Not the caricatured anarchists of a by-gone era, nor individuals who assume the role of the little boy who points out that the emperor has no clothes. Not even seasoned journalists asking tough questions, nor constituencies that demonstrate genuine backlash.
Instead, I’m talking about people both you and I have seen, heard, and maybe know; those individuals who exist in every organization and community: in our classrooms, boardrooms, and in our local, state and national politics.
The bomb throwers (call them contrarians or shit disturbers if you prefer), the ones who wait, primed for those in authority to say or do something even slightly controversial, and then pounce on them, pointing out flaws, real or imagined, when given the slightest opportunity.
Yesterday they argued for one position. Today they argue against themselves. It doesn’t matter. They are self-appointed, and their job is to confront, provoke, and maybe even humiliate leaders and managers.
Some of us may consider them to be brave members of our society that is typically passive or apathetic. We may be lulled into thinking that they are speaking truth to power, leading a resistance or counter movement with a better plan, but they seldom are.
I’m not saying that no one can criticize, nor am I dumping on people who have legitimate grievances and advance thoughtful counterarguments. Instead I have difficulties with people who only try to cause controversy and do so hypocritically.
But here is the thing about bomb throwers. When it comes time for them to manage or to lead, well they do a pretty shitty job.
Take for example our outgoing President. Every chance he gets, even before he assumed the office of POTUS, Donald J. Trump took the opportunity to bad mouth public figures who were not suitably fawning. This behavior in not simply reserved for his political opponents, but this treatment is also doled out to those he hand-picked to be part of his administration, who have ended up failing to support his policies. He performs for a cult-like army of followers, the core of whom believe he “tells is like it is.” They continue to support him, even as the masque falls away and the emperor is revealed to have no clothes.
Trump is not alone. There are numerous public figures, like many of the pundits (e.g., Lou Dobbs) who host shows on Fox News, or talk radio hosts (e.g., Rush Limbaugh) who appear to spend a disproportionate amount of their public career constantly complaining about the policies and plans of others, questioning their credibility, and offering nothing concrete at all to address the problem.
But instead of completely dismissing the bomb throwers and shit disturbers, to a certain extent we actually need these types of people.
Adversity and opposition keeps leaders on their toes. It prevents them from becoming complacent.
But, if you are in a leadership or management position, my advice to you is not to ignore the bomb throwers, but to dance with them. Acknowledge them, ask them to explain the data and rationale upon which they base their claims, and if warranted, publicly dismiss the absurdity or falseness of them. Point to the work you (and your organization) are doing to address the challenges. If the question is deserving of further study, suggest that they assemble a committee to examine the problem they raise, write a white or position paper for discussion, and offer to assist them in this endeavor. The sad truth is that it won’t happen. They are likely to respond with, “just saying.”
This kind of approach is not easy, but it is the mark of a good leader and manager to do so.
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2020-12-03-at-7.26.33-PM.png371303Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2020-12-04 00:42:262024-09-22 12:23:45Dancing with the bomb throwers amongst us
Today is Native American Heritage day. Most Americans will go about their business unfettered by this knowledge.
What’s worse? Most Americans, including the news media, did not know or ignored the fact that this past month was National American Indian Heritage Month. There was little educational programing, popular media coverage, and political speeches.
There are lots of plausible reasons why this occurred.
Perhaps you’re not a big fan of dedicating an entire month to celebrating a distinct class of people.
Maybe American Indian Heritage Month was overshadowed by the contentious federal election, which pitted a controversial Republican, Donald Trump, against a moderate Democrat, Joe Biden.
Or then again, the explanation I think is the most reasonable, is that the general public really doesn’t care about American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIAN).
Sure, we are willing to buy into cute stereotypes and flawed historical explanations, but when it comes time to confront the day to day realities for most AIAN we get bored, our eyes glaze over, and we change the subject.
Shifting gears, almost every year around this time, I tend to write an op-ed about the abysmal plight of American Indians and Alaskan Natives and the dominant White societies’ relationship with them. This is an outgrowth not only of personal experience but of a considerable amount of scholarship I used to do on this subject, including two books, research consulting, and some teaching at the undergraduate level.
I enjoyed engaging with this topic, but over the years, increasingly, I’ve felt that no one really cares about the issues that I brought to public and policy attention. Part of this reaction I believe is my geographical location. I live in Washington, DC, and work in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s not like American Indians and Native Alaskan issues aren’t part of the federal agenda, but they pale in comparison to foreign relations, the economy, etc. And yes, there is an American Indian population in Baltimore and Maryland in general, but they are not so numerous as they are in other states like Alaska, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, or South Dakota.
