Research
Focus
In 2017, as news reports about Harvey Weinstein began, one of the people interviewed said, “Everybody knew, but nobody was saying so.” ‘Everyone knew’ because of information passed through informal communication networks called whisper networks. For my dissertation, I did an in-depth qualitative study on whisper networks, which are informal communication networks that women use to keep each other safe from sexual harassment and sexism.
Although scholars in communication studies have studied sexual harassment, silence, and risk, few have examined how safety is built through informal networks. I conducted semi-structured interviews with women who had participated in whisper networks in their organizations to determine the purposes whisper networks serve and how they form and function. I did an initial thematic analysis of the interviews to observe emerging themes and overlapping ideas. Then, using grounded theory’s iterative coding methods, I developed overarching theories about whisper networks’ purposes and how whisper networks form in organizational structures, including universities, churches, political offices, and the service industry.
Whisper networks and sexual harassment often coexist, but my research focuses on whisper networks as informal communication channels instead of direct experiences with sexual harassment. My research shows that women who use whisper networks tend to be highly qualified and influential in their organization, confident in their standing, good at their jobs, and passionate. Unlike the popular narrative, they do not avoid reporting harassment due to a lack of confidence. They care deeply and will report formally, but they use whisper networks because they know that formal reporting systems are often slow and ineffective. In other words, they use whisper networks because it is often the only way to keep colleagues, students, and co-workers safe.