The American Anthropological Association (AAA) has revised its Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in an effort to better establish guidelines for appropriate behavior for its members and issue a call for continuing awareness and education, as well as institutional and culture change.
“As a scholarly and professional association, AAA has zero tolerance for sexual harassment in academic, professional, fieldwork, conferences, or any other settings where our members are at work,” said Whitney Battle-Baptiste, AAA president. “Any behavior that contributes to a hostile work climate or constitutes an unwanted sexual advance is a serious violation of professional responsibilities, and should be regarded and treated as such by all members of our profession.”
The revisions include updated language for inclusivity throughout the guidelines. Other updates include a recommendation to shift AAA’s resource allocation for ombuds services to a professional contract for year-round services, and instead allocate the volunteer role to senior scholars willing to be available on call for immediate questions during meetings. The recommendations also include providing by-stander training for panel chairs on how to handle disrespectful interactions in sessions, and that all AAA journals have a clear policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault (SHSA), building on the AAA’s general policy.
Carla Jones and Rachel Hall-Clifford, the Gender Equity Seats on the AAA Members’ Programmatic, Advisory, and Advocacy Committee (now the Anthropology Advocacy Council – AAC), convened a series of listening sessions to elicit feedback on the 2018 AAA sexual harassment and sexual assault policy and ideas for potential revisions and additional actions. The listening sessions included AAA section leaders, AAA staff, gender equity scholars and key stakeholders, and an open session at the 2022 AAA Annual Meeting.
Framed as an intervention rooted in feminist theory, the guidelines acknowledge that while professional associations may not be adjudicating bodies, they do have the ability to define professional misconduct. AAA’s SHSA Policy exists in tandem with AAA’s Principles of Professional Responsibility, which is intended to cover all professional behavior of AAA members, staff, volunteers, contractors, exhibitors, and sponsors. Additionally, the Policy applies to any non-member who participates in a AAA program or activity, as well as all settings where anthropologists conduct professional business.
The Policy also affirms AAA’s commitment to provide additional education and to cultivate awareness on how to achieve cultural and institutional changes to address this issue. This includes all professional interactions within the research community, in academic and professional institutions, and with members of the public.