exceptional vibes only ~
This conference aims to create an inclusive, safe, welcoming, and comfortable environment for everyone to undertake collaborative research. You are invited in a spirit of curiosity, friendliness, open-mindedness, and mutual respect, and we value your participation!
However, we recognise it’s not always easy to feel welcome or comfortable. Conference delegates vary by gender, race, class, career status, ability, caring responsibilities, and other factors that affect their participation. Please be aware of your privileges and give space to those whose voices are typically marginalised in academic discussions. For instance, research has shown that male conference delegates tend to ask more questions and speak for longer than people of other genders (Carter et al 2018; Lupon et al 2021; Sutherland and Johnston 2017). Let’s bring an awareness of that inequality to our interactions and try to rectify it during discussions.
Sometimes radical tolerance involves intolerance of bad intentions. We will not tolerate discrimination (inclusive of, but not limited, to racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia). These subjects may arise in discussion of music and online cultures: please discuss them with care and critical reflection. We will not tolerate bullying or bullish behaviour. Given the focus of the conference, many participants are stakeholders in particular communities and cultures. When people share personal aspects of their research, please focus more on listening than providing critique. We will not tolerate harassment. We ask that all discussions remain civil and all behaviour professional, even where participants share common interests and communicate casually, both in and outside of the conference venue. Equally, we recognise that English is not the first language of all attendees, so we ask everyone to be respectful of language differences and any misinterpretations that may result in discussion.
It’s senseless to aim for a more diverse academic community without recognising that academia can be a hostile space for many individuals. That’s why the comfort and safety of attendees is essential. If you feel that anyone breaks this code of conduct, please report it to a member of the MOCReN steering committee. You can email mocren.hello@gmail.com or fill out this report form (either providing contact details or anonymously). This will be kept confidential, although we may share details with another member of the committee as necessary to address your concerns. Although we are not professionally trained in conflict resolution, we are experienced in research collaboration, and will follow best practice guidelines to resolve instances of improper behaviour. There are security staff in the event venue.
This code is serious because we’re serious about being decent to each other. It’s stern so that, once we’re all on board, we don’t have to be. Attendees at previous conference have provided super encouraging feedback about earlier versions of this code and the kind of inclusive community it helps to cultivate.
By participating in the conference, you agree to uphold these principles to the best of your ability: if in doubt, create exceptional vibes only. Here’s a finger-guns emoji so you know we mean business. 👉😎👉
We look forward to welcoming you!