| Revision as of 04:40, 27 February 2011 editGwytherinn (talk | contribs)173 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 04:50, 5 March 2011 edit undoPi.1415926535 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, New page reviewers49,201 edits →Prominent incidentsNext edit → | ||
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| In addition to its use as a theory to explain the occurrence of rape and ], rape culture has been described as detrimental to men as well as women. Some writers and speakers, such as ], ], and ], have said that it is intrinsically linked to ]s that limit male self-expression and cause psychological harm to men.<ref>Jackson Katz, "Tough Guise" videorecording, Media Education Foundation, 2002</ref> | In addition to its use as a theory to explain the occurrence of rape and ], rape culture has been described as detrimental to men as well as women. Some writers and speakers, such as ], ], and ], have said that it is intrinsically linked to ]s that limit male self-expression and cause psychological harm to men.<ref>Jackson Katz, "Tough Guise" videorecording, Media Education Foundation, 2002</ref> | ||
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| ==Prominent incidents<!-- better / more accurately neutral word might be needed-->== | |||
| In several rape cases involving public figures, it has been argued that the allegations were taken less seriously, or that the seriousness of the crime was ignored, due to the alleged rapist's fame. When ] was arrested in Zurich in 2009 on ], more than 100 Hollywood figures signed a petition of support,<ref>. Big Hollywood.</ref> which resulted in allegations that his crimes were being ignored due to his status.<ref>Weinberger, Jillian (18 May 2010). ]. Accessed 4 March 2011.</ref><ref>Hess, Amanda (28 Sept 2009). . ]. Accessed 4 March 2011.</ref> | |||
| After ] posted bail for ] in Britain in 2010, a campaign titled #MooreandMe was formed to protest Moore's dismissal of the charges against Assange.<ref>. 17 December 2010. ]. Accessed 4 March 2010.</ref><ref>Thelandersson, Fredrika (21 Dec 2010). . ]. Accessed 4 March 2011.</ref><ref>Sherwood, Jessica Holden (20 Dec. 2010). . ]. Retrieved 5 March 2011.</ref> | |||
| In 2010, the webcomic ] published a strip and follow-up apology which many bloggers, spearheaded by ], alleged was offensive to and made light of rape victims. This "dickwolves" controversy generated reactions even in mainstream media, particularly after ] made a statement opposing the actions of Penny Arcade's creators.<ref>Myers, Maddy (16 Aug 2010). . ]. Retrieved 5 March 2011.</ref><ref>Myers, Maddy (2 March 2011). . ]. Retrieved 5 March 2011.</ref> | |||
| ==Criticisms of the paradigm== | ==Criticisms of the paradigm== | ||
| Some writers, such as ], have disputed the existence of rape culture, arguing that the common "one in four women will be raped in her lifetime" is based on a flawed study, but frequently cited because it leads to campus anti-rape groups receiving public funding.<ref name="leaderu">http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9502/sommers.html</ref> Other writers, such as ], have criticized the rape culture paradigm on the grounds that it ignores rape's place in an overarching "culture of violence".<ref>bell hooks, ''Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center'', quoted in ''Feminism is for Everybody'' by bell hooks, ISBN 0-89608-628-3</ref> | Some writers, such as ], have disputed the existence of rape culture, arguing that the common "one in four women will be raped in her lifetime" is based on a flawed study, but frequently cited because it leads to campus anti-rape groups receiving public funding.<ref name="leaderu">Sommers, Dr. Christina Hoff. . Accessed 4 March 2010.</ref> Other writers, such as ], have criticized the rape culture paradigm on the grounds that it ignores rape's place in an overarching "culture of violence".<ref>bell hooks, ''Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center'', quoted in ''Feminism is for Everybody'' by bell hooks, ISBN 0-89608-628-3</ref> | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 04:50, 5 March 2011
Rape culture is a term used within women's studies and feminism, describing a culture in which rape and other sexual violence are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media condone, normalize, excuse, or encourage sexualized violence.
Within the paradigm, acts of sexism are commonly employed to validate and rationalize normative misogynistic practices; for instance, sexist jokes may be told to foster disrespect for women and an accompanying disregard for their well-being, which ultimately make their rape and abuse seem "acceptable". Examples of behaviors that typify rape culture include victim blaming and sexual objectification. In this way, sexualized violence towards women is regarded as a continuum in a society that regards women's bodies as sexually available by default.
The term was first used as a title of a 1975 documentary film, "Rape Culture" produced and directed by Margaret Lazarus and Renner Wunderlich for Cambridge Documentary Films, depicting mass media normalization of violence against women.
