An assistant professor at Northwestern University in Qatar named Jocelyn Sage Mitchell was subjected to allegations of racism, which led to her having to abandon her research work. To discover more, we must delve thoroughly into the specifics of what occurred. hence let’s move on.
As I previously said, Jocelyn Sage Mitchell teaches multidisciplinary courses in comparative and American politics as an assistant professor in residence at Northwestern University in Qatar.
Jocelyn Sage Mitchell graduated from Brown University with a BA in political science and Middle Eastern studies. He then attended Georgetown University for an MA and Ph.D. in government.
Jocelyn Sage Mitchell claims that her research on oil and state-society interactions in authoritarian settings is based on original data from nationwide surveys, ethnographic interviews, and analysis of the media. Her current research project, which uses Qatar as its primary case study, questions accepted notions about the role of money and the character of politics in resource-rich (“rentier”) authoritarian states.
Jocelyn Sage Mitchell: What has transpired in terms of racism?
It is known that a professor, Jocelyn Sage Mitchell from Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) withdrew from a $700,000 research project after receiving criticism for her “disparaging comments” regarding Qataris.
The announcement followed intense criticism of QNRF’s choice to give a sizable grant to a professor who had previously made racist remarks that swept through Qatari social media.
Jocelyn Sage Mitchell was persuaded to withdraw by the Liberal Arts Department staff to benefit NU-Q and the Qatar National Research Fund project. Jocelyn Sage Mitchell has received widespread criticism for his racial statements.
The faculty expressed their disapproval of the professor’s remarks in an email that was signed by eight professors, emphasizing that such reprehensible behavior is not representative of the neighborhood or its residents.
Several academics in the NUQ Liberal Arts Program claimed that Dr. Mitchell’s blog posts were repulsive and unfit for a member of our community.
They recommended Jocelyn Sage Mitchell leave the research team for the benefit of the NUQ community and the research project that is being funded by the QNRF, repeating the advice given to her by the director of the liberal arts department.
The Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) granted a grant to NU-Q professors Jocelyn Sage Mitchell and Venus S Jin, as well as professor Mohamed Evren Tok of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, to examine the challenges and triumphs of women entrepreneurs in Qatar. This grant was announced in January. The National Priorities Research Program of QNRF gave out $700,000 in funding.
The email claimed that the statement was issued to every member of the NU-Q staff, faculty, and student body to take a strong position against the 2008 remarks, which were only taken down in 2015 after receiving a lot of criticism.
Since then, Prof Mitchell has been at the heart of a backlash over the inappropriate comments she had made in the past.
According to the local news portal Doha News, Jocelyn Sage Mitchell has informed the authorities concerned about her decision to pull out of the research team.
The action came in response to the massive outcry on social media and an email sent out by NU-Q faculty members who called on their colleagues to withdraw from the project.
The following are a few of the tweets: “$700k! One of the awardees has a questionable track record when it comes to her opinions about Qataris and Qatar. If you are white, all of your transgressions are overlooked. In reality, it will be rewarded! They couldn’t find a Qatari lady (of which there are countless highly educated ones) to do this study?”
“Professor Jocelyn Sage Mitchell once disparaged our South Asian population by calling Qataris Qatarded. Despite getting funding for a study on Qatari women with little validity or authority, she also insulted and made fun of Qatari women.
They acknowledge the importance of the proposed research, but they feel Dr. Jocelyn Mitchell should quit the research team and be replaced by a qualified researcher who satisfies the established standards.
Prof. Mitchell has expressed her regret for “the pain and hurt” she has caused and stated that she agrees with her colleagues who have referred to these notions as “abhorrent.”
In a statement to Doha News, she said, “These were–unrepresentative comments about Qatar, the Qatari people, and its foreign societies, with no foundation in actuality, and it doesn’t reflect how I feel about the diverse individuals who make up this tolerant and embracing society.
Given everything I’ve learned and how much I’ve changed in the past thirteen years of living and working in Qatar, she continued, “I would never republish such an email today.
Social media users also questioned why the fund was allowed despite not being led or even including Qatari women, who are the focus of the research, or even including them.
A blog owned by Mitchell and her husband is where the uproar about the insulting remarks can be found. They produced a piece titled “You know you’re in Qatar if” in 2008, which featured a list of xenophobic and demeaning statements.
By 2015, Mitchell had taken down the blog.
Upon the blog post’s re-publication in 2019, a student protest movement urged the university to take appropriate measures in response to Professor Mitchell’s remarks.
She expressed her sorrow by saying: “I am also physically and emotionally sick when I look at these words, and that reaction is entirely because of what I have learned, living in Qatar’s diverse community for the last 13 years.”
What is a Red Flag?
A red flag serves as a signal or sign that there may be an underlying issue or danger associated with a company’s stock, financial statements, or news reports. These indicators can come in many forms and are often identified by analysts or investors as any notable undesirable trait.
The racist blogs by Jocelyn Sage Mitchell
An article headlined “You know you’re in Qatar if” that featured a listicle of xenophobic and racist statements was published in 2008 on a blog Mitchell and her husband manage.
The post received comments that included the statement “The ratio of ugly women to not-so-ugly women is 9:1.” The few killings that occur in Qatar are caused by “an Indian construction worker sleeping with a Phillipino construction worker’s wife.” “They typically slap each other to death in a manner resembling a catfight,” the tweet said.
What is racism?
Racism is the practice of providing individuals with unfair chances and outcomes depending on their race. It involves institutions, policies, actions, and attitudes. Prejudice in mind or deed is not the only aspect of racism. When the ability to oppress, discriminate against, or limit the rights of others coexists with this prejudice—individual or institutional—it is called institutional bias.
Since the beginning of European colonization in 1788, race and racism have played a significant role in the structure of Australian society.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are considered the First Peoples of Australia, have suffered the worst effects of European colonization and are particularly vulnerable to racism. The colonization process and the underlying ideologies still influence Australian culture today.
Racism evolves and changes with time, having varying effects on various societies and escalating toward various groups at various points in history. The rise in bigotry against Asian and Asian-Australian individuals during the COVID-19 outbreak serves as an illustration of this.
Racism is the collective term for any laws, regulations, ideas, and other constraints that exclude people from enjoying justice, dignity, and equity due to their race. It could take the form of intimidation, violence, or verbal or physical abuse. But racism is also present in organizations and systems that function unfairly and unequally.
Conclusion
The conclusion that follows is that Jocelyn Sage Mitchell, an assistant professor, is responsible for posting a racist message on social media alongside her husband. This was a mistake on her part because she holds that position. If the outcry from the public compelled her to end a research study, it was right.
Well, what do you think about the action of Jocelyn Sage Mitchell?
Being a professor and sharing racist trash on social media wouldn’t tolerated in society.
How she posts this stuff with her husband shows the outdated mentality of the people.
People like, Jocelyn is the reason why racism still exists in society.
Why was Jocelyn not arrested for spreading hate speech to the Qataris?