Dear Faculty/Staff Member at the University of Exeter,
We are a group of Exeter students who are very concerned about the “Tribal” theme for the Raising and Giving Society’s upcoming “Safer Sex Ball” to be held in the Great Hall on Monday, December 10th, 2012. We are worried that this event encourages students to dress up as racist and sexualized parodies of our cultures that undermine our legitimacy as students who actively participate on this campus.
We have run a month-long an online campaign against the theme choice, but have received a torrent of racist and sexist hatred against our members and supporters.
As the Student Guild approved this theme, we are asking you, as members of the Student body, Faculty and Staff, to stand with us and speak out against the disregard for the cultures and safety of non-white people on this campus. We request your support to petition the RAG and the Guild to change the SSB theme and publicly apologize to the students who have been offended.
We have already received words support from Dr Katharine Tyler in the Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology:
“The term ‘tribe’ or ‘tribal’ has been deployed within White Western popular culture to designate exotica associated with people who are more often than not racialised as not White and not Western. In this sense, the term has racist connotations placing racialised minorities outside of the West into a time and place without history. When the term tribe is coupled with activities that are meant to be uninhibited, ‘primitive’, ‘instinctual’, or the like, the dangers of association become even more contentious.
In thinking about the theme of the 2012 SSB, it is important that the negative connotations of tribal are avoided. It is also vital to welcoming students from across world to Exeter that the paraphernalia and activities at the SSB not suggest the tribal theme justifies uninhibited behaviour. Given the potentially harmful and racist connotations associated with the ‘tribal’ theme, the organising committee should consider a new theme for the SSB to support their campaign for safe sex at the University of Exeter.”
Please email us at exeterstudentsforsocialjustice@gmail.com to add your name to this petition.
Sincerely,
Exeter Students for Social Justice
Signed by:
- Dr. Giovanna Colombetti – Senior Lecturer, Dept of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology
- Dr. Tom Rice – Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology
- Dr. Jonathan F Davies – Teaching Fellow, Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology
- Dr. Katharine Tyler – Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology
- Helen Louise Turton – Lecturer, International Relations (Education and Scholarship)
- Dr David Harvey – Associate Professor of Human Geography, Department of Geography
- Ian Cook – Associate Professor of Geography & Geography Equality & Diversity Rep
- Dr JL Romanillos – Lecturer in Human Geography, Director MRes Critical Human Geographies
- Dr Nicola Thomas – Senior Lecturer in Cultural Geography
- Dr Nigel Pleasants – Department of Sociology, Philosophy, and Anthropology
- Dr Samantha Hurn – Lecturer in Anthropology, Programme Director for the MA in Anthrozoology
- Prof Clive Sabel – Lecturer, Geography
- Dr. Ann Kelly – Lecturer, Anthropology
- Dr John Wylie – Associate Professor of Cultural Geography, Director of Postgraduate Research
- Dr Ewan Woodley, Lecturer in Physical Geography
- Louise MacAllister, PhD Candidate at the University of Exeter
- Dr Natalie Hempel de Ibarra, Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour, Department of Psychology
- Nicky Britten, Professor of Applied Health Care Research, University of Exeter Medical School & Chair, Gender Equality Group
- Dr Richard Brazier, Associate Professor of Earth Surface Processes
- Dr Timothy Cooper, Senior Lecturer, Department of History
- Dr Alan Gregory, Professor of Corporate Finance
- Dr Brian Rappert, Department of Sociology and Philosophy
- Steve Hinchliffe, Professor of Human Geography
- Dr Martina Tyrrell, Research Fellow, Department of Geography
- Dr Damien Mansell, Lecturer in Physical Geography
- Patrick Overy, Subject Librarian (Law and Business), Library International Officer
- Dr Sarah Bulmer, Lecturer in Politics (Education and Scholarship)
- Dr. Avril Mewse, Senior Lecturer, Education Manager – Admissions Psychology
- Dr James R. Ryan, Associate Professor of Human Geography
- Jessica Groling, Associate Lecturer in Sociology and Anthropology
- Andrew Duncan, Member, Equality and Diversity Consultation Group, PhD candidate, Computer Science
- Dr Melissa Percival, Senior Lecturer in French
- Dr Claire A. Dunlop, Senior Lecturer in Politics
- Marion Wood, Department of Music
- Harriet Jones, Equality and Diversity Project Officer supporting Athena SWAN
- Juliette Stephenson, Widening Participation Coordinator, Senior Lecturer Economics
- Dr. Safi K. Darden, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour
- Prof. Philip Schwyzer, Department of English
- Megan Birney, PhD Researcher, Associate Research Fellow, School of Psychology
- Dr Kim Peters, Senior Lecturer in Social and Organizational Psychology
- Dr Rachel Hayes, PREVENT Trial Manager, Mood Disorders Centre, Psychology
- Dr Matthias Varul, Senior Lecturer in Sociology
- Sabina Leonelli, Senior Lecturer, Egenis & Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology
- Manuela Barreto, Professor Social and Organisational Psychology
- Dr Nicola Whyte, Lecturer in History
- Dr Bryony Onciul, Lecturer in History
- Dr. Charles Masquelier, Teaching Fellow, Sociology
- Christine Soper, Research Technician, Psychology
- Dr Kerry Burton, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of the West of England
- Stephen E. G. Lea, AcSS, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Exeter
- Rebecca Baker – Forest of Dean.
