Sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos presents this Sunday a “self-critical reflection” of his behavior in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment, pledging to be increasingly vigilant to avoid “discomfort or oppression.”
In the author’s article published on the “site” To expressunder the heading “Self-Critical Reflection: Commitment to the Future”, the sociologist writes that he was born in 1940 and belonged to “a generation in which unacceptable behavior, if not sexist, whether it concerns coexistence or language, has been accepted by society”.
“It is not always easy to realize that you are doing actions that were not previously considered unacceptable. It’s not a matter of justifying past behavior, but simply testing what might happen and lead to not-so-constructive actions. admit that at certain points I may have been the protagonist of some of these acts. To that extent, I regret that some people may have suffered or felt uncomfortable, and for that I owe them a rebuttal,” he suggested.
Three researchers who passed through the Center for Social Studies (CES) denounced cases of harassment and sexual assault in a chapter of a book titled “Sexual Misconduct in Academia – The Ethics of Nursing in the University” published by Routledge, an international publishing house.
“This confession of mine does not mean in any way that I take on the practice of serious action that is attributed to me, and I will never stop defending the dignity and integrity that I have built over 50 years of effort and dedication,” emphasizes Boaventura Santos.
In this context, he adds that he can only “continue to direct all efforts towards deepening the institutional and interpersonal culture of preventing, identifying, condemning and eradicating sexist behavior in its most diverse manifestations.”
“Intellectuals who, like me, have long recognized that one of the dimensions of domination in modern societies is heteropatriarchy, have a special duty of vigilance, not only epistemological, but also practical, emotional and interpersonal, so as not to fall into contradiction. between what they defend theoretically and their concrete actions in interpersonal and institutional relationships,” the researcher writes.
Boaventura Santos argues that “although the feminist culture is not fully consolidated, it should be kept in mind that, in the vast majority of cases, women have not found adequate institutional and communication tools to make their grievances, acknowledge their unjust suffering and receive such redress as may be deemed expedient.”
The sociologist also makes commitments to the future.
“To be even more vigilant not to play a role or contribute, even unwittingly, to situations that may cause anxiety or oppression. If that is the case, this omission only reinforces my commitment now, more than ever, to promote and protect them. “, he stressed.
Boaventura investigators Sousa Santos and Bruno Sena Martins have been suspended from all positions they held at CES until the findings of an independent commission set up to investigate the allegations against them can be verified.