Association Policies
The Scottish Association for the Study of America has no tolerance for sexual harassment. We are committed to creating and maintaining a harassment-free environment for all participants in any and all of the Association’s activities. Participants are expected to engage in consensual and respectful behaviour at all times.
I. A. The term “sexual harassment” includes a wide range of behaviours that include, but are not limited to: sexist conduct or remarks; requests for sexual favours; sexual advances, whether sanction free, linked to reward, or accompanied by threat of retaliation; words or actions which demean, humiliate, or threaten an individual on the basis of their sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation; unwanted physical contact; and sexual assault. Sexual harassment can also take nonsexual forms and includes remarks, discriminatory or otherwise, about or actions based on an individual’s appearance, clothing, sex, gender, gender expression or sexual orientation; as well as flirting, and/or other behaviour that causes discomfort. Furthermore, sexual harassment is a result of individual perception and as such, what is perceived as harassment will vary on an individual and situational basis.
B. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, gender expression, sexual orientation or position - academic staff, students, and other members of the SASA community can be perpetrators and victims of sexual harassment regardless of gender or power dynamics.
C. It is unethical to condone sexual harassment or to disregard complaints of sexual harassment. Such actions or inactions allow a hostile environment to exist and are inconsistent with the maintenance of academic freedom and the Association’s values.
II. In addition to sexual harassment, amorous relationships that might be appropriate in other circumstances are inappropriate in academic settings and should be avoided between those of unequal status or authority. Implicit in the idea of professionalism is the recognition by those in positions of authority that in their relationships with their students and co-workers there is always an element of power. Such amorous or sexual relationships may have the effect of undermining the atmosphere of trust on which the educational process depends.
III. Should an attendee experience harassment, bullying, or intimidation at any of our events that is inconsistent with the values articulated in the Society’s Sexual Harassment Policy, the attendee is encouraged to make a report in writing to a committee member. The report will remain confidential and will only be shared with other members of the committee. From this, the committee will work together to deal with such reported behaviour, including retaining the right to ban individuals from future events the Scottish Association for the Study of America holds.
IV. The Scottish Association for the Study of America encourages its members, particularly those who have positions of authority or power, to urge their universities or workplaces to enforce the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 that prohibits sexual harassment, and to publicize grievance procedures available to students, faculty, or staff who have been subjected to sexual harassment.
[1] SASA is committed to creating an academic culture free from sexual harassment. Our Sexual Harassment Policy is adapted from those crafted by the American Historical Association, Southern Historical Association, Society for Classical Studies,
and the Society of Civil War Historians.
Sexual Harassment Policy
Statement of Solidarity
The Scottish Association for the Study of America (SASA) Committee stands in solidarity with those protesting police violence, white supremacy, and structural racism and oppression in the United States, here in the United Kingdom, and around the world. We stand united with Black Lives Matter protesters, and we mourn the deaths of Elijah McClain, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others that preceded, and will heartbreakingly succeed, them. We strongly condemn the use of authoritarian tactics to suppress lawful expressions of righteous anger, emotion and protest, and we remain deeply committed to practising and promoting anti-racism work throughout our association.
As scholars who study the United States, we understand how the historical lineage and depth to the contemporary fight for Black lives is entrenched within a long and global history of racial violence, and we understand and continue to learn how the protests of today are part of a long-standing movement for Black liberation, equality and justice. We also acknowledge that these issues of systemic racism and oppression are not exclusive to the United States, but are also felt in communities of colour across the United Kingdom.
We are committed to listening and learning from protesters, activists, scholars and those committed to the work of anti-racism, as we seek to continuously understand this contemporary movement against racial oppression, and work to dismantle institutional and systemic racism across the world.