Most of the time, I felt like I was beating my head against a wall. It’s exhausting and demoralizing. Sure, I could ignore this simple fact and, like Don Quixote push on, and continue to do my work, but the truth is the truth.
The simple fact is that the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives is not merely a local challenge; it’s a national issue with many complexities. By ignoring this and them, we are telling the original inhabitants of our country that they are not important, and we don’t care.
Let’s work to changing this state of affairs. Expanding and sharing our knowledge of AIAN should be a goal in and of itself. Hollywood and other channels of popular culture have frequently and inaccurately portrayed AIAN and thus prevented our understanding of these unique cultures.
Even if it means celebrating a month or even a day like Native American Heritage Day, today is dedicated to AIAN diverse culture, both past and present, and challenges that they currently experience. Let’s work toward solutions that will assist them.
Photo by Bob Dass, “Lights for Liberty Rally, Santa Rosa, California” “Native American prayer at this rally to end immigrant concentration camps”)
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/48276979451_0ddd4b8e29_o-scaled.jpg21942560Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2020-11-27 14:31:392021-03-14 14:09:52Ignoring American Indian Heritage Month is disrespectful
Earlier this month Criminologist Francesca Vianello’s (University of Padua) and my co-authored edited book, Convict Criminology for the Future, was published by Routledge. Tracing its origins to a conference that was held May 31/June 1 last year, the book, consists of sixteen chapters (and a foreword by Shadd Maruna) written by a team of international scholars on the subject of Convict Criminology.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Convict Criminology, it is basically a network of individuals who hold a Ph.D. or are on their way to earning a doctorate in Criminology/Criminal Justice or an allied field, and united around the idea that the convict voice is typically ignored in scholarly research and public policy debates. Additionally, scholars who are part of CC represent a diverse group, including those who have been formerly incarcerated, justice impacted, justice-free allies, and/or prison activists.
Since its origins in the 1990s the CC network has participated in public policy debates, taught and mentored scores of students behind bars and those who have been released, and published a considerable amount of scholarly and popular work. Part of this tragectory includes the establishment of the official Division of Convict Criminology (DCC) of the American Society of Criminology during the spring this year. And this new book is now part of development of this field and network.
Why is this book important? Francesca and I had numerous objectives when we held the conference and organized the book. One of them stemmed from our realization that very first book on the subject, Convict Criminology (Ross & Richards, 2003), was increasingly out of date, unnecessarily expensive, and there was a necessity for another edited book that reflected not only a stockkeeping of where CC has been, what it is currently doing, what the future may hold, but the increasing diversity of the people who make up Convict Criminology. Safe to say, Convict Criminology for the Future fulfills these complementary objectives.
In terms of content, what subjects does the book cover? Seven major areas are included:
• Historical underpinnings of Convict Criminology
• Adaptations to prison life
• Longstanding challenges for prisoners and formerly incarcerated people
• Post-secondary education behind bars
• The expansion of CC beyond North America
• Challenges to conducting research in correctional facilities
• Future directions in CC
The book is interdisciplinary in the sense that the contributors have training and experience working in different kinds of social sciencefields. Like the original edited book, many of the contributors who are formerly incarcerated or are justice impacted are presenting their work alongside supportive justice free colleagues who are allied with Convict Criminology. They bring this wealth of knowledge to the pages of this book and to the readers so they can make sense of the complicated world of corrections and to shed light on a viable way forward.
It’s always great to have a project that you and others worked so hard on come to fruition. It presents another opportunity to share what we know with others, address issues we have perhaps ignored, or failed to pay enough attention to, to gauge our progress, to make connections, and to assist others in the quest of making the field of corrections less brutal and more humane.
The field of Convict Criminology has been all that to me. As the network has grown and matured it has provided fresh opportunities for more experienced members to share what they know, and to attract new people, with new and different ideas and energy, willing to tackle subjects of import to people behind bars, and those who have been recently released, those who study the subject of corrections, and those who want to reform the carceral enterprise. Things that we once thought were impossible and not attainable are all now part of the CC ethos.
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-12.15.40-PM.png610408Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2020-11-20 17:26:522023-02-13 19:28:59CONVICT CRIMINOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE drops: Why should you care?
Dancing with the bomb throwers amongst us
/by Jeffrey Ian RossNot the caricatured anarchists of a by-gone era, nor individuals who assume the role of the little boy who points out that the emperor has no clothes. Not even seasoned journalists asking tough questions, nor constituencies that demonstrate genuine backlash.
