Rape Culture

1353 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Sexual violence case study

It is six o’clock in the evening, a special news segment on world affairs is on the television. The journalist is doing a piece on inhumane practices that occur in third world countries, one of these travesties being rape. The voices of women who have been stolen from their homes and have been taken advantage of against their own will infiltrate the air. These personal stories have an incredulously powerful impact on those listening and make one think “How could such an outrageous thing happen?” Truth be told, these horrors are not just happening in far-off places, but they are happening right now in the United States of America. The very simple fact that one is oblivious to the magnitude of sexual violence in their very own country is an example of what is known as rape culture. Through defining what rape culture is, identifying the most common setting where sexual violence is experienced, and formulating possible solutions to this problem, one can begin to fathom the contagion of rape in America.
Although it is a term that is not used in everyday language, rape culture is the societal acceptance, tolerance, and justification of committing sexually violent crimes (Bollinger, Nicoletti, and Spencer-Thomas 134). The idea of rape culture proves to be confusing to some and often, a formal definition fails to communicate the realities of it to the uninformed public. With that being said, political analyst, Zerlina Maxwell, effectively brought the truth of rape culture to the public’s attention when she started the “#RapeCultureIsWhen” hashtag on Twitter recently. This hashtag immediately started to become a trend and users from all walks of life chimed in on this controversially popular topic. An example of one of the tweets reads...

... middle of paper ...

...Quest.Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
DiConsiglio, John. "Date Rape." Health Choices 05 1998: 14-5. ProQuest. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
Kitroeff, Natalie. "Making Consent Cool: Students Advocate for Consensual Sex." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Feb. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Lavenda, Robert H., and Emily A. Schultz. "Chapter 1: The Anthropological Perspective." Cultural Anthropology: A Perspective on the Human Condition. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. 6. Print.
Maxwell, Zerlina. "Rape Culture Is Real." Time. Time Magazine, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
Murphy, Megan. "On Rape Culture and What Heather MacDonald Doesn’t Understand About Sexual Violence." Feminist Current. N.p., 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Nathman, Avital Norman. "Raising Children Who Will Speak Up to Prevent Rape, Not Defend It." Motherlode. The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Rape - The Plague of the Modern World

    2187 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rape is a virus that infects every nation, culture and society. It is constantly referred to as “the unfinished murder”, because of the deep state of despair the rapist leaves the victim in. There is no common identifiable trend that determines who will be a rape victim. Women are not assaulted because of their attitudes or actions, they are attacked simply because they are present. With rapists, just as with their victims, there is no identifiable trend. The old myth that only “sick, dirty, old, perverted men” commit rapes is a lie that society tells itself in order to sleep better at night. The startling truth is that most rapists work under a veil of normalcy. In order for the percentage of rapes to decrease, we have to change our ideas about rape and let go of the old myths of the past. And until this happens, rape will continue to plague our world at large.

    Read More

  • All Men Are Created Equal: Except Women

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most horrible things that has erupted from the subjugation of women is rape culture. Rape culture is the downplaying of the crime of rape to appease the violator, the accusation that the victim made a choice that led to their rape, or even jokes that suggest rape. According to Jessica Valenti’s, “In Rape Tragedies, the Shame Is Ours,” in today's world many people give in to rape culture by participating in these acts that somehow change our mindsets into believing that, “it is more shameful to be raped than to be a rapist”. Once ...

    Read More

  • Rape Culture

    1619 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rape can happen to anyone. Women from different cultures, races, ages, and economic level are all vulnerable. It does not matter who you are or where you live, although women of lowest status are most vulnerable to rape, and so are Hispanic and African American women. (An...

    Read More

  • Rape Culture Essay

    2028 Words  | 5 Pages

    Their reason to first utilize the term was to “show the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault and normalized male sexual violence”. Almost a half a century later, Southern Connecticut State University defines the term rape culture as “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture”. Forms of rape culture include but are not limited to: blaming the victim of sexual assault, the assumption that men are weak if they experience sexual assault, making sexual assault seem less of a serious crime, rape jokes/sexually explicit jokes, as well as defining gender roles. All of these forms are seen in today’s society through “jokes, T.V., music, advertising, legal jargon, laws, words, and imagery”. Essentially, rape culture is an actual problem in our society and needs to be addressed

    Read More

  • Popular Music Perpetuates Rape Culture

    2575 Words  | 6 Pages

    “Rape culture” is the society where jokes, TV, music, advertising, laws, words and imagery make violence against women and sexual coercion seem so normal that people believe that rape is inevitable. In modern-day America, sexual advances, both warranted and unwarranted, are constantly glorified through pop culture. Through song lyrics, music videos, choreography and clothing, women are portraye...

