The Sexuality, Women and Gender in Psychology and Education Certificate

The New York State approved the Sexuality, Women and Gender in Psychology and Education Certificate!

Founded in 2012, The Sexuality, Women and Gender Project at Teachers College, Columbia University was created by three leading Professors, Drs. Aurelie Athan, Melanie Brewster and Riddhi Sandil. Their hope is to envision and implement the next wave of theories and practices to improve the well-being for LGBTQ individuals and women. Beginning Fall 2015, the SWG Project will be offering the first New York State approved certificate program of its kind - a world-renowned training ground for the next generation of educators, researchers, practitioners, administrators, and activists.


With the recent movements in LGBT rights and the ongoing efforts to better serve women in the workplace, the World Health Organization declaring Violence Against Women to be epidemic, there is no better time than the present to graduate with the certificate in Sexuality, Women and Gender in Psychology and Education. It's mission is to promote learning through pedagogy; provide intensive research, mentorship and production; and apply gender and sexuality theories in practice. The Sexuality, Women and Gender in Psychology and Education Certificate program will promote the trans-disciplinary dialogues needed to solve complex, real-world problems across all areas including Education, Counseling & Clinical Psychology, Public Health, Gender and Queer Studies, Reproductive Psychiatry, Sociology, and Law among others. This specialized training will train future leaders in topics relevant to sexuality, women and gender; increase awareness and understanding of multiple oppressions experienced by these populations; provide research and clinical training to professionals interested in serving these marginalized populations and create liaisons between various professionals as they provide services to these underserved groups.

Call for Submissions: Annual MOM Conference, Spring 2015

Teachers College, Columbia University, Marymount College, Manhattan College, and Museum of Motherhood (MOM) are proud to welcome the return of the Annual 2015 MOM Conference!

 

 

 

Museum of Motherhood - MOM Conference Call for Papers, 2015 - SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED

“New Maternalisms”: Tales of Motherwork (Dislodging the Unthinkable)

April 30th, May 1st-2nd, NYC

Deadline EXTENDED TO JANUARY 15, 2014

Call for Papers for the Annual 2015 MOM Conference: As another Mother’s Day approaches, this conference, designed to bring together academics, artists, and laypersons will be an opportunity to critically explore the institution of motherhood. Much research on motherhood has been published in the past eighteen years from Ruddick to Crittenden suggesting an increased interest in and visibility and acknowledgement of feminism and the topic of motherhood. The literature is concerned with the invisibility of mothers and the labor of caregiving or “motherwork.” Drawing on artist Natalie S. Loveless’ curation in Spring 2012 for FADO in Toronto, The Museum of Motherhood (MOM) calls this shift in the representation of motherhood in the literature as “new maternalisms”. Klein (2012) argues “new maternalisms” expose “the fissures and cracks between the ideological representation of motherhood and the lived experiences of being a mother.” It is in service to this in-between space of research and theory and the lived and everyday that the Museum of Motherhood introduces the following Call For Papers.

The purpose of this conference lies in focusing on “new maternalisms” by exploring “motherwork” or the invisible labor of caregiving in our everyday lived experiences as wo/men, hence including mothers, fathers, and caretakers and our communities. The objective is to explore how wo/men experience “motherwork,” what “motherwork” means to us, and how “motherwork” impacts and is impacted by the communities in which we live in. The conference organizers encourage submissions that cross disciplines to provide critical insights into mothering, fathering, and family issues; that draw direct links between theories and/or research findings; or that offer practical approaches to issues facing contemporary mothers and families. The overarching goal of this conference is to provide an environment to explore new ideas and approaches for tackling issues that concern mothers as well as important others who fill a care giving role in the family.

Here, examples of possible topics include but are not limited to: 1. What caregiving practices are pursued in “motherwork”? And how have these practices been shaped by factors such as nation, religion, gender, and other axes of difference? 2. How do caregivers frame/understand their “motherwork”? 3. What alliances do caregivers build locally, regionally, and internationally, and why? What factors have caused rifts or fissures between and among caregivers? 4. To what extent does caregiving intersect with other forms of activism/resistance? 5. How have wo/men’s identities as caregivers been disrupted or shaped by binaries, such as east/west, north/south? 6. Whose agency is privileged or obscured within “motherwork”? 7. How do global discourses shape local “motherwork,” and, how, in turn, do local issues and frames shape global discourses around “motherwork”? This Call For Papers signals the important sociological and anthropological shifts taking place in the field of motherhood as it relates to wo/men – mothers, father, and caretakers – who are marginalized through “motherwork.”

We welcome submissions from scholars, students, activists, artists, community agencies, service providers, journalists, mothers and others who work or research in this area. Cross-cultural, historical, and comparative work is encouraged. We also encourage a variety of types of submissions including individual academic papers from all disciplines, proposals for panels, creative submissions, performances, storytelling, visual arts, film, music, audio, and other alternative formats. 

