In a searing opinion piece, Sean Jacobs, editor of Africa is a Country and a New School faculty member, comments on a second letter of support for Comaroff, signed by South African colleagues.
I think the Comaroffs have been set up Dr Comaroffs’ advice about dangers to women in Africa is entirely appropriate Jean was on my dissertation committee and she is a moral person who would never do what she is accused of. As a legal anthropologist my interpretation of these accusations is that no evidence supports them This is a case of the typically vicious politics of academia NOT a case of abusive sexual politics.
The job of investigating such complaints should be the courts’. What troubles me about the narrative of the Comaroff’s “evil” deeds is that it is almost identical to the recent anti-fairy tale about Jeffrey Epstein & his alleged enabler The stories as told are both sexist As a one time university student and professor I am surprised the accusers waited so long A visiting professor at my college tried to rape me and I told him I would tell everyone and ruin his reputation as a radical. He stopped and the next day when I defended my UG thesis he was very professional. No adverse career consequences So part of the problem with these sordid campus tales is that the women didn’t defend themselves The power of an alpha male is in great part the power we give them and now we need to take it away
Searing is right. Wow.
I think the Comaroffs have been set up Dr Comaroffs’ advice about dangers to women in Africa is entirely appropriate Jean was on my dissertation committee and she is a moral person who would never do what she is accused of. As a legal anthropologist my interpretation of these accusations is that no evidence supports them This is a case of the typically vicious politics of academia NOT a case of abusive sexual politics.
The job of investigating such complaints should be the courts’. What troubles me about the narrative of the Comaroff’s “evil” deeds is that it is almost identical to the recent anti-fairy tale about Jeffrey Epstein & his alleged enabler The stories as told are both sexist As a one time university student and professor I am surprised the accusers waited so long A visiting professor at my college tried to rape me and I told him I would tell everyone and ruin his reputation as a radical. He stopped and the next day when I defended my UG thesis he was very professional. No adverse career consequences So part of the problem with these sordid campus tales is that the women didn’t defend themselves The power of an alpha male is in great part the power we give them and now we need to take it away