I spent Tuesday 2nd September in London, attending the third Lad Culture Strategy Team meeting with the National Union of Students (NUS). The group, an appointed committee of individuals has come together from across the UK to lead the direction of NUS's work around tackling Lad Culture within Higher Education. The group, made up of Student Union Officers, University Staff, NUS staff and Officers and external organisations, as an outcome, will provide the framework to which all of the NUS work on Lad Culture is focused, and furthermore assist Student Unions to develop effective strategies within their communities.
You may well ask quite what Lad Culture is, how it might affect you, and what the group is doing nationally and I am leading on at the University.
What is Lad Culture?
Lad Culture is a behaviour, and whilst many more complex explanations exist, it in essence, is a behaviour which serves to reinforce negative stereotypes that in turn exclude certain individuals from participation in activities they may wish to be a part of. It's routes are within harassment, bullying and discrimination, and it can be exhibited in a number of ways, from the way in which individuals talk to one another, to the engagement in practices or formation of rules that restrict a persons right to feel safe and express who they are.
Lad Culture might then look like a slap on the arse on a night out, it might look like initiations or hazing by sport clubs, or it might even be intimidating behaviour which causes others to feel at unease. Whatever it is, it is important to remember that Lad Culture can be exhibited by anyone, at any time, and these behaviours more often than not cause those who are affected to feel upset, isolated and withdrawn. This can often lead to individuals not taking part in the group they love, speaking up about something they care about, or suffering in silence because they don't feel that their opinion, feelings or identity is valid.
So, what is happening to deal with Lad Culture?
Nationally, I have been heavily involved to this point in creating an audit structure, that the NUS will pilot this year to allow Student Unions to plot what they currently do to deal with Lad Culture. This will almost be a self assessment process for Student Unions to measure what is happening, the impact, current practices and what can change for the future. In the long term, this will lead onto a set of resources and support, provided by NUS to Student Unions to tackle the potentially problematic behaviour sets.
At Bath, I have the flexibility to push on with this topic more easily. I have personally prioritised Lad Culture as a personal goal of mine, and I will aim to get a copy of the personal goal document online when possible. In practice, this looks like using the data that the Students' Union collected from our Investors in Diversity assessment to form an understanding of where the problems are. Furthermore, the work will lead to a number of outcomes:
- Increased visibility of Lad Culture to the student body.
- Training for student leaders on what Lad Culture is, how it affects student groups and students, what can be done to tackle it, and how to report issues.
- An increase in participation from key demographics in student groups.
Anyway, that is about it for now, I'll keep you up to date with what is happening, where you can get involved and what I'm up to through my blogs, Facebook, Twitter, person to person, however I can really!
There is one very last thing I would like you to read below, but for now, speak soon.
Jordan
Please note... I am, or will not claim to be an expert on the area, it is simply something I am involved in, and care about making a difference on. This short post may include examples about definitions that you don't completely agree with, and that is fine, because it is a behaviour, and the more we talk, the more we find solutions.
You can find out more online, there are loads of great resources, and if you are a student at the University of Bath there is even more we can do.
If you are a member of a student group, make sure you take part in the Inclusivity Award, a recognition scheme accredited by the Students' Union which helps you to audit your current practices and gain recognition for ensuring your offer is inclusive.
If you are a student who has been affected by any of the issues covered in this blog, please speak to any member of Students' Union staff, visit the Advice and Representation in the Students' Union (Level 3), or visit Student Services, located in 4W. You can also visit both our webpages at: http://www.bathstudent.com/advice/guides/academic/.