Submissions must include a title and a maximum 50-100 word abstract for individual papers, panels, and other submission types (e.g. performance, media, music). Panel submissions must include short abstracts (50-100 word) for each individual paper that will be included in the panel. Please submit ONE presentation proposal only.

Submissions are due by December 15, 2015. Details on submitting are at this website: http://mommuseum.org/conference-submissions/. All submissions will be peer reviewed with responses by Jan 30th. The conference will be held in NYC. 

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A peak at last year's event with notable guest speakers:

A Better Balance is coming to TC! November 20th 3-5pm.

Join  A Better Balance to discuss their new book BABYGATE: How to Survive Pregnancy & Parenting in the Workplace. They will also discuss their new report THE PREGNANCY PENALTY among other many interesting topics related to maternal and reproductive health!

  • Teachers College, Columbia University
  • 525 West 120th St., NY, NY
  • Thursday, November 20th
  • 3:00-5:00pm, Room 281 Grace Dodge

Contact info: swgproject@tc.columbia.edu

Read the NYT article Doctor Says No Overtime; Pregnant Worker's Boss Says No Job here.

The Pregnancy Report

A Better Balance is pleased to present their latest report, The Pregnancy Penalty: How Motherhood Drives Inequality and Poverty in New York City. Their report names, explains and offers solutions to the pregnancy penalty: bias and inflexibility towards women in the workplace that starts when they become pregnant and snowballs into lasting economic disadvantages.

BabyGate

Moms-to-be get tons of advice on strollers, sleep training, and post-baby workouts. What they don't get is straight talk about navigating the workplace during pregnancy and new parenthood--factors that put many women's jobs in jeopardy. That's why BABYGATE is essential: the first and only guide to supply parents with the tools they need to keep their jobs.

BABYGATE breaks down the laws on topics across the parenthood spectrum in clear, conversational language, and includes a state-by-state guide so readers know exactly how they're protected (or not) in their hometowns. Best of all, Babygate includes a road map for confronting family-responsibilities discrimination, and a concrete plan for creating a more family-friendly nation.

Dina Bakst, Phoebe Taubman, and Elizabeth Gedmark are attorneys with A Better Balance, a national authority on work-family policy. A Better Balance's legislative advocacy--paired with litigation, research, public education, and technical assistance to state and local advocates--has generated new protections for millions of workers across the country.

To attend the event, feel free to prepare by reading:

Dr. Riddhi Sandil featured in Yahoo! Style

High School Students Are Crossdressing for a Cause

Students dressing as the opposite sex at White Pass Junior and Senior High School (King5.com)

Students dressing as the opposite sex at White Pass Junior and Senior High School (King5.com)

 “Now with changing times we pride children and adolescents on being individuals and demonstrate their individuality,” Riddhi Sandil, a psychologist and lecturer at Teachers College, Columbia University, tells Yahoo Style. “Sometimes dress codes can oppress that. It’s a very complex issue. It’s a mixed message to the child to say be creative and be yourself, but only within these certain constraints and restrictions.” 

Read more here.

Responding to Sexual Assault: A Teach-In

The Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality Announces:

IMPORTANT ROOM CHANGE: Jerome Greene Annex at the Columbia Law School

Speakers will include:

Christina Brandt-Young, Legal Momentum

Jill Hill, Ph.D, Licensed Psychologist

Monica Pombo, LCSW, Crime Victims Treatment Center

Saswati Sarkar, Center of Excellence for Prevention of Sexual Assault

Current Columbia students

Event Co-Sponsored with:

 

Movie Screening with Director: A JIHAD FOR LOVE

A JIHAD FOR LOVE

5:30 pm, Thursday Oct. 16

Location: Milbank Chapel 
In a time when Islam is under tremendous attack-from within and without, 'A Jihad for Love' is a daring documentary-filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is strongest, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. After the movie screening, there will be a panel discussion with the director, Parvez Sharma.

Co-sponsored with the SALGANYC: serving the South Asian LGBTQ community for over 20 years.

Celebration of TC's Diversity Initiatives

Event: Celebration of TC's Diversity Initiative
When: 9/30/2014
Where: Streamline Circle, 450 West 14th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY

President Susan Fuhrman (Ph.D. '77)
invites you to a
Celebration of TC's Diversity Initiatives

Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 P.M.
Hosted By: Teachers College and
Kevin Jennings (M.A. '94), Founder of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian an Straight Education Network) and 
recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award
Location: Streamline Circle, 450 West 14th Street, 9th Floor, New York City
For questions, please call Paulina Melin at 212.678.3215.

Click here to register or click the "Register for Event" button below before September 23, 2014. 