Instead, I’m talking about people both you and I have seen, heard, and maybe know; those individuals who exist in every organization and community: in our classrooms, boardrooms, and in our local, state and national politics.
The bomb throwers (call them contrarians or shit disturbers if you prefer), the ones who wait, primed for those in authority to say or do something even slightly controversial, and then pounce on them, pointing out flaws, real or imagined, when given the slightest opportunity.
These are also the trolls on the internet, spinning conspiracy theories, who constantly attack people.
“It won’t work,” “It never worked,” “The idea is silly,” or “You dropped the ball,” are the frequent lamentations of these fault finders. They often perform for an echo chamber of cheers.
Yesterday they argued for one position. Today they argue against themselves. It doesn’t matter. They are self-appointed, and their job is to confront, provoke, and maybe even humiliate leaders and managers.
Some of us may consider them to be brave members of our society that is typically passive or apathetic. We may be lulled into thinking that they are speaking truth to power, leading a resistance or counter movement with a better plan, but they seldom are.
I’m not saying that no one can criticize, nor am I dumping on people who have legitimate grievances and advance thoughtful counterarguments. Instead I have difficulties with people who only try to cause controversy and do so hypocritically.
But here is the thing about bomb throwers. When it comes time for them to manage or to lead, well they do a pretty shitty job.
Take for example our outgoing President. Every chance he gets, even before he assumed the office of POTUS, Donald J. Trump took the opportunity to bad mouth public figures who were not suitably fawning. This behavior in not simply reserved for his political opponents, but this treatment is also doled out to those he hand-picked to be part of his administration, who have ended up failing to support his policies. He performs for a cult-like army of followers, the core of whom believe he “tells is like it is.” They continue to support him, even as the masque falls away and the emperor is revealed to have no clothes.
Trump is not alone. There are numerous public figures, like many of the pundits (e.g., Lou Dobbs) who host shows on Fox News, or talk radio hosts (e.g., Rush Limbaugh) who appear to spend a disproportionate amount of their public career constantly complaining about the policies and plans of others, questioning their credibility, and offering nothing concrete at all to address the problem.
But instead of completely dismissing the bomb throwers and shit disturbers, to a certain extent we actually need these types of people.
Adversity and opposition keeps leaders on their toes. It prevents them from becoming complacent.
But, if you are in a leadership or management position, my advice to you is not to ignore the bomb throwers, but to dance with them. Acknowledge them, ask them to explain the data and rationale upon which they base their claims, and if warranted, publicly dismiss the absurdity or falseness of them. Point to the work you (and your organization) are doing to address the challenges. If the question is deserving of further study, suggest that they assemble a committee to examine the problem they raise, write a white or position paper for discussion, and offer to assist them in this endeavor. The sad truth is that it won’t happen. They are likely to respond with, “just saying.”
This kind of approach is not easy, but it is the mark of a good leader and manager to do so.
Ignoring American Indian Heritage Month is disrespectful
/by Jeffrey Ian RossToday is Native American Heritage day. Most Americans will go about their business unfettered by this knowledge.
What’s worse? Most Americans, including the news media, did not know or ignored the fact that this past month was National American Indian Heritage Month. There was little educational programing, popular media coverage, and political speeches.
There are lots of plausible reasons why this occurred.
Perhaps you’re not a big fan of dedicating an entire month to celebrating a distinct class of people.
Maybe American Indian Heritage Month was overshadowed by the contentious federal election, which pitted a controversial Republican, Donald Trump, against a moderate Democrat, Joe Biden.
Or then again, the explanation I think is the most reasonable, is that the general public really doesn’t care about American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIAN).
Sure, we are willing to buy into cute stereotypes and flawed historical explanations, but when it comes time to confront the day to day realities for most AIAN we get bored, our eyes glaze over, and we change the subject.
The fact remains that on almost all measures of personal well-being, including poverty, health outcomes, crime, and educational achievement, AIAN are either at the bottom or close to the bottom. Such inequality and outcomes did not happen by chance or lack of personal drive.
Even though many Hispanics (18 percent of the genome) and African-Americans (1 percent of the genome) are of the American-Indian Heritage, most Americans are pretty ignorant about American Indians and Alaskan Natives. And the sad thing is that they don’t really care.
Shifting gears, almost every year around this time, I tend to write an op-ed about the abysmal plight of American Indians and Alaskan Natives and the dominant White societies’ relationship with them. This is an outgrowth not only of personal experience but of a considerable amount of scholarship I used to do on this subject, including two books, research consulting, and some teaching at the undergraduate level.
