Bullying in Science - Starting a discussion (Aug/13/2008 )

With not only all the posts here, but things I have seen and experienced, I'd like to ask if you think that laboratory environment, with its competetiveness, hierarchy - in some labs almost military - alike - and ethos is not a high-risk bullying environment.
I attach a link.
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/bullying_3.asp

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I guess it is not different from any other environment, independent if it's an office in an insurance company, an advertising agency or, a government agency or whatever.
In my institute I have almost only good experience, nice people, helpful colleagues, friendly athmosphere etc. But there are of course some members that are an exception. And in the next department/institute it can be completely different. But entomologists are mostly calm, friendly people .
Why not a poll?

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There, quite exhaustive.
So, opinions?
(I am happy to have a decent lab now.)

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I agree with hoglobin. Bullying is a problem everywhere where some kind of competition is going on...if it is for money or to andvance in careere or "only" for reputation of your work. And it can be quite hard to take, for those who are the victims.

At my institute I (amongst some others) was really suffering....one of our staff did her "habilitation" (this means she can call her professor and is obligatiory to apply for a professorship in Austria) and she was suddenly thinking that she is the only one who is supposed to work at our labs and is the big boss and the best and.....so she was hiding books we would have needed, was telling her students not to talk to us (they did not even dare to say hello in the morning, because of the horror stories she told them about us ) and she was telling us that we are using too many gloves, pipett tips and eppendorf tubes But on the other hand she was buying things with university money which she took home and never have been seen here again But she is away for one year now and it is very nice to use as much gloves as I like !

And from my experience: if you want nice people to work with, become an entomologists as they really seem to be very nice people....as I know from two universities that they seem to have less trouble than other departments. But maybe this is due to the fact that they are always running around and trying to catch spiders and other insects (they even do not beat me up for this taxonomic provocation - at least most of the time )

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Let’s also not forget that bullying thrives well especially where there’s a lot of apathy, inaction or tolerance/permissive atmosphere for it.….a perverted slant on Lao Tse’s mystic monkeys “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” workplace culture. In some places, it’s become almost a norm that everyone has to accept it or eventually be resigned to it and if problems arise, people would just consider this as personality conflicts…yeah, right.
Also, bullying doesn’t only entail overt, hostile verbal or non-verbal attacks..it’s negative impact is no less when one is ignored/excluded or there’s no recognition for efforts or even for a job well-done,
hence, no chance for promotion/rewards... the bullied victim feel so powerless that in the end leaving or quitting is the only option left.
I’ve also experienced it a few times- in school and once in another lab (the lab I’m in now is like an entomologist lab ) needless to say….all hell broke loose but I was crazy and impetuous (still am ) and didn't care one bit, however I realise now that some people, for whatever valid reason, have no choice to endure it.
Lately, there’s a lot more anti-bullying propaganda eg school’s policy of zero tolerance for bullying, hotlines…hopefully, if we increase awareness, it’s already a good move forward…then perhaps the next target would be the working place.

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Yeah, entomologists

They are a cool lot. One entomologist in our department trapped more than 60,000 mosquitoes in one field trip and he was very, very happy to bring them back and count and analyse everyone of them...Very simple things keep them happy.

One question though, does this count as bullying?
http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/inde...showtopic=38834

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Hi peanutnation,

Yeah, I'd consider it bullying bordering on the pathological..or even downright criminal. I see you're in Japan...ijime..isn't this almost an institution there and suicides result bec of it? I just can't believe the depths that some people can sink into...poor cells ..I can give you a pep talk..

- casandra

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I would kill the person who did this!!!!!!! Or at least become her (poison is a female weapon) worst nightmare....

Maybe you should borrow the mosquitoes form the entomologist

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or perhaps poisoning that person? just kidding, just kidding, as an old chinese proverb says "violence generates violence"... i believe it was mahatma ghandi who said "eye for an eye and the whole world will become blind", that's a nice quote!

as in every population (dr H must know this very well) there's usually a standard curve, so as you can find most entomologists are nice, some of them are real unbearable (my entomology teacher at university was a crazy little "ladybug")... but yes, as mentioned before, generalizations are not good, but most of them are nice, distracted living in their own world kind of people.

bullying, together with gossiping, are two of the worst (but most common, at least in my institute as well) occurring things at work places. very destructive forces...

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hehehe... the mommy in this case is the head of the department. honestly jorge, haven't you been in a bad situation like this?

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