TC's latest Diversity Initiatives

The Sexuality, Women, and Gender Project (SWG)
SWG was created to envision and implement the next wave of theories and practices to improve the well-being of sexual minorities individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual), transgender or gender non-conforming persons, and women  at Teachers College. As part of the Counseling and Clinical Psychology department, a world-renowned training ground for the next generation of educators, researchers, practitioners, administrators and activists, SWG’s mission is to play a vital role to develop research, c! urriculum and programming on campus and with partners beyond Columbia University. SWG currently offers a Master’s concentration and the first graduate level course on transgender issues in New York, TC’s first permanent course on LGBTQ Issues, as well as coursework on maternal mental health.

SWG works across departments within TC and with Columbia University to promote the interdisciplinary dialogues needed to solve complex, real-world challenges across academic fields. It was founded in 2012 by Drs. Aurelie Athan, Melanie Brewster, and Ridhi Sandil. For more information about SWG, please visit www.swgproject.org

LGBTQ Diversity Scholarship
In 2014 TC partnered with the Tyler Clementi Foundation to offer a scholarship to a TC student pursuing a career that supports LGBTQ populations in the fields of health, education or psychology.

More about TC's Legacy of Diversity...

1898: James Earl Russell teaches the first course in Foreign school systems, launching the field of comparative and international education and allowing students to learn from other cultures and educational models. 

1933: Southern states offer out of state scholarships for the black college graduates, to TC becomes the premier destination for black educators seeking a master’s degree. 

1952: Shirley Chisholm graduates from TC and goes on to become the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first to make a major party Presidential nomination. 

1973: Professor Edmund W. Gordon founds the Institute for Urban and Mnority Education. 

1997: The Heritage School, founded by TC art and Art Education Professor Judith Burton, open! is East Harlem with support from TC Trustee Joyce Berger Cowin. The Heritage School is a community-based institution committed to celebrating the culture of its students and incorporating those cultures into instruction.

2005: TC launches the Campaign for Educational Equity that champions the right of all children to attain meaningful educational opportunity and works to define and secure the full range of resources and services necessary.

2007: TC helps Jordan improve its public schools and hosts Jordanian teachers in its summer certificate program in the Teaching of English to Sparkers of Other Languages (TESOL).

2012: The Sexuality, Women, and  Gender Project is created to implement  the next wave of theories and practices in these research areas, working both on campus and with external partners.

2013: Televisa provides a fellowship for TC students with an interest in improving  K-12 education for latinos/as and the professional development of teachers focused on improving outcomes for 
latino/a students. 

2014: TC partners with the Tyler Clementi  Foundation to offer a scholarship to a TC student pursuing a career that supports  LGBTQ populations in the fields of health, education, or psychology. 

2014: TC offers three full scholarships to graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities who will pursue a master’s degree.
 

By entering the event premises you consent to videotaping, photography, interview(s) and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for public relations, news articles, telecasts, education, advertising, research, inclusion on web sites, fundraising, or any other purpose by Teachers College (TC) and and/or its affiliates. Full photo consent information here.   

Dr. Riddhi Sandil featured in Al Jazeera America

Does slut-shaming start with school dress codes?

Enforcement of dress code policies play out against broader debate of sexualization of young women in American culture

Enforcement of dress code policies play out against broader debate of sexualization of young women in American culture

“We know that one of the best predictors of mental health is self-esteem. Enduring public humiliation impacts self-esteem in a very dramatic way,” said Riddhi Sandil, a psychologist and lecturer at Teachers College, Columbia University who co-founded the Sexuality, Women & Gender Project. “We have to foster self esteem in our young girls as opposed to breaking it down at such a tender age.”

9526_sandil.jpg
Viewed as an object of distraction for boys by school dress codes, girls are usually admonished in language that encourages their objectification. “Girls are often told not to wear ‘distracting’ clothing,” Sandil said. “Schools are sending the message that a girl’s physical appearance is to blame for how boys behave towards them.”
Read full article on http://america.aljazeera.com/.

Diversity Hits the Books

The Sexuality, Women, & Gender Project was recently featured in TC Today's alumni magazine. Please access the full article here or see below.

By SIDDHARTHA MITTER & JOE LEVINE

TC' 14 Alumni Marie Hansen, M.A. - now in the LIU Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program

TC' 14 Alumni Marie Hansen, M.A. - now in the LIU Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program

Making TC a Place Where People Can Be Themselves 

As an undergraduate women’s studies major, Marie Hansen realized that courses in other departments mostly ignored women. 

“To learn about women’s psychological development, you had to look in women’s studies,” recalls Hansen, now a TC Counseling and Clinical Psychology master’s student. “Women’s studies is interdisciplinary, so it didn’t go as deep as a psychology course taught by a psychologist.” 

