Lisa's suggestion reminded me of the journal "The Feminist Teacher." I have never subscribed to it, but I used an book-length anthology of articles from this journal (called The Feminist Teacher Anthology) when teaching Feminist Pedagogy, and it does strike me that this piece would fit perfectly in there. Best of luck Sophia, it is a very valuable piece I intend to refer to. Thanks for writing and sharing it.
Chaone
*******************************************
Chaone Mallory, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Philosophy
Villanova University
Villanova, PA 19085
610-519-3274
[log in to unmask]
Chair, Diversity Committee
Association for Feminist Ethics and Social Theory
www.afeast.org
________________________________________
From: Feminist ethics and social theory [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask] [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 9:00 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Fwd: "How can I mentor some one who doesnıt l ook like me?"]
Hi Sophia - May I suggest the journal *Teaching Philosophy*? It's one of my favorite journals because many of the articles are practical and can make a real impact in one's career. I have worked with them twice and have only praise for the editorial practices (though I understand the editorship just changed hands).
You expanded this basic list to be a meditation on the challenges of mentorship and diversity - it would be a real winner! Best - Lisa
Lisa Cassidy, Ph.D.
Treasurer, Eastern Society for Women in Philosophy
Associate Professor of Philosophy
American and International Studies
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430
PHONE 201-684-7416
FAX 201-684-7973
OFFICE B230
OFFICE HOURS SPRING 08:
Tuesday 2:10-3:30 and Wednesday 8-9 AM or by appointment
website:
http://phobos.ramapo.edu/~lcassidy/
---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 20:15:36 -0400
>From: Sophia Wong <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: [Fwd: "How can I mentor some one who doesnıt l ook like me?"]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Dear FEASTers,
>
>Many thanks to Lisa Schwartzman for finding and re-posting my message
>on mentoring. I've received several replies from colleagues who are
>finding it helpful and timely. I wrote it almost seven years ago back
>when I was a graduate student, but the advice still rings true.
>
>Due to popular demand I will be posting this on my website as soon as
>I make a new page devoted to mentoring resources, and am also thinking
>about submitting it as a short article. If anyone has ideas about
>good venues to publish this, please let me know.
>
>Best,
>Sophia
>
>Sophia Wong, Ph.D.
>Assistant Professor
>Department of Philosophy
>Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
>www.sophiawong.info
>
>On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 12:45 PM, Lisa H. Schwartzman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> I think this is the e-mail that Sophia was looking for:
>>
>>
>>
>> -------- Original Message --------
>> Subject: "How can I mentor someone who doesnıt look like me?"
>> Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 15:21:45 -0400
>> From: Sophia Isako Wong <[log in to unmask]>
>> Reply-To: Feminist Ethics and Social Theory <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Thank you, Ofelia, for opening up this discussion of mentoring for
>> diversity and for offering to share our thoughts with others on the
>> upcoming APA panel. Iıve been inspired by Anne Watersı posting to make a
>> few observations based on my own experience. As a woman of Chinese and
>> Japanese heritage studying Western philosophy in Canada and the US, I have
>> never been mentored by someone who looked like me. (In my entire life I
>> have met exactly three people of East Asian heritage doing philosophy in
>> the US this was at the Eastern APA panel entitled "Asian Americans and
>> the Color of Philosophy" last December in New York.)
>>
>> Encouraging diversity means much more than getting and keeping
>> philosophers who are racially and ethnically different; in my mostly white
>> male department, there are also very few mothers, students over 30 or
>> professors under 40, out gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people,
>> people with disabilities, or Muslims let alone feminists (!). There are
>> so many ways of being different.
>>
>> And yet I have found wonderful mentors from first-year until now, most of
>> them middle-class white men, who have encouraged and supported me in my
>> passion for philosophy. I have also started mentoring some of the
>> undergraduates whom I teach, and younger Ph.D. students in my department.
>> Although only two are women who look like me, I have good relationships
>> with several students for whom Iıve written recommendation letters and who
>> occasionally "check in" with me to talk about their goals. At present I
>> have zero influence on recruiting, admissions, and hiring decisions, so my
>> goal in mentoring the few "different ones" who make it into my philosophy
>> department is to make sure that they (we) feel welcomed, supported, and
>> encouraged to stay.
>>
>> So, what is the secret of mentoring someone who doesnıt look like me?
>> Or, equally important for most of us, how do I find and cultivate a mentor
>> who doesnıt look like me? Here are some stunningly simpleminded things
>> that Iıve tried, both while "courting" a mentor whoıs different from me,
>> and while seeking to mentor someone whoıs different from me.
