Sociology Department Talk: Celene Reynolds

Date
Wed November 7th 2018, 12:30pm
Location
McClatchy Hall, Building 120, Mendenhall A

Please join us for a talk being given by Celene Reynolds from Yale University.

Transforming Title IX: The Diffusion of Sexual Harassment Claims throughout U.S. Colleges and Universities

Title IX—the 1972 U.S. civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education—is one of the most significant steps toward gender equality in the last century. It requires schools to ensure equity in athletics, in STEM programs, and for pregnant students, among other protections. The letter of the law has not changed since its inception but the use has, as Title IX has been increasingly mobilized to combat sexual harassment and assault on college campuses. Why and how did this specialized use prevail? This talk examines this question by analyzing the diffusion of Title IX sexual harassment claims throughout higher education. Drawing on a new dataset of all federal Title IX complaints filed against colleges and universities as well as interviews and historical case studies, I argue that the politically generative relationship between those protected by the law and their advocates expanded the reach of Title IX and, in turn, the concept of gender equity itself.