women- yeah but, no.

It’s not you.

The ‘shock’ issue… why don’t people understand that sometimes other people’s views are shocking, yet none the less we must consider them.

If we didn’t discuss shocking things, we wouldn’t have women in medicine; women in the armed forces; gay marriage; women able to vote; mixed race couples.

For goodness sake! Get some courage and prepare to endure new ideas!

100%.

It gives the impression that men breeze about without a care, while women are silenced, cowed, and attacked for discussing sex and gender.

Funny that.

Yes, we need to be exposed to counter argument. Test out ideas and debate. To foster a healthy society, and deepen our own understanding.

Or that it's our own faults. It's our perception of the situation that's the problem and the fact that we are lacking confidence and conviction in our own professional status. Silly, shrinking women that we are.

Really interesting guidance!

I did like 'dispreferred'. It's a good word.

Excellent guidance. Realistically academics are going to carry on doing what they have always done (I am an academic). It will be interesting to see if any cases are brought. If there are hefty fines this could lead to a lot of centralised intervention in the curriculum - personally I’m horrified by the idea of this but it could well come. If it does then expect yet more protests <sighs heavily>.

"In particular, a fifth of female academics (21%) say they do not feel free in their research compared to one in ten (11%) male academics saying the same."

I'm pretty sure that if 11% of female academics said they didn't feel free in their research, you wouldn't think that meant that women are convinced it's all fine, nothing to see here.

It’s very interesting data. It seems not to be just about sex and gender, or women, though - I note that international politics (especially Palestine, China, Ukraine/Russia) and race are both big issues too, with non-white ethnic minority academics mentioning much greater issues than white academics.

(Edit: typo)

I think "immutable" is my favourite word nowadays. It looks nice and sounds nice as well 😀

There have indeed been issues in those areas too:

freespeechunion.org/ucl-bans-lecturer-from-china-course-to-protect-its-commercial-interests/

For sure; I've selected the parts relevant to this board!

If 11% of women said they didn’t feel free to speak, while 21% of men didn’t feel free, I’d characterise it the same way.

Men are twice as likely to be confident in FoS as women. That’s a massive difference.

Don't get me wrong a statistician would undoubtedly take issue with my representation, but finer points aside there’s a significant disparity in the experience of FoS for men and women.

All sorts of things could be behind it, including people being less likely to challenge men.

But that’s the feel of it.

Oh, I agree that these figures show a difference between women and men. I do think, though, that men can reasonably be concerned about what they say about men's lack of freedom of speech, as well as still more concerned about women's lack of freedom of speech.

Isn't it likely that this 'regulator' will be as useless as every other regulator we've seen lately? Or will simply be ignored? Universities are too engaged with chasing the Chinese yuan to worry about tedious details like freedom of speech.

This is the same regulator that fined Uni Sussex a silly large amount of money for free speech breeches:

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/university-of-sussex-fined-585-000-for-free-speech-and-governance-breaches/

I think they have teeth.

That was a great result, obviously, and cause for some optimism I guess. But I worry that the dogma is so entrenched in universities.