Last fall, Hansen took The Mother- Child Matrix, taught by Aurelie Athan, director of TC’s Maternal Psychology Laboratory. Athan is a leader in the fledgling field of “matrescence,” which views the transition to motherhood as a develop¬mental phase like adolescence and other periods of major physical change. Her course is part of a broader initiative, The Sexuality, Women, & Gender Project (SWG), which she and two other psychology faculty members, Assistant Professor Melanie Brewster and Lecturer Riddhi Sandil, created in fall 2012. 

Course content at TC is changing in response to female and LGBTQ students who ask, ‘Where’s the stuff about me?’ 

“In psychology you usually learn about mothers only insofar as they affect children’s clinical outcomes, but Aurelie flips that paradigm,” Hansen says. “We read articles, mostly from the nursing field. We interviewed mothers. It was exciting, because growing up you see a lot of images that don’t reflect what it feels like to be female. TC is creating a counter-narrative.” 

The class also illustrated the real-world impact of consigning work about women to the women’s studies corner. “Eighty-three percent of women become mothers,” Hansen says. “Motherhood is a radical shift in identity. Everyone knows about the baby blues, yet DSM-5 [the diagnostic manual for practicing psychologists and psychiatrists] has no distinguished diagnosis for postpartum depression.” 

Riddhi Sandil, Ph.D.

Riddhi Sandil, Ph.D.

The SWG Project builds on past efforts at TC to focus on issues of gender and sexuality. In 2010, the year that saw the end of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the first wave of state-level decisions to legalize same-sex marriage, TC’s Office of the Provost convened a working group of faculty, students and staff to examine LGBTQ issues (the acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning) that affect recruitment, diversity and College life. 

In addition, TC’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs has long been out front on these issues (see page 33). 

“It is particularly heartening that the SWG Project is giving gender and sexuality issues a strong academic focus,” says Janice Robinson, Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs. 

Still, as Sandil puts it, there remained a sense that TC, like most other institutions of higher learning, was “without a sexuality and gender focus,” with the result that “the marginalization of sexual minorities and women had sort of gone by the wayside.” 

Aurelie Athan, Ph.D.

Aurelie Athan, Ph.D.

“There were courses in the 1980s that incorporated women as a focus, but as elsewhere, they’ve gone dormant, perhaps reflecting a desire by women not to be thought of as special anymore,” says Athan, who coordinates the College’s Clinical Psychology program. “And you might say, well, that’s appropriate, because women are now very present in the work force and as students, but I would argue that the conversation isn’t over — that it’s just beginning. We have all these young women now coming into our psychology classes [80 percent of students in the M.A. program are female]. They’re raising their hands and saying: ‘Where’s the stuff about me?’ And we can’t accommodate the demand.” 

In 2012, backed by a TC Provost’s Investment Fund Grant, Athan, Brewster and Sandil began working, in Sandil’s words, “to irrigate the disciplines” at TC by combing through the course catalogue and meeting with department heads and other faculty members to dis¬cuss ways of integrating an LGBTQ, women and gender focus into a range of offerings. TC is currently on target for a 2015 launch of a certificate program in the understanding of sexuality, women and gender, drawing on course offerings across multiple departments. 

Partners in the growing SWG network include Laura Azzarito, Associate Professor of Physical Culture and Education, who is interested in studying women in sports, and Sandra Schmidt, Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education, who teaches about queer spaces and geographies. Enrollment Services Associate Dean Thomas Rock, Marie Miville, Chair of the Counseling and Clinical Psychology Department, and Gregory Payton, a Lecturer in the Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, serve on SWG’s executive advisory board. 

If women are again sounding a call to be represented as an academic focus, LGBTQ students are perhaps finding their voice for the first time. 

“I’ve never been discriminated against at TC, and the environment has always felt accepting, but certain identities aren’t always as celebrated — as though there isn’t as much interest in hearing from a gay person or a transgender person,” says Matt Robinson, a current Counseling and Clinical Psychology doctoral student. Robinson recalls a recent TC class in which “we examined various identities and how they relate to our work in counseling. We talked about our race, religion, culture, ethnicity, and we had to dis¬cuss each. And then at the end of the course, we were told we could pick from ‘other identities,’ which included gender and sexual orientation. So, yes, those identities were included, but it’s also an example of how other marginalized identities are more prioritized.” 

Melanie Brewster, Ph.D.

Melanie Brewster, Ph.D.

More recently, that picture is changing. In 2013, Melanie Brewster, who serves as faculty adviser to the student group Queer TC, began teaching a course she calls LGBT(Q) Issues in Psychology and Education, the first such permanent course at the College. Nearly 80 students signed up, forcing Brewster to cap enrollment at 55 this spring. The course has featured a guest appearance by Charles Silverstein, author of The Joy of Gay Sex and a leader of the successful effort to remove homosexuality from the DSM, and a screening of the soon-to-be-released documentary Pier Kids: The Life, about homeless LGBTQ youth living near New York City’s Christopher Street Piers.  “These are issues that not only future psychologists but also pre-service teachers need to know about in order to work with kids and their parents,” Brewster says. 

