PhD defence: Bontu Lucie Guschke

In order to obtain the PhD degree, Bontu Lucie Guschke has submitted her thesis entitled:

The Persistence of Sexism and Racism at Universities

Exploring the imperceptibility and unspeakability of workplace harassment

and discrimination in academia

This PhD dissertation investigates the reproduction of sexist and racist harassment and discrimination in workplaces at Danish universities. Overall, the dissertation finds and details how harassment and discrimination are reproduced in a context of in/formality leading to a reproduction of inequality underneath a layer of unspeakability which leads to a lack of responsibility. On this basis, implications for organizational practice are discussed, suggesting that organizations need to recognize anti-harassment and anti-discrimination as ongoing, relational organizational practices rather than a goal to be achieved, respond with autonomy-fostering care to the vulnerability involved in harassment experiences, and be able to ‘stay with the trouble’ in addressing the affective ambiguities of harassment and discrimination.

Primary Supervisor:
Professor Sara Louise Muhr

Department of Organization

Copenhagen Business School

Secondary Supervisors:

Professor Brigitte Bargetz

Political Science

University of Passau

Professor Philomena Essed

Critical Race, Gender, and Leadership Studies

Antioch University

Assessment Committee:

Associate Professor Emil Husted (Chair)

Department of Organization

Copenhagen Business School

Associate Professor Sheena Vachhani

School of Management

University of Bristol

Professor Torkild Thanem

School of Business

Stockholm University

Thesis:
The thesis will be available from research.cbs.dk

Reception:
The CBS PhD School will host a reception, which will take place immediately after the defence at the kitchen area of IOA (4th floor).