My View On The Necessity Of Policies For Protection Of Students In Workplaces
I personally believe that this statement can be interpreted in a number of ways, and there is definitely a great deal of ambiguity. On one hand I feel that it is imperative to have policies which shield students from words and ideas that cause them emotional discomfort especially ‘trigger warnings’ which can seriously impact an individual’s well-being and cause anxiety and affecting not only that particular individual but also affecting the overall atmosphere and learning environment for all students.
On a personal level, I feel that such policies play an important role in public universities where a proportion of the class has international and out of state students as well as students from a variety of backgrounds. Being an international student myself, there is a huge cultural difference which makes it crucial to have such policies to shield students from ideas that might cause discomfort hence easing their transition to the new environment.
However, life isn’t always a bed of roses and by encouraging to develop an “extra thin skin in the years just before they leave the cocoon of adult protection” I certainly feel that protection shouldn’t be misunderstood for intolerance that is being unwilling to accept someone’s beliefs or points of views. For example in the recent news, Ben Shapiro had been disinvited to the State University of California, Los Angeles because his proposed lecture was ‘claimed’ to be about micro aggressions and it was more of ‘an attack than a debate.’
In such a scenario, it highly encouraged for students to be more open minded and accepting of others opinions. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an integral part of this process and can positively modify the way of thinking of students. Students would definitely cope better with workplace environments if they prior experience in questioning their own ‘emotional reactions’ and accepting contrary viewpoints, if they fail to do so it can only be regarded as ‘intellectual disservice.’
However, these policies may vary from country to country and I feel that the need for these policies is more in places where the ‘power distance’ is greater. In places where the professors or any other personnel considers herself/himself in a higher position of authority there is a greater chance of emotional discomfort being caused and consequently the need for these policies is greater. In conclusion, I feel that the need for protection of students in workplaces etc., is highly subjective and differs from situation to situation.