Alysa Turkowitz (M.A. ’01, Ed.D. ’12), Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Psychology & Education program, says that most LGBTQ students remain “hyper¬sensitive in the classroom — their antennae are up to determine ‘is this a safe space?’” Even something as seemingly innocuous as a verbal math problem that includes the phrase “a husband and wife” can be a major cue.

“Someone who doesn’t fit into that heterosexist dynamic feels excluded, and they may shut down from engaging in classroom dynamics,” says Turkowitz, who wrote her TC dissertation on the LGB experience in graduate school. “Because another question for LGB students in almost any classroom discussion is, ‘Should I come out here, and if I do, what will happen?’ Some feel a responsibility to teach about LGB perspectives, and they’ll come out in every scenario. But others will make that decision case by case, and some believe that being gay has nothing to do with what goes on in the classroom.” 

If conflict and stress exist for LGB students, it is even greater for those who are transgender. 

“TC is a relatively safe institution, but for transgender students everywhere, there is always a fear of possible violence and retaliation,” says Turkowitz, who two years ago was invited to teach a TC course on the transgender experience that may be one of the few such standing offerings at the graduate school level. “And emotional safety is an even bigger issue.” 

In her course, which she describes as “a 101 introduction to transgender experiences,” Turkowitz begins by clarifying what “transgender” actually means (the term does not, for example, refer to sexual orientation, but rather to a sense that one’s gender identity does not conform to one’s sex assigned at birth). She brings in a range of guest speakers, including transgender individuals, lawyers and advocates; covers the mental health field’s view of trans¬gender people (in 2012, the American Psychological Association ceased categorizing transgender identity as a mental disorder); and deals with legal and education concerns. 

The work of the Sexuality, Women, & Gender Project is just beginning. Still, it seems clear that a process has started that will not be stopped or reversed — and that the conversation is striking a tone that makes everyone feel included. 

“We’re prioritizing and centralizing these issues now in a way that wasn’t happening in the past,” says Brewster. “Even just having faculty like me who are available to do mentoring work is a big step, because students are hungry to have people they can pop in on and talk to.” 

Davidella Floyd, a doctoral student who leads Queer TC and serves on the Provost’s working group, agrees. 

“It comes down to building the tent big enough: feminist issues, women’s issues, LGBTQ issues, issues of masculinity,” says Floyd, “And what I love is that there’s room in the agenda for the focus to shift, for it to grow and be transformed based on the big issues on the horizon that need to be addressed. That’s a great position to be in.”

“we’ve got such a shift happening in society in beliefs and perspectives on LGBTQ issues,” says Thomas p. Rock, associate dean for enrollment services. “TC is placing so many people in K–12 and beyond who can make a difference.” 

Rock’s office has been working with the Point Foundation, which offers funding and mentorship to promising LGBTQ students, to increase the College’s visibility and recruit scholarship recipients. TC also has taken part in events such as the Human Rights Campaign’s 2013 leadership summit for historically black colleges and universities, which works to develop current and future LGBTQ leaders at these institutions. 

A new LGBTQ Scholarship has been created through a collaboration between TC and the Tyler Clementi Foundation. The TC-funded scholarship will be awarded to two students at the College who are committed to research and practice in LGBTQ issues. Clementi was the young Rutgers student who committed suicide after his roommate secretly videotaped him kissing another man and posted the clip on the Internet. Clementi’s mother, Jane Clementi, spoke last fall at the TC forum “From Bullying to the Defense of Marriage Act: A Journey toward Full LGBTQ Equality,” hosted by TC’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs. The Office is a vital force at the College for change on gender and sexuality issues, incorporating sessions on microaggressions into TC’s faculty and employee orientation and conducting training for faculty and staff who designate their offices as safe zones for LGBTQ persons. 

“The safe zones create an opportunity for people to be themselves,” says Janice Robinson, Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs. 
 

Domestic Violence in the News

In light of the recent media coverage of the domestic violence case involving Ray Rice (see NYT) of the N.F.L., please find a recap of helpful information regarding this topic below. 

REBORN INTO THE LIGHT by Maria Iskakova

REBORN INTO THE LIGHT by Maria Iskakova

Over 100 people gathered in Millbank Chapel at Teachers College, Columbia University last October to engage with a panel discussing themes of gender and culture around domestic violence. Panelists and attendees wore purple, creating a visible display of solidarity and community.

We once again would like to honor this event and remember that upcoming October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. More resources can be found at the bottom.

Please read our experts remarks along with some staggering statistics below (view full Prezi presentation here).

