The thesis discusses the legitimacy of sexual harassment in higher education and the experiential reality of its occurrence in this space. The dimensions of the phenomenon of sexual harassment are justified by situating it in a broader socio-cultural setting, taking into account the dimensions of (re)production of social power relations between the perpetrator and the victim, as well as the issue of gender and sexual difference. The thesis also discusses the legal framework that regulates the issue of sexual harassment of persons enrolled in higher education programmes in Slovenia. I have substantiated the legal and formal provisions that oblige the state, the management of higher education institutions, higher education teachers, other higher education staff and persons enrolled in higher education programmes to ensure a safe study environment free of sexual harassment. In the following part of the thesis, I answer the question of what forms of action, support and self-help mechanisms can be used by higher education institutions to address sexual harassment, and make some recommendations that can provide a starting point for higher education institutions to plan and implement policies and protocols in this field. Within the following section I present the results of research in which I examined the situation at the University of Ljubljana in terms of institutional arrangements for addressing and preventing sexual harassment of persons enrolled in higher education programmes.
|