Gender and Movie Trailers

An interesting discussion. (Thanks, A!)

Women in Philosophy Workshop: Birmingham

Philosophy Department
University of Birmingham

Wednesday 25th of April 2012
Room G51, ERI Building, University of Birmingham Campus

Women in Philosophy
Royal Institute of Philosophy Workshop

13.00-14.30 “Singing the Post-Discrimination Blues:
Notes for a Critique of Academic Meritocracy”
Dr Fiona Jenkins (Australian National University)

14.30-14.45 Tea and Coffee Break

14.45-16.15 “Implicit Bias, Stereotype Threat and Women in Philosophy”
Professor Jennifer Saul (University of Sheffield)

16.15-16.30 Tea and Coffee Break

16.30-18.00 “Women and Deviance in Philosophy”
Professor Helen Beebee (University of Birmingham)

18.00-… Drinks and Dinner

The presentations at this workshop will explore the consequences of gender bias and stereotypes in academic philosophy. The abstracts of these presentations are below together with short biographical notes on the speakers. The workshop is open to all audiences, and there is no attendance fee (refreshments will be free, but drinks and dinner will not be included). For any enquiries, please contact Dr Jussi Suikkanen (j.v.suikkanen@bham.ac.uk).

Reader Query: Use of informal campus visits as part of PhD application process?

A reader writes:

I am writing to inquire about a practice at one PhD program to see 1. what you think of it and 2. if you or any of your readers know how prevalant it is. One of my students is visiting a Philosophy PhD prgram to which she applied for a “prospective students” day. When she received the invitation, she asked whether she had been accepted. The reply was something along the lines of: well, no, not yet, they [PhD Program] have only X number of spots (I think 4?), but invite X number of students (I think 12?) who made it to the next to final list before they make offers. Mind you, these are not formal interviews, and the students are all invited to visit on the same day. My student aptly noted that it feels a bit like the Hunger Games. I wondered also about things like implicit bias and the empirical data on orchestra auditions using a curtain to anonymize the performer. What do you think? And do you know how common this practice is? I’ve never come across it before.

CFP: Philosophy of Religion

CFP: 2nd Glasgow Philosophy of Religion Seminar

24-25, May 2012

The biennial Glasgow Philosophy of Religion Seminar provides a platform for discussion of work-in-progress in analytic philosophy of religion. Papers are invited on any topic within analytic philosophy of religion, broadly construed to include non-western traditions. Papers on comparative philosophy of religion are also welcome. The Seminar is organized by the Centre for Philosophy and Religion, School of Humanities, University of Glasgow.

If you would like your work to be considered for presentation at this event please email an abstract of between 300 and 500 words to Dr Victoria Harrison (Victoria.Harrison AT glasgow.ac.uk) by 9th March 2012. Your paper should have a reading time of approximately 45-50 minutes. Please state on your submission if you are a graduate student. You will be informed of the decision by 31st March. Papers accepted for presentation will be considered for publication in Philosophy Compass, Blackwell’s fully peer-reviewed online philosophy journal.

See the Seminar’s website, where further information will be posted as it becomes available:

http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/humanities/research/philosophyresearch/cpr/events/

“Give [the laundry] to your woman: it’s her job”

Emma Barnett argues this isn’t *just* a joke:

However, this crass message stitched onto the label in these cheap chinos from Madhouse, genuinely took me aback.
There was no attempt at wit, and unlike the Topman t-shirts, which offended so many with their brazen slogans to be worn across young men’s chests – this was a hidden message – or rather an order, intended to encourage women to reassume their once their ‘proper place’ (in the home) and young men to maintain the expectations of their grandfathers.
Even the language – ‘Your Woman’ – presupposed some kind of Neanderthal mentality from my boyfriend, an unwilling shopper after some affordable chinos – preferably not lined with sexist imperatives.

For more, go here.

(Thanks, L!)

The Hilton’s Idea of a treat

I cannot think of any circumstances in which the event in the picture would be welcome in my hotel room.  Can you?  I mean, I suppose it is to be about the bed being soft, but still the associations it sets up are at least problematic.