World Health Organization (WHO)

The WHO named Violence Against Women (VAW) a global health problem of epidemic proportions. There are many different types of VAW, but intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common.  VAW occurs in all countries and communities with varying prevalence rates (15% to 71% of women between 15-49 years old). This variability shows that VAW is preventable.

U.S.A.

  • 1 in 4  women experiences violence by a current or former spouse/boyfriend at some point in her life.
  • Battering is #1 cause of injuries for women-- more common than rapes, muggings and automobile accidents combined.
  • An act of domestic violence (DV) occurs every 15 seconds.
  • 20-24 year olds are at 3 times the risk.
  • 1/2 of all marital relationships involved some form of DV (pregnancy & motherhood are risk factors, not protective factors!).
  • 40% of mass shootings in past 3 years started with a gunman targeting a female partner.
  • 70% of deaths happen after a woman leaves (stalking may continue even after abuser is remarried; or woman must continue to face long and arduous child custody battles).
  • DV is chronically under reported (so these are likely underestimates).

New York City

Of the 683 homicides in 2012, 58% were of females (>16 yrs) killed by an intimate partner (IP); compared to 3% of males homicides killed by IP. Of the 119,355 total assaults last year, 80% were female; 27% (31,911) were committed by IPs. In NYC it is now a Class A Misdemeanor to strangulate someone-- a common DV related injury that used to be difficult to prosecute. Thanks to Article 121 - NY Penal Law - 2,003 individuals (94% men) were charged in first 15 weeks it took effect.

To see more statistics visit the Mayors Office to Combat Domestic Violence or the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.

The panel was moderated by Dr. Aurelie Athan, a co-founder of The Sexuality, Women, and Gender Project. She framed the conversation by naming domestic violence as a public rather than a private issue for its consequence of severely limiting human potential for society. Panelist Sethu Nair, the Manager of Communications & Outreach at Sakhi, an anti-domestic violence organization working with the South Asian population of New York, brought this point home by asking the question, "Who in this room has experienced abuse or knows someone who has?" Almost every hand in the room was in the air.

Discussing domestic violence as an extreme form of gender inequity, the panel raised the question: What do we really mean by Domestic Violence?

At its core it is about power and control. Whether emotional, physical, or sexual, these abusive behaviors are used by one person in a relationship to control or overpower the other. As written and defined, abuse is non-gendered, nonspecific, and open to possibility: partners may be married or not, gay or straight, old or young, men or women, living together, separated, or dating. However, women are usually the victims of DV and usually present with the most severe cases, with male victims reporting incidents of stalking, online stalking, or threats to their new partners more often than physical violence. 

Leslie Morgan Steiner: Why domestic violence victims don't leave.  [video]

Leslie Morgan Steiner: Why domestic violence victims don't leave.  [video]

Abuse was characterized as a pattern of behavior as well as a mentality, reflective of the psychological potential in each of us-- whether on the giving or receiving end. Those on the receiving end of abuse carry the greatest burden and are at risk for death, physical injuries, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental disorders. Despite these sobering realities, the panelists highlighted the positive narratives of victims of gender-based violence who go on to become survivors, advocates, and activists. 

Panelist Jennifer DeCarli, a lawyer turned social worker, is employed by the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence where she is the Executive Director of the New York City Family Justice Center in Brooklyn. Her vast experience representing victims of domestic violence in Family Court and directing the center provided the panel with a wealth of information about the lived experience of victims of domestic violence and their families. Ms. DeCarli believes that Family Justice Centers act as the best practice model for addressing issues of intimate partner violence because they provide victims with a host of resources to suit their varied needs all under one roof. The room went silent when she expressed that 70 to 100 clients come through the doors of her center each day. She mentioned that individuals unacquainted with DV often ask her:

"Why don’t victims just leave?”

She finds this question endlessly frustrating and explained that her clients may have trouble or choose not to leave an abusive relationship for many pragmatic as well as emotional reasons; these reasons include but are not limited to housing, children, finances, immigration status, and love and loyalty. Jennifer also stressed that the victim actually finds herself in the most danger during the period directly after leaving the abusive relationship. In cases where victims do choose to leave, housing is often the most pressing issue. According to New York state law, a victim may only remain in a domestic violence shelter for 180 days.

Stephanie Basilia Spanos, a psychiatrist for families and children, also sat on the panel, emphasizing the developmental toll that domestic violence takes on children. She brought attention to the pervasive themes of DV in children's literature, including Cinderella, Harry Potter, the Brothers Grimm, and Oliver Twist. In her work, Dr. Spanos often encounters the harmful narrative of domestic violence as a “private matter” or “family secret;” she explained that children are the last members of the family to report domestic violence because they are biologically adapted to protect the family that serves them. Tragically, she often confronts cases where abused children suffer learning problems, emotion dysregulation, alteration of the physical brain, and traumatic brain injury, a harm that most often occurs in the context of war. Children are often the witnesses of DV and may finally be the ones to call 911.

