What seems like a random influx of sexual harassment accusations and depositions in the media, is actually a result of generations and generations of gender oppression. Throughout history, women have been deemed inferior to their male counterpart, often seen as less credible, or less intelligent. This mentality has not only threatened the safety of women, but has allowed men their free will in exchange for women’s.
As more and more victims of sexual harassment step forward to admit their experiences in hopes of helping others, it’s no surprise an uprise of allegations regarding members of the House and Senate has ensued. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan announced the House is adopting a policy change that mandates all members and staff of Capitol Hill partake in anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training. Though this policy is directed towards both men and women, as anyone is at risk for experiencing unwanted sexual remarks/advances, its creation still shows that women’s voices are becoming more powerful.
This policy that lawmakers are setting into place is the least the government could do in terms of preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, but it is something John Dewey would solemnly agree with. Dewey, a notable philosopher and respected educator, strongly advocated for democracy and believed school is where social reform takes place. Ryan’s efforts to address the issue align with Dewey’s ideology, in that learning is a social and interactive process that, in turn, could be used to improve social interactions.
As someone who believed the government exists to serve the community, one could conclude that in order to begin combating sexual harassment, Dewey would have first determined if the issue at hand affected the community as a whole, i.e determining whether or not something is a private or public matter. With an issue like sexual harassment, the victim in the situation is having their rights infringed upon, stripped of their free will as they’re forced to succumb to unwanted inappropriate advances. But how does that affect the public? As Dewey stated in The Public and Its Problems, under a chapter titled The Eclipse of the Public, “American democratic polity was developed out of genuine community life, that is, association in local and small centres where industry was mainly agricultural and where production was carried on mainly with hand tools” (101). And as society progressed, community life became increasingly complicated, forcing people to begin making decisions based on the collective whole they were a part of, and not solely based on themselves as individuals in said community.
Sexual harassment is a public matter because it affects individuals; individuals who have the potential to do great by the world can be temporarily, if not permanently, affected by a negative experience, and ultimately their dreams and aspirations could be placed on hold or tossed out entirely due to someone else’s selfish desires. When these victims give up their dreams, it negatively impacts the community, as their ideas could’ve been revolutionary for society but will remain undiscovered, unable to surface above the harsh memory, depriving everyone else a chance at a better tomorrow.