University Student Reflections in the Wake of the #MeToo Movement

Abstract

The #MeToo movement is a macro ideological movement concerning sexual misconduct, and has led to a shift in the way such disclosures and allegations are handled in the public eye. An analysis of student perceptions regarding the #MeToo movement was conducted through 20 in-depth interviews at Princeton University. An equal number of male and female student respondents across all class years were studied. Students largely interpreted the #MeToo movement through the micro-social lens of peer-to-peer interactions, in part due to Princeton’s distinctive system of social life. Interviews revealed student ability to recognize sexually problematic behavior, identify themselves as victims of vulnerable situations, and acknowledge institutional mechanisms contributing to these processes. Male students displayed an ability to speak coherently these issues, despite reports from female student that many continue to exhibit behaviors aligned with hegemonic masculinity. Students also spoke to heteronormative assumptions and their engagement in the process of sensemaking.