Berkeley - Opening Scenario by Aris Winger

abbeherzig — 2024-01-15 17:30:35 UTC

The visiting speaker at the topology seminar is describing her research. Throughout her talk, audience members interrupt, asking questions like “Don’t you mean this instead?” or “I don’t see why this is true.” Someone else in the audience responds, leading to a back-and-forth between them. The speaker doesn’t have an opportunity to respond and waits silently until she can move on to her next steps.

What would you do?

2024-01-15 17:41:54 UTC

That's fairly common

2024-01-15 17:42:22 UTC

I’ve seen it happen

2024-01-15 17:42:23 UTC

I've seen this happen before and it's extremely annoying -- although it tends to be over quickly

2024-01-15 17:42:31 UTC

I’ve experienced this before, and it makes you feel invisible

2024-01-15 17:42:32 UTC

It is frustrating to watch it happen

2024-01-15 17:42:34 UTC

I’ve been the speaker just as often as I’ve been in the audience. And I’ve seen this way too many times. As a graduate student I feel least empowered to do anything about it.

2024-01-15 17:42:39 UTC

This happens all the time and I really wish it wouldn't…

2024-01-15 17:42:40 UTC

I've seen it too

2024-01-15 17:43:00 UTC

I would like a faculty member or organizer to redirect attention to the talk

My initial reaction is frustration

2024-01-15 17:43:01 UTC

I wish it wouldn’t have happened in the first place

2024-01-15 17:43:23 UTC

Things like this make me very picky about which audiences I give talks to….

2024-01-15 17:43:26 UTC

I'd like someone to tell the people having the conversation to stop and that we'd like to hear what the speaker has to say

As part of dept DEI interviews with faculty candidates, we ask a close version of this question. Most respond with common ameliorative practices, but rarely are proactive practices mentioned.

2024-01-15 17:43:28 UTC

2024-01-15 17:43:32 UTC

I wondered whether her being a woman plays a roll in people being comfortable interrupting her

Reaction is rolling eyes

2024-01-15 17:43:33 UTC

The organizer or a senior faculty member should tell the audience members to stop talking and allow the speaker to speak

2024-01-15 17:43:45 UTC

Say aloud "I would like to hear what the speaker thinks about that"

2024-01-15 17:43:49 UTC

I would not feel comfortable speaking up or acting on this as a junior member of the community

2024-01-15 17:44:02 UTC

There should be a moderator in a position of power to re-direct the conversation and make sure the people who have interrupted understand how they can change

2024-01-15 17:44:10 UTC

Approach the speaker afterwards and offer her support and a discussion about it if she feels comfortable sharing it. Brainstorm ideas for how to deal with the situation together

2024-01-15 17:44:11 UTC

I would let the discussion go on for the shortest possible exchange ("I don't see why...", "I think it's true because...", "Oh, OK") and if it went on any longer I'd suggest that we take this offline.

2024-01-15 17:44:13 UTC

As a grad student I would feel too afraid to say anything in most situations. In, say, a grad student seminar...I'm excited to hear some suggestions

2024-01-15 17:44:22 UTC

I would want to say something, but I probably wouldn't have the courage in the moment

It seems the audience did not respect the speaker

2024-01-15 17:44:34 UTC

2024-01-15 17:44:46 UTC

“Let’s discuss this after the talk”

2024-01-15 17:44:46 UTC

It depends on the situation. If I feel comfortable enough/respected enough within the seminar, I'd tell the people talking to allow the speaker to keep talking. Unfortunately, I usually don't feel that comfortable.

2024-01-15 17:44:51 UTC

Interrupt the discussion and try and bring the focus back to the speaker

2024-01-15 17:44:55 UTC

Tell the people talking that it'd be better to talk about this after the talk, but I'd feel uncomfortable doing any more (insisting that they stop interrupting, e.g.) than that as a grad student

2024-01-15 17:44:58 UTC

After a minute, I would ask for this conversation to be moved to after the talk is over

2024-01-15 17:45:16 UTC

I usually just wait it out if the people are more established than me, doesn't really feel safe to intervene in that case

Before this happens, I would like to set "groundrules" for the seminar series so that this kind of activity would be unlikely to happen without common concern.

2024-01-15 17:45:16 UTC

2024-01-15 17:45:29 UTC

I would love to see someone speak up to the interrupters and tell them to cut it out

2024-01-15 17:45:34 UTC

I would like the organizer to not only step in in the moment, but also to have a conversation with the interruptor(s) afterwards. “This is not acceptable seminar behavior…”

2024-01-15 17:45:38 UTC

My initial reaction is that I would stay silent because I would feel helpless and that my voice would only add to the chaos and prolong the time taken away from the speaker.