Panelist Yi-Hui Chang, the former Assistant Director of the New York Asian Women's Center, spoke about the stress this work places on case managers who often suffer from insomnia, burnout, compassion fatigue, and PTSD symptoms (vicarious traumatization) after listening to these extreme narratives of human suffering. She also brought attention to the unique conflict facing immigrant victims, who often wish to leave an abusive relationship without involving the criminal justice system but who paradoxically cannot file for an independent visa without a criminal justice report. Asian immigrants also experience pressure to not only preserve the reputation of their families in the United States, or host country, but also to preserve the reputation of their families in their home countries of origin.  She spoke of the complex constellation of domestic violence within some collectivist cultures whereby it is not just the partner who may be abusing the woman, but also the in-laws and other extended family members. When asked how a woman might “extract” herself from such situations, she clarified that this is not the right word or approach to use, as most women, regardless of cultural background do not wish to lose complete ties with their loved ones no matter how violent the context—emphasizing that affiliation and family bonds may be as important to a woman as her own personal safety.

The panelists explained that gender-based violence is difficult to detect from outside of the relationship as there is no profile for the "typical abuser" or "typical victim." In fact, domestic violence is an issue affecting women from all walks of life regardless of age, race, religion, socioeconomic status, and educational attainment. Furthermore, the early signs that abusive dynamics have entered an intimate relationship are often subtle and even hard to detect by the victimized partner. For example, possessive behaviors often begin as seductive behaviors, with the abuser presenting as an especially attentive, present, and available partner. However, these behaviors can later become distorted, as this affection turns into a pattern of control-- rendering the victim’s world smaller and more isolated as a result of encroachment by the abusive partner's need to have power over every last detail. Victims describe that physical abuse often manifests for a period of time but then stops because, "a look is all you need to know you have to control your behavior."

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How does a woman arrive to the moment of naming these behaviors as abuse? Yi-Hui Chang answered that a line becomes crossed that the victim can no longer tolerate and that this line is specific to each individual. We each have a line that we don't know we have, until we do. During her journey to leaving an abusive relationship, a woman often finds that it is much more difficult to get divorced in New York, for example, than it is to get married. Counseling in the form of practical guidance and advocacy might be better in the beginning and more exploratory therapy of the traumas experienced are recommended after the case has been stabilized. Yi-Hui Chang also illuminated the presence of IPV in the lives of LGBTQ couples. She often saw cases in which the abusive partner threatens to out the sexual identity or past gender identification of the victim in the workplace or social circle. 

While the panel brought awareness to the many grave realities surrounding domestic violence, it also shined a light on the potential to reverse these trends through public policy, cultural awareness, education, and services, like those provided to survivors by the expert panelists, countless other professionals, and the organizations they support. Sethu Nair particularly emphasized the power of our legislative and advocacy force and the need for more innovative approaches that bring awareness to the community directly through creative activities such as dramatic plays or women’s circles of support. She emphasized that culture is not only to blame but can be a resource as well. Cultures are not monolithic and have people with varying beliefs across a spectrum. Creating allies within a culture and starting to change the minds of others is how mindsets shift.

In the end the panelists embodied the kind of diverse orientations and support services a person struggling to make sense of domestic violence will need: legal, psychological, social, legislative, psychiatric, etc. This model for wrap-around services is the cutting-edge of domestic violence interventions we have today. To find a Family Justice Center near you if in New York City, to find national domestic violence resources, or to find out how to get help or volunteer, see our resources below.

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To find out about the co-sponsors of the evening, including the organization A.G.A.P.W, and detailed biographies of the panelists, please click here.  

Lastly, this event also served to host the official launch of The Sexuality, Women & Gender Project. The SWG Project has three aims: to promote pedagogy, produce research, and to apply what is learned in the field. It will be providing a certification and concentration through the MA program and will continue to organize events open to NYC. More information about the project can be found at www.swgproject.org.

By Laura Curren

Courses offered in Clinical and Counseling Psychology Department

Please find a list of courses you may like to take this Fall in the CCPX and CCPJ Programs.

We will be posting Spring courses soon.

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***Seats still left in this small Friday seminar***

Gender and Sexuality in the Clinical Encounter

Fall 2014, Fridays 9-10:40am

Jane Caflisch, Ph.D.

