Rape culture
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| − | '''[[Rape]] culture''' is a term used to describe the ways in which a society trivializes, rationalizes, and even condones rape and other acts of sexual violence, despite being nominally against rape or classifying the acts as crimes. "Rape culture" includes a variety of issues from the way raped individuals are treated by police to the way rape is portrayed in fiction and the media. Rape culture is steeped in institutionalized [[misogyny]], having at its core cultural features of a society that is defining, politicizing, and ultimately controlling women's bodies. Rape culture, like all other aspects of culture, informs individual behaviors on many levels - often in ways the individual isn't even aware of. | + | '''[[Rape]] culture''' is a term used to describe the ways in which a society trivializes, rationalizes, and even condones rape and other acts of sexual violence, despite being nominally against rape or classifying the acts as crimes. "Rape culture" includes a variety of issues from the way raped individuals are treated by police to the way rape is portrayed in fiction and the media. Rape culture is steeped in institutionalized [[misogyny]], having at its core cultural features of a society that is defining, politicizing, and ultimately controlling women's bodies. Rape culture, like all other aspects of culture, informs individual behaviors on many levels - often in ways the individual isn't even aware of. The definition of rape culture can be adjusted as needed so even the slightest problem can be blown out of proportion by people who define their lives by how much they complain. |
==What rape culture involves== | ==What rape culture involves== | ||
| − | Rape culture informs our entire legal system, from legislating offenses, to criminal investigations, to the trial and punishment. | + | Rape culture informs our (who is "our") entire legal system (needs citation), from legislating offenses (laws against rape = rape culture?), to criminal investigations (rapes are investigated = rape culture?), to the trial and punishment (rapes are punished = rape culture?). |
| − | *Victims are defined and unofficially classified based on how well they conform to a (deeply offensive and sexist) specific set of standards. Standards which are almost always based on assumptions about women's value in general. A white virgin who has been beaten is a more proper victim than a Hispanic co-ed who has a boyfriend. Being raped by a stranger, vaginally is <s>more titillating</s> taken more seriously than being a male victim. The more "real" a rape is, largely informs how the investigators and litigators will deal with a case.<ref>[http://jezebel.com/5369395/whoopi-on-roman-polanski-it-wasnt-rape+rape A particularly ugly example of this.]</ref> | + | *Victims are defined and unofficially classified based on how well they conform to a (deeply offensive and sexist) specific set of standards. Standards which are almost always based on assumptions about women's value in general (citation needed). A white virgin who has been beaten is a more proper victim than a Hispanic co-ed who has a boyfriend (has nothing to do with proper victim, one cased is much clearer than the other). Being raped by a stranger, vaginally is <s>more titillating</s> taken more seriously than being a male victim (which is why the feminist ideology pushes so hard to use women as the poster child for rape victim). The more "real" a rape is, largely informs how the investigators and litigators will deal with a case.<ref>[http://jezebel.com/5369395/whoopi-on-roman-polanski-it-wasnt-rape+rape A particularly ugly example of this.]</ref> (Jezebel isn't a scholarly source and Whoopi is not a scholar) |
| − | + | Men, society teaches, are always horny, always seeking the next conquest and always ready for sex. So how could they be raped? -- Because of these very attitudes, society is extremely slow to address, much less change, the way male rape victims are treated.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3067991/]</ref> <ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21653264]</ref> The FBI did not even classify male rape as rape until 2012.<ref>http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/recent-program-updates/new-rape-definition-frequently-asked-questions</ref> (Interestingly, this is never a focus of feminist "rape culture" discussions) | |
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Rape culture involves our society at large, and how we view both the victim and the perpetrator. | Rape culture involves our society at large, and how we view both the victim and the perpetrator. | ||
| − | * [[blaming the victim|Victim blaming]] (often very naked and hateful, especially on the internet) is a common feature of a rape culture. If the victim can be shown to be "out of line" at any point, society turns on her, often demanding she at least voice some sense of remorse for her behaviors that lead to the rape. Was she dressed "like a slut?" | + | * [[blaming the victim|Victim blaming]] (often very naked and hateful, especially on the internet) (teh internet hurtz muh feelz) is a common feature of a rape culture. If the victim can be shown to be "out of line" at any point, society turns on her (gendered language), often demanding she (gendered language) at least voice some sense of remorse for her (gendered language) behaviors that lead to the rape. Was she (gendered language) dressed "like a slut?" This author admits to not knowing how sluts dress. If you are in Afghanistan, of course, wearing something that tempts men with those beautiful eyes is clearly dressing like a slut, duh (Why is Afghanistan being brought up?.) Does </ref> Did she lead the guy on? Had she been out partying? Is she pretty? Was she "friendly" (wink-wink, nudge nudge) with the boys? (all are excellent questions that need to be asked to get the full picture to make sure an innocent person isn't convicted for something they didn't do) Even if a rape victim actually does meet the maximum standards for sympathy, the implication is that the rapist's transgression against [[traditional values]] and [[polite society]] was more important than the actual act of violence done to the victim.<ref>The blog Yes Means Yes refers to this stereotyping as [http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/meet-the-predators/ the social script of stranger rape].</ref> (Blogs are not credible sources) |
