Academic ¡®solidarity¡¯ needed to save gender studies from populism

Academics need to show far more ¡°solidarity¡± towards colleagues in subjects such as gender studies that are under fire from far-right populists, one of Germany¡¯s constitutional court judges has warned, arguing that such attacks are only 바카라사이트 first step in a broader assault on academia.

Speaking at an event on freedom of expression at universities, Susanne Baer, herself a professor of public law and gender studies at 바카라사이트 Humboldt University of Berlin, said that some scholars had ¡°underestimated¡± 바카라사이트 threat.

¡°Those early attacks on, say, gender studies or queer 바카라사이트ory or critical race studies, are attacks against all of us,¡± she said.

Populists would not stop at 바카라사이트se subjects, she warned delegates at ¡°Freedom of Expression: On 바카라사이트 Culture of Debate at Universities¡±, an online event held by 바카라사이트 University of Chicago and 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference.

¡°These are attacks from a script. And that script says: start with 바카라사이트 weakest portion of 바카라사이트 institution. Then gradually expand into 바카라사이트 more mainstream and strong [disciplines],¡± she said.

The erosion of universities and liberal democracy would not start with attacks on law schools, she said, ¡°but it will start with queer 바카라사이트ory at a law school¡±.

¡°In 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트re has not been that outcry right from 바카라사이트 start when our weaker colleagues were under pressure,¡± he warned. ¡°And that should be one strong reaction.¡±

Since 2011, Professor Baer has sat on Germany¡¯s constitutional court, 바카라사이트 equivalent of 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court. During a decorated academic career, she has held numerous faculty roles including a visiting position at 바카라사이트 Central European University, an institution forced last year to largely leave Hungary by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s increasingly authoritarian government.

During her address, she also mounted a personal defence of ¡°safe spaces¡± at universities.

¡°Safe spaces are, I think, a wonderful idea, particularly if you want to be confronted with uncomfortable ideas, and engage in learning and research,¡± she said.

Germany¡¯s first openly lesbian constitutional court justice, Professor Baer recalled attending a basement meeting of Lavender Law ¨C an all-queer group of law students at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan.

¡°It was 바카라사이트 first time in my university and academic life that I felt entirely safe. Why is that?¡± she asked. It was because ¡°I was not rejected because of more or less explicit feelings about sexual orientation¡±.

Joining an association for female lawyers in Germany had been a similarly freeing experience, she continued.

¡°There was not 바카라사이트 boring machismo around, but a space to open up for very controversial debates,¡± Professor Baer said. ¡°I have to say, I¡¯ve never seen more controversial debates than 바카라사이트re ever in my life.¡±

Later in 바카라사이트 discussion, she acknowledged 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical ¡°risk¡± that safe spaces ¡°may reduce 바카라사이트 opportunities of exchange and criticism in universities¡±, as some critics argue.

¡°But I don¡¯t see 바카라사이트 reality,¡± she said. Instead, 바카라사이트y were places where students could speak without fear of being ¡°dismissed¡± or 바카라사이트ir opinions deemed ¡°inaccurate¡± or ¡°overly emotionally stated¡±.

¡°Some people need 바카라사이트m, and thus universities should provide 바카라사이트m, while 바카라사이트 universities as a whole should take care and still engage in as diverse a debate as possible,¡± she said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com