>>
>> 1. Say hello to someone who doesnıt look like you. Not just the first
>> time you meet her, but every time you pass her in the hallway or see her
>> in class or at a faculty meeting. Whenever I walk into a sea of faces
>> unlike mine and hit a wall of silence and benign indifference, it starts
>> to feel like nobody wants to acknowledge my presence (even though usually
>> it just means everyone is busy thinking about philosophy.) Every one of
>> my mentors started with a simple "hello" and made the effort to remember
>> my name.
>>
>> 2. Spend a little time with someone who doesnıt look like you. This may
>> mean anything from chatting while walking across campus together, asking
>> her to meet you during office hours, making an appointment to discuss a
>> paper or even inviting her to lunch. I am always surprised and delighted
>> when a professor decides to spend a lunch hour talking to me instead of
>> working in his/her office or meeting with "more important" people.
>>
>> 3. Meet people who are different in spaces where THEY feel comfortable.
>> (How effective would it be to have lunch with a female student in a
>> gentlemanıs club?) Iıve noticed that when my advisor meets with a group
>> of students in a Chinese restaurant, the familiar food comforts me and
>> makes me feel more at ease than when weıre in an Italian café.
>> Similarly, I make a point of meeting gay/lesbian/bi/transgender people in
>> queer-friendly spaces on campus whenever possible, even if that means a
>> group study space in a library with an openly gay librarian working
>> nearby.
>>
>> 4. Introduce mentees to others who resemble them, so that they can get to
>> know each other and share their struggles and triumphs as part of a
>> minority group on campus. I sometimes hesitate to approach other people
>> of color, because I think we might have very little in common besides not
>> being white. Having a mutual acquaintance do the introduction is very
>> helpful.
>>
>> 5. Introduce mentees to people who resemble YOU. Since not every academic
>> is equally dedicated to encouraging diversity, it is often difficult for a
>> person of color to get to know a (white) senior faculty member. I call it
>> the "try-to-catch-my-eye game." You can help your mentee overcome any
>> initial awkwardness, misunderstanding, or unconscious bias on either side
>> say a few words of warm praise when you introduce her to others, or
>> better yet, invite your mentee to join you and your colleagues in some
>> activity.
>>
>> 6. Now hereıs the hard part. Once you know your mentor or mentee fairly
>> well, enough that you trust her enough to try this, ask her what itıs like
>> to be different from you. Ask for details. If she has children and you
>> donıt, ask her how she is dealing with child care and whether the academic
>> schedule is hard for her. If sheıs an out lesbian and youıre not, ask her
>> if she has a partner, and whether she has experienced homophobia on
>> campus. If sheıs African-American and youıre not, show that youıve
>> noticed sheıs the only one in the department and bring up the topic of
>> racism. Someone has to say it first. The other person may not want to
>> take the risk of jeopardizing your relationship. Each of you is probably
>> afraid of broaching these sensitive topics for fear of offending the
>> other. If you know the person fairly well, chances are it will be OK. For
>> example, I donıt mind having someone ask me directly whether I want to be
>> called "Oriental" or "Asian," and I welcome the chance to talk about
>> sexism with male colleagues, although they may occasionally say things
>> that anger me. What really bothers me is when someone assumes that she
>> knows what itıs like to be me, or when we try to have a working
>> relationship that sustains the fiction that there is no difference between
>> us, by avoiding all relevant topics.
>>
>> I hope these remarks were helpful. Iıll end by advertising my event once
>> more: at the upcoming FEAST conference I will be facilitating a lunchtime
>> discussion entitled "How Has Racism Affected Your Life?" This discussion
>> takes place on Friday, October 5th from 12:30 2:00 pm. I would be happy
>> to answer anyoneıs questions or concerns about this discussion. If you
>> decide to join us, please RSVP off-list to <[log in to unmask]> with your
>> name, racial heritage and any dietary restrictions or preferences.
>>
>> Sophia Isako Wong
>> Ph.D. Candidate
>> Dept. of Philosophy
>> Columbia University
>>
>>> Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 15:59:49 -0400
>>> From: "Schutte, Ofelia" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Subject: Re: aristocractic generations of academe
>>>
>>> There will be a panel at the Eastern Division this year named "mentoring
>>> for
>>> diversity." I agreed to be a speaker. I would appreciate your feedback
>>> on
>>> this topic. I think part of the intent is to come up with constructive
>>> suggestions about retaining women and members of underrepresented groups
>>> (not just hiring). Please feel free to contact me directly in addition to
>>> any messages you'd like to post to the list.
>>>
>>> Ofelia
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> __________________________________
>>
>> Lisa H. Schwartzman
>>
>> Associate Professor of Philosophy
>>
>>
>>
>> Department of Philosophy
>>
>> 517 South Kedzie Hall
>>
>> Michigan State University
>>
>> East Lansing, MI 48824-1032
>>
>> (517) 353-9379
>>
>>
>>
>>
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