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Rape culture affects how society discusses sex and rape: | Rape culture affects how society discusses sex and rape: | ||
| − | * Rape culture often uses rape as a subject of jokes, in ways not seen with similar crimes like murder. | + | * Rape culture often uses rape as a subject of jokes, in ways not seen with similar crimes like murder.(This is false: How do you get a dead baby in a blender? Feet first of course. |
| − | * Rape culture often uses threats of rape (real or just voiced) as a way to intimidate women into submission. This is especially prevalent on the internet | + | |
| − | + | How do you get it out? tortilla chips....) | |
| − | * Rape culture flourishes because of the urban legend that women don't want sex, and must be "encouraged" to have sex. Played out in the old joke "No! Don't! Stop! No, don't stop!" | + | * Rape culture often uses threats of rape (real or just voiced) as a way to intimidate women into submission. This is especially prevalent on the internet. (How does someone rape another person over the internet?) |
| − | + | * Rape culture flourishes because of the urban legend that women don't want sex, and must be "encouraged" to have sex. Played out in the old joke "No! Don't! Stop! No, don't stop!" (If jokes mean "we" have a rape culture then "we" also have a dead baby culture) | |
| − | * Rape culture both informs and is informed by a society's mixed messages about sex in the media and on tv. Women and girls should be pure and somehow above sex, and yet everything is sold to them through sex. | + | |
| + | * Rape culture both informs and is informed by a society's mixed messages about sex in the media and on tv. Women and girls should be pure and somehow above sex, and yet everything is sold to them through sex. (How does that make a rape culture, and what does that have to do with rape?) | ||
Rape culture involves sexual exploitation, harassment and other forms of sexual violence: | Rape culture involves sexual exploitation, harassment and other forms of sexual violence: | ||
| − | * Instances of sexual harassment are often seen as a personal issue between a victim and her aggressor, even in a work environment. Sexual harassment is often portrayed as a hassle a company must deal with, to protect itself legally, rather than a real moral or ethical transgression. | + | * Instances of sexual harassment are often seen as a personal issue between a victim and her aggressor, even in a work environment. Sexual harassment is often portrayed as a hassle a company must deal with, to protect itself legally, rather than a real moral or ethical transgression. (Of course a company will protect itself when the first response is to sue) |
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==Addressing the "not all men" defense== | ==Addressing the "not all men" defense== | ||
| − | Rape culture, like all other aspects of culture, impacts people on a subconscious level long before it becomes part of their conscious choices. Rape culture is the result of 6,000+ years of human history which has defined women and their place in society. | + | Rape culture, like all other aspects of culture, impacts people on a subconscious level long before it becomes part of their conscious choices. Rape culture is the result of 6,000+ years of human history which has defined women and their place in society (citation needed). Discussions about rape culture can make rational people feel cornered, attacked or defensive (and rightly so). |
| − | Rape culture is not a conscious conspiracy by men to keep women "in their place". It is not something that men are generally even aware they participate in. In fact, when specific behaviors that reinforce rape culture are pointed out, most men will try to change them, to the extent they can. | + | Rape culture is not a conscious conspiracy by men (gendered language) to keep women (gendered language) "in their place". It is not something that men (gendered language) are generally even aware they participate in. In fact, when specific behaviors that reinforce rape culture are pointed out, most men (gendered language) will try to change them, to the extent they can. |
| − | + | Only men participate in rape culture, and only women are victims of rape culture. Women good. Men bad. | |
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==Footnotes== | ==Footnotes== | ||
<references> | <references> | ||
{{stub|crime}} | {{stub|crime}} | ||
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| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Fallacious arguments]] |
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Assessing pseudoscience]] |
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Logic]] |
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[[Category:Social justice]] | [[Category:Social justice]] | ||
[[Category:High priority]] | [[Category:High priority]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Irrationality]] | ||
Revision as of 05:44, 17 July 2014
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| A baker's dozen on sex |
Rape culture is a term used to describe the ways in which a society trivializes, rationalizes, and even condones rape and other acts of sexual violence, despite being nominally against rape or classifying the acts as crimes. "Rape culture" includes a variety of issues from the way raped individuals are treated by police to the way rape is portrayed in fiction and the media. Rape culture is steeped in institutionalized misogyny, having at its core cultural features of a society that is defining, politicizing, and ultimately controlling women's bodies. Rape culture, like all other aspects of culture, informs individual behaviors on many levels - often in ways the individual isn't even aware of. The definition of rape culture can be adjusted as needed so even the slightest problem can be blown out of proportion by people who define their lives by how much they complain.
