Social Justice Usage
Source: Collins, Francis, M.D., Ph.D. “Time to End the Manel Tradition.” National Institute of Health (nih.gov). June 12, 2019.
Toward that end, I want to send a clear message of concern: it is time to end the tradition in science of all-male speaking panels, sometimes wryly referred to as “manels.” Too often, women and members of other groups underrepresented in science are conspicuously missing in the marquee speaking slots at scientific meetings and other high-level conferences. Starting now, when I consider speaking invitations, I will expect a level playing field, where scientists of all backgrounds are evaluated fairly for speaking opportunities. If that attention to inclusiveness is not evident in the agenda, I will decline to take part. I challenge other scientific leaders across the biomedical enterprise to do the same.
New Discourses Commentary
A “manel” is a panel of professionals, often speakers at a conference or event, composed mostly or entirely of men (meaning, typically, but not always, “cisgender” men). Manels are believed by those who subscribe to the various Theories of Critical Social Justice, but particularly the relevant branches of feminism, to be indicative of a failure of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, which is to say that they are taken as proof of oppressive systemic power being applied in having chosen the members of the panel. Because these Theories measure the absence of systemic power by seeing either parity in representation, or, better, reparative representation that corrects for historical injustices, panels that are male-majority are problematic and are treated as proof of systemic sexism and misogyny.
While all, or nearly all, participants of a panel must be male for it to qualify as a “manel,” any panel that is not at least 50% women—and probably including at least some other gender minorities, like transgender or non-binary people—is problematic in the relevant way. Panels consisting of 100% women are never called “womanels” or anything of the sort, and they are never considered problematic. In fact, they are both representative of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice and also an occasional necessity (see also, desegregation). Thus, a panel consisting of 100% women is, in the dimension of sex, 100% diverse, though in the dimension of gender is likely to still be problematic unless some gender minorities are also included. All of this claim to diversity is also severely undermined unless there is also racial diversity (e.g., 100% black) on the panel (see also, systemic racism and white supremacy).
The reason that “manels” are problematic and “womanels” are never a thing is because the Critical Theories at hand believe that excluding men is an act of disruption of their hegemonic power (see also, patriarchy) while excluding women and gender minorities is an act of oppression (see also, liberation). The relevant Theories dictate that there is always a moral obligation to disrupt and dismantle this power and never to uphold, maintain, perpetuate, or legitimate it. Having an all-male panel (perhaps including a token woman or gender minority) would reinforce existing power structures while having an all-female (and/or gender minorities) panel would challenge them.
There is considerable pressure within the activist circles that operate from within Theory (see also, Wokeness) to refuse to participate in manels as an ostensible token woman or gender minority, which is considered automatic if these are in significant enough minority on any panel. The reason is because to do otherwise would constitute complicity with the prevailing power structure, which is utterly forbidden. Activists are therefore expected to speak up and remove themselves from alleged “manels” in a very public way that not only signals their virtue but also creates social pressure on the inviting institution to rethink the constitution of the panel until it has more women and gender minorities on it, ideally similar activists (see also, call out, non-consensual co-platforming, and consciousness raising). This will often frustrate panel organizers who took pains to include women or gender minorities on the panel, achieving the activists’ identity political aims.
Related Terms
Belonging; Call out; Cisgender; Complicity; Consciousness raising; Critical; Critical Theory; Desegregation; Dismantle; Disrupt; Diversity; Equity; Exclusion; Feminism; Gender; Hegemony; Identity politics; Inclusion; Injustice; Justice; Legitimate; Liberation; Man; Marginalization; Minoritize; Non-binary; Non-consensual co-platforming; Oppression; Patriarchy; Power (systemic); Problematic; Race; Racism (systemic); Representation; Sex; Sexism (systemic); Social Justice; Transgender; White supremacy; Woke/Wokeness; Woman
Revision date: 12/22/20
1 comment
Learning so much its tough for an old guy but getting there…Ireland