In a 1992 paper in the Journal of Social Issues entitled "A Feminist Redefinition of Rape and Sexual Assault: Historical Foundations and Change," Patricia Donat and John D'Emilio suggested that the term originated as "rape-supportive culture" in Susan Brownmiller's 1975 book Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape.
Researchers such as Philip Rumney and Martin Morgan-Taylor have used the rape culture paradigm to explain differences in how people perceive and treat male versus female victims of sexual assault.
In addition to its use as a theory to explain the occurrence of rape and domestic violence, rape culture has been described as detrimental to men as well as women. Some writers and speakers, such as Jackson Katz, Michael Kimmel, and Don McPherson, have said that it is intrinsically linked to gender roles that limit male self-expression and cause psychological harm to men.
Prominent incidents
In several rape cases involving public figures, it has been argued that the allegations were taken less seriously, or that the seriousness of the crime was ignored, due to the alleged rapist's fame. When Roman Polanski was arrested in Zurich in 2009 on sexual abuse charges, more than 100 Hollywood figures signed a petition of support, which resulted in allegations that his crimes were being ignored due to his status.
After Michael Moore posted bail for Julian Assange in Britain in 2010, a campaign titled #MooreandMe was formed to protest Moore's dismissal of the charges against Assange.
In 2010, the webcomic Penny Arcade published a strip and follow-up apology which many bloggers, spearheaded by Amanda Marcotte, alleged was offensive to and made light of rape victims. This "dickwolves" controversy generated reactions even in mainstream media, particularly after Wil Wheaton made a statement opposing the actions of Penny Arcade's creators.
Criticisms of the paradigm
Some writers, such as Christina Hoff Sommers, have disputed the existence of rape culture, arguing that the common "one in four women will be raped in her lifetime" is based on a flawed study, but frequently cited because it leads to campus anti-rape groups receiving public funding. Other writers, such as bell hooks, have criticized the rape culture paradigm on the grounds that it ignores rape's place in an overarching "culture of violence".
References
- Chris O'Sullivan, "Fraternities and the Rape Culture", in Transforming a Rape Culture, edited by Emilie Buchwald, Pamela R. Fletcher & Martha Roth, ISBN 0-915943-06-9
- Patricia Donat and John D'Emilio, "A Feminist Redefinition of Rape and Sexual Assault: Historical Foundations and Change", Journal of Social Issues, vol. 48, n. 1, 1992; published in Di Karen J. Maschke, "The legal response to violence against women", Routledge 1997, ISBN 978-0-8153-2519-2.
- Phillip N.S. Rumney & Martin Morgan-Taylor, "The Construction of Sexual Consent in Male Rape and Sexual Assault", in Making Sense of Sexual Consent, edited by Mark Cowling and Paul Reynolds, ISBN 0-7546-3687-9
- Jackson Katz, "Tough Guise" videorecording, Media Education Foundation, 2002
- Naming Names: The ‘Free Roman Polanski’ Petition. Big Hollywood.
- Weinberger, Jillian (18 May 2010). Roman Polanski, the Undetected Rapist? Ms. Magazine. Accessed 4 March 2011.
- Hess, Amanda (28 Sept 2009). Common Roman Polanski Defenses Refuted. Washington City Paper. Accessed 4 March 2011.
- Dear Michael Moore. 17 December 2010. The Daily Kos. Accessed 4 March 2010.
- Thelandersson, Fredrika (21 Dec 2010). Swedish Feminists Debate Rape and Assange. Ms. Magazine. Accessed 4 March 2011.
- Sherwood, Jessica Holden (20 Dec. 2010). Sady Doyle Takes on Michael Moore. Ms. Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- Myers, Maddy (16 Aug 2010). Penny Arcade surprised to find that rape jokes offend people. The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- Myers, Maddy (2 March 2011). Gaming, rape culture, and how I stopped reading Penny Arcade. The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- Sommers, Dr. Christina Hoff. Researching the "Rape Culture" of America. Accessed 4 March 2010.
- bell hooks, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, quoted in Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks, ISBN 0-89608-628-3
Further reading
- Transforming a Rape Culture, ISBN 1-57131-204-8, edited by Emilie Buchwald, Pamela R. Fletcher, and Martha Roth
- M.R. Burt, "Cultural myths and supports for rape", in Journal of personality and social psychology, n.38, 1980, at pages 217-230.
- M.R. Burt and R.S. Albin,"Rape myths, rape definitions, and probability of conviction." in Journal of applied social psychology, n.11, 1981, at pages 212-230.
- Thornhill, R. and Palmer, C. (2000), A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion. Cambridge: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-20125-9
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