Navigating Contrapower Harassment in the Sport Classroom as Graduate Teaching Associates: A Collaborative Autoethnography

Abstract

While teaching, many graduate teaching associates (GTAs) are exposed to contrapower harassment, as it is common in higher education. Contrapower harassment occurs when a person with more authority is harassed by a person with less authority. In the sport studies classroom, experiences of contrapower harassment are magnified for women, as they are underrepresented in this space. Man-dominated sport environments often see higher rates of harassment. Research has focused on women faculty experiences of harassment in the classroom yet neglected the experiences of women GTAs. This collaborative autoethnography focuses on the experiences of contrapower harassment for two women GTAs in a sport studies department. Collaborative autoethnography allowed the researchers to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, in the context of the sport studies classroom, through a combination of self and collective analysis. Interwoven throughout our myriad experiences was the expression of uncertainty in the face of contrapower harassment. This highlighted the need for additional training opportunities for women GTAs to navigate contrapower harassment in their classrooms.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ We are cognizant of the usage of both “women” and “female” as well as “men” and “male” throughout this manuscript. We aimed to limit the usage of sex (e.g., female) as to avoid the conflation of sex and gender. As such, the instances when these terms were utilized (a) mirrored the language used by previous researchers and the presentation of their findings; or (b) was present in the collected data. Yet in those cases the participants were referring to gender despite the less precise use in day-to-day language.

² “Internalized sexism refers to women’s incorporation of sexist practices, and to the circulation of those practices among women, even in the absence of men” (Bearman et al., 2009, p. 11).