Women, Digital Harassment and Democratic Life

The Harriet Kenderdine Lecture is back at Millersville University. On Oct. 8, Millersville University and the League of Women Voters of Lancaster County are sponsoring the lecture by Dr. Sarah Sobieraj, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology at Tufts University.

Sobieraj's lecture will be "The Body Politic: Women, Digital Harassment and Democratic Life." Her research focuses on United States political culture, extreme incivility, digital abuse and harassment, and the mediated information environment. Her book, "Credible Threat: Attacks Against Women Online and the Future of Democracy" examines the impact of identity-based digital abuse on women's participation in social and political discourse. It explores how 52 powerful women were attacked in digital spaces in attempts to silence their voices and the impacts such attacks have on free speech and the democratic process.

[Link]"We're delighted to present the Kenderdine Lecture again this October," says Dr. Jill Craven, professor of English & World Languages and coordinator for the event. "From the 1940s through the 1960s, Harriet Kenderdine was involved in politics where she specialized in foreign policy and Latin American relations. Kenderdine was an active member of the League of Women Voters at the national, state and Lancaster County levels up through the 1970s, leading the local organization through the 1950s. When she died, she left a bequest to the League of Women Voters of Lancaster County for public lectures to empower voters and protect democracy. Millersville University has been proud to host these lectures over the past four decades to honor her legacy."

The lecture will be held on Oct. 8, 2024, at 7 p.m. in Biemesderfer Concert Hall, Winter Center, 60 West Cottage Avenue, Millersville PA 1755. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information visit [email protected].

In addition to the lecture, The League of Women Voters of Lancaster County will host a book club on Thursday, 9/12 to discuss Sobieraj's book. That will occur on September 12 at 6 p.m. at West Art, 800 Buchanan Avenue in Lancaster.