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Open Letter to Student Representatives in the UK about the SSB’s ‘Tribal’ Theme at the University of Exeter
Dear Student Representative,
We are a group of students at the University of Exeter who are very concerned about this year’s Safer Sex Ball run by our student union. The theme they have chosen for this event is “Tribal”. This University has a vast history of racism and sexism, so much so that last year Union needed to put out a statement discouraging students from ‘blacking up’ <http://www.exeterguild.org/news/article/6001/A-Response-to-Banter-the-appearance-of-prejudice/>. We are concerned that this event encourages students to dress up as racist and sexualized parodies of our cultures that undermine our legitimacy as students who actively participate on this campus.
At this time we are running a campaign against the theme choice, but have received a torrent of racist and sexist hatred against our members and supporters.
As this theme was approved by the Student Guild, we are asking you, as representatives of your student body, to stand with us and speak out against the disregard for the cultures and safety of non-white students. Every campus in this country deserves to be a safe and welcoming place for students of colour.
By signing this letter, you tell our Guild that this kind of institutional racism will not be tolerated by students across the UK, and show your Student Union’s commitment to equality.
Sincerely,
Exeter Students for Social Justice
E-mail: exeterstudentsforsocialjustice@gmail.com
Twitter: @SJExeter
Signed by:
- Aaron Kiely – NUS Black Students’ Officer
- Aurora Adams – NUS Scotland International Students’ Officer
- Edmund Schluessel – NUS Wales International Officer
- Maham Hashmi-Khan – SOAS International Student Officer
- Catriona Gray – Wellbeing Officer, University of Manchester
- Luke John Frost – Campus Officer, UCA
- Dominique Ucbas – Strathclyde University Vicepresident of Diversity and Advocacy
- Joe Dewhurst- Edinburgh University Postgraduate Representative (Philosophy, Psychology and Language)
- James McAsh – Edinburgh University Student’s Association President
- Max Crema – Edinburgh University Student’s Association Vice President of Services
- Michael Chessum – NUS NEC
- Andreas Karoutas – PhD Candidate, University of Exeter
- Maura Pavalow – Students’ Guild PG Welfare Rep and PhD Candidate, University of Exeter
- Sarah Ali – Students’ Guild PG Social Justice and LLB, University of Exeter
- Quen Took – Students’ Guild LGBTQ Rep, BA English Literature, University of Exeter
- Deanna Quirke – Gender Equality Rep, University of Exeter
- Tsz Ching, Chung – International Student, University of Exeter
- Alan Hooker – Theology and Religious Studies PhD student, University of Exeter
- Alexandra D’Sa – BA English Literature with Study in North America, University of Exeter
- Ledys Sanjuan – MA Critical Global Politics, University of Exeter
- Helena Bennett – BA French and Italian, University of Exeter
- Jennifer Krase – Welsh Jewish History MPhil candidate
- Ess Ma – BA Modern Languages (Russian and German), University of Exeter
- John-Erik Hansson, MA History of Political Thought, University of Exeter
- Polly Withers PhD candidate Middle East Politics, University of Exeter
- Emma Hands, BA English, University of Exeter
- Rhian Keyse, MPhil/PhD candidate, History, University of Exeter
- James Bernthal, PhD candidate, English Literature and Gender & Sexuality, University of Exeter
- Florence Wallis BA English Literature with Study in North America, University of Exeter
- Alexa Sage, Exeter alumna: BA Hons Politics and French; Gender Equality Representative for Exeter University Students’ Guild 2011-2012
- Carlus Hudson, BA History & Politics, University of Exeter
- Gabriel Arthur Thebolt, PhD Candidate, Philosophy, University of Exeter
- Thom French, Graduate, Former Student Union Officer Trustee
- Adam Southall, Students’ Guild Senior Elections Officer
- Rebecca Baker – Forest of Dean.
- Ben Wesson, Vice President, Engagement & Participation, Northampton Student’s Union
- Chris Meredith, MA English and Film, University of Exeter
- Hannah Fortune, BA English
- Clara Bradbury – Rance, former BA Film Studies and former MRes Sexuality and Gender Studies, currently at the University of Manchester
- James Lowe, University of Exeter
Haute Couture, or Hate Culture? 