A few weeks ago McDonald’s toys and gender norms zoomed into the zeitgeist, with all kinds of interesting articles, complaints, and even positive corporate response. I blogged about it here. I was pleased that McDonald’s had resolved to change the norms so that kids & parents wouldn’t be asked for boys’ toys or girls’ toys…
Here’s another story about police violence and disability. Here’s another story about the cult of compliance. In Dearborn Michigan, an Arab man was riding home on his bike. He stopped, was approached by police, and failed to comply with a request for ID. According to a complaint in a lawsuit, when he didn’t present ID,…
I’m back from an annual conference that medievalists hold in Kalamazoo, MI. Here’s the round-up for the week. At the conference I spoke about public engagement and why a medievalist might write for CNN about Sarah Palin. I also linked to a great blog post thinking about management vs administration in higher education. Earlier in the…
I’ve been at the 49th International Congress on Medieval Studies, held annually at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. It’s an extraordinary event – over 3000 medievalists come to this small town and lovely campus and, over four days, work on everything from the most micro-specialized topic to giant sweeping questions about the academy and…
Anne and Bobby, used by permission Anne Grunsted, who I know, has written a wonderful essay in Chicago Parent about about the “Selfless Mother Club.” As in – “Don’t look at my son with Down syndrome and put me in the selfless mother club, it demeans both him and me.” (paraphrasing). I love this phrase. I…
In the Chronicle of Higher Education, on my first piece about customer service, I made this comment: “Faculty members respond to the student-as-consumer by teaching defensively, fearing the management that we formerly referred to as administration. But administrators administrate on behalf of the faculty. Employees delivering customer service get managed.” It’s kind of a throwaway…
Yesterday’s piece in The Atlantic has a quite excellent comment section (in general, Atlantic readers’ comments are polite and smart, if still sometimes easily led to the hostility that happens online everywhere). Here are three followup points (I know this is long, but bear with me). 1. Why/how are these incidents happening now? 2. How…
I co-write a new piece just published by The Atlantic on police violence and disability. My co-author is Lawrence Carter-Long, communications director for the National Council on Disability. I’m really honored to have worked with him and hope that more collaborations with the NCD follow. There’s nothing surprising in this piece for readers of this…
Cecily goes to prison bc you’re supposed to let cops do whatever they want to your body. Frisking, groping, doesn’t matter. #Justice4Cecily — Sarah Leonard (@sarahrlnrd) May 5, 2014 Note: Below is a picture of Cecily McMillan in her bra, showing the bruise on her breast. This is a picture she made public but it’s…
Blogging is not (necessarily or probably) scholarship. Who cares? That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t count. There was a great session at the OAH (Organization of American Historians) annual conference last month on blogging and scholarship (summary, critique, and video, another summary and critique here, Ann Little’s introductory remarks here). The general conclusion is no, blogging isn’t scholarship….