Elizabeth Allen from the University of Maine, an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership, gave a lecture Thursday evening entitled "Seeing Through the Haze: Perspectives on Gender, Masculinity, and Hazing."
Dr. Allen used three qualifiers to define hazing. Behavior that humiliates, degrades, or does any physical and/ or emotional harm to an individual. Hazing generally occurs in a group context where an individual wants to be apart or join a certain group. And consent, cohesion, and/ or peer pressure to force an individual to participate in an activity against his or her own will.
Dr. Allen presented her audience with statistic after statistic that showed hazing is a regular occurrence when an individual seeks to be accepted and become a part of a group; however, those who actually report any acts of hazing are of a fraction of that number.
Dr. Allen delivered her lecture on hazing using the gender theory of masculinity as a lens for analysis. Not surprisingly she spent the majority of her time focusing of the relationship between masculinity and hazing.
"The size of the crowd indicates that students are sensitive to this issue," Dean of students Michael Rater said. "Are they practicing, participating, or being suspected of being involved in hazing is a question - that I cannot answer."
Dr. Allen urged her audience to help fight the social constructions of "gender straight jacketing" in the hopes to reduce the physical and always harmful act of hazing that is a result of our society’s conception of masculinity.
"I believe in the ripple effect," Dr. Allen said. "If one individual takes a stand against hazing, then that can give courage and strength to other to also step up and join the fight."
However, not all in attendance were so receptive to Dr. Allen’s claims. "The lecture was useful and she brought up a lot of good points, but I don’t agree with her in that all hazing is bad. I believe some hazing can actually be constructive." Josh Bellis 08 said.
The lecture was sponsored by the Gender Issues Committee, Sphinx Club, IFC, and the Frederic and Mary Jane Schillinger Hadley fund for American Studies. The lecture took place in Baxter 101 which housed a full audience with students sprawled in aisles and rows.
Elizabeth is the co-founder www.stophazing.com, a website that provides anti-hazing laws and articles and strategies to stopping hazing.
Sexton is a Wabash College junior and English major.