This discussion-based seminar will examine the ways in which gender and sexuality have been conceptualized by psychiatry, psychoanalysis and society more broadly, placing these views in historical context and considering their evolution through the present day. It will consider modernist vs. postmodernist views of gender and sexuality (i.e. views that understand the self as unitary and essential, vs. as fluid and socially constructed), and will explore the roles of multiplicity and fluidity, as well as the roles of loss and mourning, in the formation of gendered and sexual identities. Because this is a course intended for clinicians in training, discussions of theory and research will be interwoven with examples from clinical practice, as well as discussions of particular clinical dilemmas and opportunities that may arise when issues of gender and sexuality come to the fore. We will address issues related to intersectionality, self-disclosure, same-sex parenting, transgender issues, and group treatment, among others. In each of these contexts, we will explore the ways in which varying theoretical and cultural understandings of gender and sexuality may affect the lived experience of individuals who present for treatment, and may shape the way we intervene as therapists.

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Mother-Child Matrix: Developmental and Clinical Implications

Fall 2014, Thursdays 3:00-4:40pm

Aurelie Athan, Ph.D.

Few areas in psychology have developed as slowly as research and theory about mothers.  The purpose of this course is to explore the biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence a mother's well-being, and therefore her child's. We will cover topics as diverse as:  family planning and infertility, pregnancy, birthing practices, perinatal psychopathology and maternal distress, social policy and childcare, global motherhood and maternal mortality, anthropological views of "motherhood,” trends in parenting recommendations, and positive psychology/spiritual reconceptualizations of maternal experience--among others. Theories of maternal development from conception through pregnancy and the postpartum period will be critically examined. Readings include empirical, descriptive, theoretical, literary and popular readings. 

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Women and Mental Health

Fall 2014, Thursdays 9:00-10:40am

Nancy Nereo, Ph.D.

 The purpose of this course is to explore the biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence women’s well-being.

 

May clothing drive for Hour Children

Hour Children is an organization that helps incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children successfully rejoin the community, reunify with their families, and build healthy, independent and secure lives.

Spring cleaning (and graduation) is a time where we purge belongings we no longer need, but could be of need by others. Why not connect the two?

When: May 5-8 (add to calendar)

Where: Zankel Lobby

Please donate clean, gently used women's, men's, and children's clothing for the Hour Children Thrift Store.

If you are interested in doing more, Hour Children is eager to receive volunteers for their mentoring programs and beyond.

For further information contact Student Development & Activities: 212-678-3690 or studentactivities@tc.edu

Women's History Month: March Movie Selections

Women's History Month in March is an opportunity to explore social and psychological challenges faced by women with two powerful documentaries on the subjects of sexual trauma in the military and the experiences of mothers in the prison system. Please join us for these documentary screenings followed up by in-depth discussion facilitated by leading thinkers in the field. This is an excellent line-up not to be missed!

Please download digital posters (right click & save) below to forward to your communities.

MOTHERS OF BEDFORD

  • Monday, March 24
  • Screening: 5:00-6:30pm
  • 177/179 Grace Dodge
  • Post Screening Discussion
    • Mary W. Byrne, Ph.D., DNP, MPH, FAAN - Stone Foundation & Elise D. Fish Professor of Health Care for the Underserved, Faculties of School of Nursing and of Medicine and Professor of Clinical Anesthesiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Columbia University.
    • Sister Tesa Fitzgerald - Executive Director of Hour Children
      • Video - "Justice-Involved Mothers: Saving Families with Housing"
    • Aurelie Athan, Ph.D. - Lecturer, Clinical & Counseling Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University
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THE INVISIBLE WAR

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Additional Resources:

 

'KHORAI LIVE' talk on Menstrual Activism with Chris Bobel

Marco Puccini, oTo

Marco Puccini, oTo

Keeping Girls in School: Taking a Closer Look at the Promises and Perils of Menstrual Health Campaigns in the Global South

Girls, Girls, Girls. Everybody is talking about girls….From Nike and Procter & Gamble to the UN and tiny start ups sprouting all over the world, keeping girls in school in the world’s poorest communities is the new ‘It Girl’ of global development. Capitalizing on the little known fact that girls’ periods often keep them home from school, a growing number of social entrepreneurs are focused on finding creative ways to get menstrual care products in the hands of girls who need them most.

In this talk combining video, photos, and qualitative data from a new research project, Chris Bobel, author of New Blood: Third Wave Feminism and the Politics of Menstruation, shifts her focus on challenging the menstrual taboo in North America to  a probing look at NGO interest in girls’ menstrual care innovations in the global South. Join Bobel in her exploration  'under wraps' of this emergent form of menstrual activism.

Chris Bobel is Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She is the author of The Paradox of Natural Mothering, New Blood: Third Wave Feminism and the Politics of Menstruation and co-editor of Embodied Resistance: Breaking the Rules, Challenging the Norms. 

Presented by: KHORAI seeks to bridge the gap between clinical science, mass media, and the personal experiences of contemporary women. For more information visit: www.khorai.org 

Saturday April 12th, 2014
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Jefferson Market Library
425 Ave of the Americas
(6th Avenue & 10th Street)

NYPL Registration:  Email MarieHansen@nypl.org.