The Society for Women in International Political Economy (SWIPE) serves junior women and others in our discipline through its mentoring and networking activities. In existence since the early 1990s, SWIPE has over 150 members. We distribute a quarterly electronic newsletter and hold regular meetings at major political science conferences. Each year, we host a reception with the Women’s Caucus and Feminist Theory and Gender Studies at the International Studies Association annual meeting. At this reception, we present our annual Mentor Award to recognize an individual who has made exemplary efforts on behalf of junior women.
Update 3/2/10: SWIPE is disbanding, please see the International Political Economy (IPE) Section of ISA for information on the IPE Mentor Award.
Final Announcement
Here is the text of the final announcement sent to SWIPE members from the co-founder:
Dear Colleagues,
In the past two years, members of SWIPE have discussed, among themselves and with counterparts in related organizations, whether our goals are best achieved under current practices or whether new approaches are appropriate. The main concern has been the lack of new leadership to revitalize and refocus the group. Before I outline the new directions that have resulted from these consultations, I would like to offer a brief overview of the group's origins and initial goals. Not all readers were "present at the creation" nor do the early days necessarily encompass the issues that matter the most to current members. Yet this history informs the views of many who have participated in recent discussions.
Back in the early 1990s, Christine Ingebritsen and I started the yet-to-be-named network of women working in the field of international political economy. As newly-minted PhDs entering the job market, we were appalled, to put it mildly, at some of the questions and comments we encountered. We did not think our appearance or age should be a factor, yet we continually needed to respond diplomatically. Our younger colleagues may now be skeptical that such an uncomfortable environment existed less than twenty years ago. To the extent that they have been spared similar experiences, we can all celebrate the benefits of having more women populating the profession and reaching its highest levels. Yet we should not kid ourselves that all the problems have been solved. Fortunately, other organizations such as the Women's Caucus of the International Studies Association continue to investigate and attempt to counteract persistent sexism in our profession.
In addition to offering personal support to each other, members of SWIPE initially sought to identify critical needs that women frequently confronted that resulted, directly or indirectly, from gender. In particular, we observed that many of us did not have the close mentoring relationships that seemed more prevalent among our male counterparts. While we understood that sometimes mentoring happens informally rather than intentionally, and that gender was only one of many factors, the result remained that women frequently lacked knowledge crucial to professional survival. SWIPE's goals therefore expanded to include providing access to editors (especially Roger Haydon at Cornell University Press) who explained how journal and book publishing worked. Throughout the 1990s, we routinely organized member-only sessions, often over breakfast, to provide a venue for sharing advice. Fortunately, in subsequent years, organizations including the International Studies Association and American Political Science Association have incorporated formal panels at their annual meetings on these topics, making this knowledge much more accessible. I am proud of SWIPE's role in raising the visibility of this issue and congratulate these organizations on improving inclusiveness, not just for women.
However, success also brought doubts: If we no longer met at these breakfast workshops, what alternative venues would be available to foster networking? And if one of our core goals has been achieved, what remains the purpose of our group? In recent discussions, two answers have come through clearly: mentoring and networking still matter. But is SWIPE the answer? Let me explain why I do not think it is, what can replace it, and how you can continue to support women in international political economy.
Our annual Mentoring Award offers a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to people who have invested in the professional success of women, including many who are now in top positions as deans and journal editors, not to mention publishing excellent research and offering outstanding teaching. Many of us have enjoyed the camaraderie at the joint-reception at ISA where we announce the award along with honors bestowed by other groups supporting women in our field. Yes, the Mentoring Award will continue, thanks to the support of the International Political Economy section of ISA. They are even willing to call it the SWIPE award, although there's some question about whether to modify the words underpinning the acronym.
We seek volunteers for the IPE/SWIPE mentoring award committee! One major change will be the timeframe for soliciting and selecting the recipient. In keeping with ISA procedures, all of that happens in the spring, with a decision by June. The composition of the committee will be determined at the IPE Section meeting at ISA in February 2010. Let me know by 1 Feb 2010 if you would like to serve on this committee, or if you would like to nominate someone to serve on the committee. As a member of this year's award committee, I will pass that information along to the IPE section. Also, if you are a member of ISA, be sure to join the IPE section if you are not already a member. When originally established, we considered forming within the IPE section, so this organizational devolution seems appropriate.
SWIPE originally formed in the technological dark ages. That's right, no email, no cellphones, no Facebook, just good-old expensive landline long distance calls and face-to-face meetings at conferences. Some of us even remember that typewriters used to have cloth ribbons. As a group, we haven't been total dinosaurs: we tried a webpage, but it never took off. We've got a listserv (thanks to Katja Weber), but messages are sporadic. In a new technological era, networking takes on a new meaning and format. In particular, social networking sites offering new possibilities. We seek volunteers keen to explore these technological alternatives! Kathleen Hancock (khancock@khancock.com) has offered to coordinate a team to discuss an alternative to the listserv. To give this team time to create an alternative and then inform members about how to join, the listserv will remain functional until the end of February.
Let me close on an upbeat rather than dour note. At one level, I feel great sadness at closing down an organization that has meant so much to me over the years. I cannot even start to list all the friendships I have made and lessons I have learned through participation in SWIPE. But I find myself coming back to two over-arching points in my own mind. First, we need to counter the trend, often cited as one of the few laws of political science, that organizations over time become more hierarchical and less democratic. SWIPE started as a grass-roots movement among graduate students and new PhDs. Over time, it lost that sense of energy. Better to close shop without abandoning our original purpose, by identifying new outlets to address our concerns. Second, we need to counter the perception that participating in an organization such as SWIPE is service that should be put off until after tenure. In so many ways, networking matters the most at the earliest stages of our careers. Yes, pick your activities carefully, but remember that good deeds provide endless rewards. So… I look forward to hearing from volunteers for the mentoring committee.
Audie Klotz (aklotz@maxwell.syr.edu)
SWIPE co-founder, past newsletter writer, breakfast organizer, membership directory publisher, and general cheerleader for women in our profession