    Read More

  • Pop Culture: The Acceptance Of Rape Culture

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rape culture, a term thrown around the internet like wildfire about many cases of sexual harassment and assault. However, what is it truly and does it actually exist? According to WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against Women) the term “rape culture” was coined by feminists in the 1970’s to point out how society blamed victims, normalized sexualy violent behavior, and how we project the acceptance of sexual assault/harassment through media that is seen and heard everyday. In this paper the extent that rape culture has on our society and why social policy should change will be evaluated; and although rape culture could just be an idea made up by feminists and it could be explained off as just words or actions, rape culture exists in the victim

    Read More

  • Rape Myth Acceptance: The Blame On Women

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is not a topic that is brought up often, especially at schools or at gatherings, yet it is crucial that everyone be educated, or at least informed on a topic that affects women every day. “Given that sexual violence continues to occur at high rates in the United States, it is vital that we understand attitudes and cultural norms that serve to minimize or foster tolerance of sexual violence” (Aosved, 481). Growing rates of sexual violence goes to prove that it is not taken seriously by many, especially when myths excuse the actions of the perpetrator and instead guilt victims into thinking they are responsible for the horrible act. Burt (1980), in her article titled, “Cultural myths and support for rape” attempts to make sense of the importance of stereotypes and myths, defined as prejudicial, stereotypes, or false beliefs about rape, rape victims and rapists- in creating a climate hostile to rape victims (Burt, 217). Examples of rape myths are such sayings as “only bad girls get raped”; “women ask for it”; “women cry rape” (Burt, 217). This only goes to prove that rape myths against women always blame and make it seem like it is the women’s fault she was raped and that she deserved it for “acting” a certain way. McMahon (2007), in her article titled, “Understanding community-specific rape myths” explains how Lonsway and Fitzgerald (1994) later described rape myths as “attitudes and beliefs that are generally

    Read More

  • The Social Construction of Rape

    1580 Words  | 4 Pages

    Oftentimes, the things individuals take for granted as preexisting facts are merely the products of social construction, which exert tremendous impacts on belief and action. Men and women are socially constructed categories inscribed by norms of masculinity and femininity that enables rape to occur. Catharine MacKinnon claims that rape is defined in a male perspective, which lacks the account of female experience. On the other hand, Sharon Marcus argues that rape is a constructed language that scripts the female body. As bell hooks points out, black men celebrate “rape culture” as a mean of expressing patriarchal dominance and endorsing female subordination. In order to redefine rape and to develop effective rape prevention, it is crucial to deconstruct the predetermined assumptions about men and women. Rape is socially constructed, through the ways how individuals possess misogynistic ideologies and endorse patriarchal power, turning the erotic fantasy of male dominance into “reality”.

    Read More

  • Rape Culture: How Society Reacts to Rape

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    What do you think and feel when you hear the word rape? Do you feel uncomfortable? Maybe even angry? Your certain feelings and emotions towards this word is a result of rape culture. Rape culture, essentially, is how a society as a whole sees and reacts towards rape or instances of rape. In 2013 rape was defined by the FBI as, “Penetration… of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” (Division’s Crime Statistics Management Unit 1). The definition was finally changed after the old definition deemed inappropriate by today’s standards, which beforehand, stated that physical force needed to be used for rape to be considered rape. This is good news for men and women who have been fighting for the definition to be changed, but unfortunately this does not mean that state laws are being changed the same way. Even though the FBI may acknowledge the older inappropriate definition, most states do not. Sexual assault is a commonly unreported crime, where only an average of 36% of sexual abuse is actually reported to the authorities (Planty 7). Some forms of rape can include physical harm, threats, and even death of the victim, and most victims do not want to tell others for fear of criticism, self-blame, or even the fear that their attackers will carry out on their threats. In many cases, victims do have a reason to be afraid. When someone is brave enough to come forward and say they were sexually assaulted, they are putting themselves in the position of being in not only a long legal process, but also having their motives questioned and misunderstood, which is the last thing they want after their experience. The legal system in the United States...

    Read More

  • Rape Culture

    2482 Words  | 5 Pages

    According to Marshall University, Rape Culture is defined as “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in media and popular culture.” In American society, it is not hard to find examples of rape culture. In popular movies, music, and current events there is an undeniable notion of victim blaming, and sympathizing with male perpetrators. People have begun to use the term rape as a casual adjective. For example “I just raped him in that game,” could be used to describe two people playing a game and one winning easily against the other. American society uses pop culture and current events to promote and justify the prominent rape culture.

    Read More

  • Acquaintance Rape

    2622 Words  | 6 Pages

    Many of the attitudes, beliefs, and mistaken ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as “women ask for it,” and “women secretly enjoy rape,” from a historical perspective, can lead us for better understanding how they evolved. Much stems back to the idea that women are still seen as the property of men, and are protected as such. Men and women are still taught to occupy very different roles in today’s world. Men a...

    Read More

  • Rape Culture And Sexism Essay

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Apparatus of Rape Culture and Sexism: We are The Cogs that Keep it Running

    Read More

  • Effects Of Rape On Women

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    Webster’s Dictionary describes rape as the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse. Rape is a crime in which most women cannot defend themselves. The fear of rape plagues every woman at some point or another in her life. The traumatic effects of rape vary from mild to severe, from psychological to physical. This paper will evaluate rape, as well as the effects it has on women, the theory behind male dominance and patriarchy, and differences in demographics.

    Read More

  • Abortions Should Be Allowed For Rape Victims

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Rape and Sexual Violence Are Serious Problems.” Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 2008. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

    Read More

  • Rape: A Living Nightmare

    3121 Words  | 7 Pages

    The society we live in is rape-conducive, rape-friendly, if you will. Despite the anger I feel joining those two words together, I know the sad paradox holds within it a great deal of truth. We are a violent society that has shrouded rape in mystery and shame. To stop this nightmare’s venomous crusades, all people must wage a private war to eradicate their own acceptance of the savage crime. While it is only a minority of men that actually commit rape, it is everyone’s silence that tells them it’s ok.

    Read More

More about Rape Culture

Open Document