I enjoyed engaging with this topic, but over the years, increasingly, I’ve felt that no one really cares about the issues that I brought to public and policy attention. Part of this reaction I believe is my geographical location. I live in Washington, DC, and work in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s not like American Indians and Native Alaskan issues aren’t part of the federal agenda, but they pale in comparison to foreign relations, the economy, etc. And yes, there is an American Indian population in Baltimore and Maryland in general, but they are not so numerous as they are in other states like Alaska, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, or South Dakota.
Most of the time, I felt like I was beating my head against a wall. It’s exhausting and demoralizing. Sure, I could ignore this simple fact and, like Don Quixote push on, and continue to do my work, but the truth is the truth.
The simple fact is that the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives is not merely a local challenge; it’s a national issue with many complexities. By ignoring this and them, we are telling the original inhabitants of our country that they are not important, and we don’t care.
Let’s work to changing this state of affairs. Expanding and sharing our knowledge of AIAN should be a goal in and of itself. Hollywood and other channels of popular culture have frequently and inaccurately portrayed AIAN and thus prevented our understanding of these unique cultures.
Even if it means celebrating a month or even a day like Native American Heritage Day, today is dedicated to AIAN diverse culture, both past and present, and challenges that they currently experience. Let’s work toward solutions that will assist them.
Photo by Bob Dass, “Lights for Liberty Rally, Santa Rosa, California” “Native American prayer at this rally to end immigrant concentration camps”)
CONVICT CRIMINOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE drops: Why should you care?
/by Jeffrey Ian RossEarlier this month Criminologist Francesca Vianello’s (University of Padua) and my co-authored edited book, Convict Criminology for the Future, was published by Routledge. Tracing its origins to a conference that was held May 31/June 1 last year, the book, consists of sixteen chapters (and a foreword by Shadd Maruna) written by a team of international scholars on the subject of Convict Criminology.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Convict Criminology, it is basically a network of individuals who hold a Ph.D. or are on their way to earning a doctorate in Criminology/Criminal Justice or an allied field, and united around the idea that the convict voice is typically ignored in scholarly research and public policy debates. Additionally, scholars who are part of CC represent a diverse group, including those who have been formerly incarcerated, justice impacted, justice-free allies, and/or prison activists.
Since its origins in the 1990s the CC network has participated in public policy debates, taught and mentored scores of students behind bars and those who have been released, and published a considerable amount of scholarly and popular work. Part of this tragectory includes the establishment of the official Division of Convict Criminology (DCC) of the American Society of Criminology during the spring this year. And this new book is now part of development of this field and network.
Why is this book important? Francesca and I had numerous objectives when we held the conference and organized the book. One of them stemmed from our realization that very first book on the subject, Convict Criminology (Ross & Richards, 2003), was increasingly out of date, unnecessarily expensive, and there was a necessity for another edited book that reflected not only a stockkeeping of where CC has been, what it is currently doing, what the future may hold, but the increasing diversity of the people who make up Convict Criminology. Safe to say, Convict Criminology for the Future fulfills these complementary objectives.
In terms of content, what subjects does the book cover? Seven major areas are included:
• Historical underpinnings of Convict Criminology
• Adaptations to prison life
• Longstanding challenges for prisoners and formerly incarcerated people
• Post-secondary education behind bars
• The expansion of CC beyond North America
• Challenges to conducting research in correctional facilities
• Future directions in CC
The book is interdisciplinary in the sense that the contributors have training and experience working in different kinds of social sciencefields. Like the original edited book, many of the contributors who are formerly incarcerated or are justice impacted are presenting their work alongside supportive justice free colleagues who are allied with Convict Criminology. They bring this wealth of knowledge to the pages of this book and to the readers so they can make sense of the complicated world of corrections and to shed light on a viable way forward.
It’s always great to have a project that you and others worked so hard on come to fruition. It presents another opportunity to share what we know with others, address issues we have perhaps ignored, or failed to pay enough attention to, to gauge our progress, to make connections, and to assist others in the quest of making the field of corrections less brutal and more humane.
Doing edited books can be both rewarding and also an anxiety-ridden undertaking. This project had elements of both. More importantly it was a chance to work with people we always wanted to work with and to learn from them. It was also another opportunity to influence, to create, and to share.
The field of Convict Criminology has been all that to me. As the network has grown and matured it has provided fresh opportunities for more experienced members to share what they know, and to attract new people, with new and different ideas and energy, willing to tackle subjects of import to people behind bars, and those who have been recently released, those who study the subject of corrections, and those who want to reform the carceral enterprise. Things that we once thought were impossible and not attainable are all now part of the CC ethos.