Mira C Skadegård in various danish media outlets discussing discrimination

CfU's assistant professor Mira C. Skadegård has been an active voice the past month in different Danish media outlets educating and debating on the broader topic of discrimination. She has written and talked about discrimination in nightlife, dehumanization of refugees, avoiding discriminatory language and reminded us to not forgo challenging discriminatory political and public structures. 

In an online news outlet on the use of the n-word

A local story at a secondary school in Køge Municipality led to NetAvisen using assistant professor Mira C. Skadegård as an expert regarding discrimination. A student council at the secondary school had suggested introducing guidelines for teachers' language use in order to avoid using the N-word. Skadegård explains in the article that overruling the actual N-word by simply stating "N-word" when citing from a text is a way to be more mindful of the historic and discriminatory components of our language's past. The secondary school expects to implement new guidelines. Find the article by pressing here. 

In the newspaper Berlingske discussing dehumanization of certain refugees

On April 3rd Berlingske published Mira C. Skadegård's piece: "Everyone can recognize the Ukrainian flag, but what about the Syrian flag? The Afghan or the Somali?". In this piece, Skadegård compares the empathetic way Ukrainian refugees have been portrayed with how other refugees have been met (and described) with suspicion and dehumanization. This dehumanization has been going on for a long time and has become normalized to the degree that we defend and rationalize it. Skadegård outlines these structures and describes that they can be un-learned and resisted. Find the piece by pressing here.

In the radio station P3 discussing discrimination in nightlife

On April 19 Skadegård was called in as an expert in a segment on the Danish national radio station P3. The segment discussed discrimination in nightlife and Skadegård pointed out how the Danish police force is reluctant and unequipped to handle cases regarding discrimination. In the segment Mira C. Skadegård appreciates how a new suggestion where bars potentially lose their alcohol license if they are repeat discrimination offenders but urges a better and smoother process for reporting the discrimination. 

The segment with Skadegård is on at around 1:29. Press here to hear the episode. 

In the newspaper Berlingske discussing the normalization of discrimination

In the piece further discussing discrimination in nightlife, Skadegård explains how discriminatory patterns are installed in us from early childhood and are something we carry with us no matter the profession we end up being in. Yet to unlearn these patterns and subsequent discriminating behaviors, we need to confront the discriminating 'truths' perpetuated by e.g. journalists, police and politicians. In order to do this, we need to be educated. Skadegård points out how Danish society has made improvements in noticing everyday sexism and that learning to identify and resist other discriminating patterns is possible. To resist these patterns means not simply going after bars in nightlife but looking broadly at discrimination within the state structures of police and politics. Find the article by pressing here.