Dinner Debate- November 2017

Does call out culture legitimately give voice to victims of wrongdoing by allowing them to make accusations from their computers? Or does it detract from the focus of dismantling institutional injustice by allowing people to make claims and discuss issues in a relatively anonymous way? Do we owe anything to the people who are the subjects of call out culture on the internet? And by even posing these questions are we getting dangerously close to victim blaming?

In the wake of the 21st century proliferation of the internet and social media, claims of discrimination, assault, and other various forms of personal oppression are frequently discussed from behind a keyboard. While this new platform has allowed victims and non-victims alike to discuss allegations in a more transparent way, some critics have also insisted that there are a number of downfalls to the "call out culture". For our November 2017 dinner debate, Club members discussed whether "call out culture" benefits or harms society.