IN THEIR OWN WORDS: INSTITUTIONAL POWER AND DISCOURSES ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION – THE CASE OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AND LARRY NASSAR

Abstract

Sexual assault and gender-based violence are pervasive across all aspects of our society, pointing to their deeply systemic nature. Such acts of violence occur not only in private and intimate spheres but also in institutional and political settings. This dissertation critically examines how institutions perpetuate sexual violence through discursive practices. Focusing specifically on Michigan State University’s (MSU) response to the Larry Nassar case, this dissertation asks: How do institutions manage and shape sexual violence, and how can research on sexual violence be conducted ethically and accountably? Through situating U.S. colleges and universities as geopolitical sites that operate across intimate and global scales, this dissertation examines how MSU shapes sexual violence. The title, “In Their Own Words,” deliberately reverses the typical feminist use of this phrase. Rather than centering the narratives of those harmed, this study analyzes the words of MSU itself. This project turns the analytical lens toward MSU’s own narratives to examine how the institution represented and responded to sexual violence. Grounded in feminist geography, intimacy geopolitics, and feminist methodologies, this study utilizes a diverse array of materials—including public statements, press conferences, town halls, meeting minutes, and legal filings. It introduces the concept of “institutional distancing” to illustrate how MSU framed sexual violence as an individualized issue rather than recognizing it as a systemic problem, thereby avoiding accountability. Furthermore, this research explores how MSU constructed a victim-subject position that not only reinforces its institutional authority but also perpetuates harmful societal ideas about sexual assault and violence. Concluding with a critical focus on accountability, examining both how MSU worked to obscure its involvement and evade responsibility, and how feminist frameworks of accountability can offer meaningful responses. This dissertation sheds light on institutional power and the discursive tactics of silencing and exclusion, ultimately concluding with a feminist vision of accountability.