Professor Ann Weatherall on ‘Saying no is not enough to stop gendered violence'

Students and Alumni from the English, Linguistics, TESOL and CPW courses were invited to a talk by Professor Ann Weatherall who presented research findings on empowerment self-defence training to reduce violence against women and girls.  

On Wednesday 29 November the Centre for Transnational and Transcultural Research hosted Professor Ann Weatherall from the University of Bedfordshire, who presented findings from her research on empowerment self-defence training to reduce violence against women and girls, entitled ‘Saying no is not enough to stop gendered violence.’

Ann’s work focused, over several years and several research projects, on video recordings of ten classes delivered by Kia Haumaru which is a feminist, bi-cultural, non-governmental organisation in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Using multi-modal conversation analysis to examine the data means that existing understandings of social conversational norms like talking, shouting, paying compliments and rebuffing sexual advances are examined through the words used and the body language which goes along with those language forms. For example, Ann’s research showed trainers at Kia Haumaru discussing with young school girls what might happen if a boy slapped their bottom at the shopping mall. The research evidenced how girls can be trained to understand that this conduct is not acceptable and that contrary to the way girls are socialised, they are allowed to raise their voices in public and shout at the perpetrator.

Scenarios were shared from previous workshops where women in a family setting were approached by men they knew from their extended family, who told the women that they were beautiful and asked them to sit on the man’s lap. Attendees were shown that linguistic resistance strategies like blunt rebuttals 'go away' and 'back off' were acceptable in these situations, along with self-defence moves which ranged from known self-defence moves to moves like stamping hard on a man’s foot.

The talk was well received, and a lively but polite discussion about whether such classes put the onus on women to end violence against them by men ensued. It was pointed out that women are socialised to be polite and quiet, and that such sessions were not set up to victim blame but to empower and show women linguistic moves more typically linked to male speech, or powerful speech (bluntly refusing, shouting, insisting). On the other hand, some attendees pointed out the danger involved in using these strategies in intimate partner violence situations could result in a dangerous situation of being trapped in one’s home with an antagonist partner who is now physically intimidated and annoyed. The talk stimulated thought among both students and people who actively research ending male pattern violence and was a clear example of why cross-pollination of ideas is so needed in research institutions.

The Centre for Transnational and Transcultural Research would like to thank Professor Ann Weatherall for her thought-provoking talk and to all attendees for their engagement and support.