2024-01-15 17:45:42 UTC

I'd cringe internally and probably try to start mustering the courage to interject and say that we can continue this discussion after the talk and let the speaker finish?

This can be bad...or good

2024-01-15 17:45:46 UTC

It should not be crushing for the speaker; and it can be softened by the audience taking the trouble to "let the speaker back into the conversation."

On the good side, the interuption can sometimes very clarifying, and the talk is for the audience, not for the speaker.

2024-01-15 17:45:46 UTC

Wait as patiently as possible, even though I would’ve liked to stand up for myself.

2024-01-15 17:46:09 UTC

I once told an audience member that they were being condescending.

2024-01-15 17:46:15 UTC

Organizer or other influential person in the space should speak up (i.e. someone who doesn't have to worry about retaliation). I feel power is very important here! Unfortunately in my experience it's usually the "bigshots" who talk over speakers like this!

2024-01-15 17:46:20 UTC

I'm sure there does come a point where the interruption has gone on long enough to justify "doing the organizer's job for them," but I'm not sure where that is.

2024-01-15 17:46:27 UTC

I would like someone to speak up.

I feel like we often think someone else will speak up and our collective moment passes.

Also, should certain people have more of a responsibility to speak up?

2024-01-15 17:46:32 UTC

This is often annoying to experience as an audience member too - I actually want to hear the ideas and the interruptions cloud the communication.

2024-01-15 17:46:38 UTC

Set the tone of the seminar at the beginning of the semester to make it clear that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. But when it inevitably happens, tell the interruptor that the behavior isn't acceptable.

2024-01-15 17:47:47 UTC

It honestly depends how comfortable I am with the interruptor(s), and unfortunately how responsible for my future they are. As an undergraduate I was one to call it out all the time because I was just some kid in the back. As a graduate student I feel much more vulnerable to retaliation.

2024-01-15 17:48:02 UTC

Maybe ask to take the conversation after the talk and have a person in a position of power present for that conversation

2024-01-15 17:48:17 UTC

I would try to interject into the conversation and bring the conversation back to the talk

2024-01-15 17:48:34 UTC

Depends a lot on the people such as how receptive they would be to feedback, the intent of the comments, etc. In the worst case, I'd probably just tell them to hold it until the end.

2024-01-15 17:49:00 UTC

Before the talk begins, ask the speaker what she would like me to do if something like this happens. (This is assuming we go over norms at the beginning.) Would she like me to step in? Would she like to say something herself?

2024-01-15 17:49:34 UTC

As an audience member I would be worried about being out of line by trying to address the situation

how to make sure the interruption serves the speaker as well as the audience

2024-01-15 17:52:12 UTC

I think the audience comes first. But a good interruption brings something new to what the speaker is saying. It's important for the organizer to bring the benefit back to the speaker.

2024-01-15 17:52:31 UTC

This has happened to me many times. I’m very tired of audience members assuming they know something I don’t because they don’t understand. I have often called it out.

2024-01-15 17:53:49 UTC

As a grad student, I worry that upsetting a faculty member would hurt me in ways that I could not prove were retaliation

Edit: I would like to add that I have been academically hurt by a faculty member. I don't know if what they did was because of something I said or did

2024-01-15 17:54:09 UTC

It’s frustrating to see so many of us be more afraid of making a stink than of letting the speaker down. We are all letting each other down every time we’re silent. Why are we so worried about upsetting our colleagues who are perpetuating these problematic practices?

2024-01-15 17:54:29 UTC

I'm not even afraid of retaliation but sometimes I just feel afraid to speak up

2024-01-15 17:54:46 UTC

Some of the worst offenders at Berkeley are also known to hate certain people based on their identity. I've been in this situation with professors I don't feel comfortable being in the room with.

2024-01-15 17:55:01 UTC

Personally I don't fear retribution specifically (which may make me something of an oddity), but I do fear being rude and stepping on toes. I feel like doing something like correcting behavior should be the job of people with power, and power comes from two places:

(1) Being put in charge specifically, like by being the seminar leader

(2) Being put in charge in general, like by being a senior professor

As someone who is usually neither (1) nor (2), it feels like it's not my place to speak.

2024-01-15 17:55:39 UTC

For me it’s mainly imposter syndrome, that if I speak up with senior members around and maybe I’m wrong (even though I might not be) I will be viewed differently and it reinforces that fear.

2024-01-15 17:56:49 UTC

I feel that my voice would be more open to be heard by the lay faculty member if I had the "reputation" or exhibited mathematical "merit" to be taken seriously, and I know professors who have vetted students for such "skill" before being willing to help them or listen to them.