When sexual harassment in the workplace comes into conversation, it is typical to think of the issue as unwanted sexual pursuit. Lilia Cortina, a specialist in the scientific study of workplace harassment and incivility since 1994, says “sexual” harassment often has little if anything to do with sexuality. Instead, it’s about gender. Join Cortina on Friday, March 2 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at The University of New Mexico's SUB Ballroom A to hear her thoughts on the matter in a presentation titled “Sexual harassment on the job: what are we missing?”
As part of the discussion, Cortina, who is a professor of psychology and women’s studies at The University of Michigan, will review research on gender harassment and the impact it has on the work environment for both men and women. A researcher of hostile work experiences, Cortina investigates the many ways in which people are subordinated, violated and relegated to the margins of organizational life. These interpersonal indignities range from subtle social slights to general incivility to blatant harassment and violence.
Her scholarship spans the full spectrum, concentrating on populations that have historically been marginalized in organizations (e.g., women, racial and sexual minorities). One line of Cortina's work addresses harassment based on sex, sexuality, and gender - focusing on the contours and consequences of harassing experiences in employment. In another stream of research, she investigates workplace incivility, i.e., everyday discourtesies that violate social norms of respect and undermine worker wellbeing
She has published widely in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has been named Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Cortina also occasionally serves as an expert witness in sexual harassment litigation, translating findings from the scientific literature to inform legal decision-making.
The event, hosted by Advance at UNM and sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy, is free and open to the public. A light lunch is provided. Please register for lunch. For more information, email advance@unm.edu.