What rape culture involves
Rape culture informs our (who is "our") entire legal system (needs citation), from legislating offenses (laws against rape = rape culture?), to criminal investigations (rapes are investigated = rape culture?), to the trial and punishment (rapes are punished = rape culture?).
- Victims are defined and unofficially classified based on how well they conform to a (deeply offensive and sexist) specific set of standards. Standards which are almost always based on assumptions about women's value in general (citation needed). A white virgin who has been beaten is a more proper victim than a Hispanic co-ed who has a boyfriend (has nothing to do with proper victim, one cased is much clearer than the other). Being raped by a stranger, vaginally is
more titillatingtaken more seriously than being a male victim (which is why the feminist ideology pushes so hard to use women as the poster child for rape victim). The more "real" a rape is, largely informs how the investigators and litigators will deal with a case.[1] (Jezebel isn't a scholarly source and Whoopi is not a scholar)
Men, society teaches, are always horny, always seeking the next conquest and always ready for sex. So how could they be raped? -- Because of these very attitudes, society is extremely slow to address, much less change, the way male rape victims are treated.[2] [3] The FBI did not even classify male rape as rape until 2012.[4] (Interestingly, this is never a focus of feminist "rape culture" discussions)
Rape culture involves our society at large, and how we view both the victim and the perpetrator.
- Victim blaming (often very naked and hateful, especially on the internet) (teh internet hurtz muh feelz) is a common feature of a rape culture. If the victim can be shown to be "out of line" at any point, society turns on her (gendered language), often demanding she (gendered language) at least voice some sense of remorse for her (gendered language) behaviors that lead to the rape. Was she (gendered language) dressed "like a slut?" This author admits to not knowing how sluts dress. If you are in Afghanistan, of course, wearing something that tempts men with those beautiful eyes is clearly dressing like a slut, duh (Why is Afghanistan being brought up?.) Does </ref> Did she lead the guy on? Had she been out partying? Is she pretty? Was she "friendly" (wink-wink, nudge nudge) with the boys? (all are excellent questions that need to be asked to get the full picture to make sure an innocent person isn't convicted for something they didn't do) Even if a rape victim actually does meet the maximum standards for sympathy, the implication is that the rapist's transgression against traditional values and polite society was more important than the actual act of violence done to the victim.[5] (Blogs are not credible sources)
Rape culture affects how society discusses sex and rape:
- Rape culture often uses rape as a subject of jokes, in ways not seen with similar crimes like murder.(This is false: How do you get a dead baby in a blender? Feet first of course.
How do you get it out? tortilla chips....)
- Rape culture often uses threats of rape (real or just voiced) as a way to intimidate women into submission. This is especially prevalent on the internet. (How does someone rape another person over the internet?)
- Rape culture flourishes because of the urban legend that women don't want sex, and must be "encouraged" to have sex. Played out in the old joke "No! Don't! Stop! No, don't stop!" (If jokes mean "we" have a rape culture then "we" also have a dead baby culture)
- Rape culture both informs and is informed by a society's mixed messages about sex in the media and on tv. Women and girls should be pure and somehow above sex, and yet everything is sold to them through sex. (How does that make a rape culture, and what does that have to do with rape?)
Rape culture involves sexual exploitation, harassment and other forms of sexual violence:
- Instances of sexual harassment are often seen as a personal issue between a victim and her aggressor, even in a work environment. Sexual harassment is often portrayed as a hassle a company must deal with, to protect itself legally, rather than a real moral or ethical transgression. (Of course a company will protect itself when the first response is to sue)
Addressing the "not all men" defense
Rape culture, like all other aspects of culture, impacts people on a subconscious level long before it becomes part of their conscious choices. Rape culture is the result of 6,000+ years of human history which has defined women and their place in society (citation needed). Discussions about rape culture can make rational people feel cornered, attacked or defensive (and rightly so).
Rape culture is not a conscious conspiracy by men (gendered language) to keep women (gendered language) "in their place". It is not something that men (gendered language) are generally even aware they participate in. In fact, when specific behaviors that reinforce rape culture are pointed out, most men (gendered language) will try to change them, to the extent they can.
Only men participate in rape culture, and only women are victims of rape culture. Women good. Men bad.
Footnotes
- ↑ A particularly ugly example of this.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/recent-program-updates/new-rape-definition-frequently-asked-questions
- ↑ The blog Yes Means Yes refers to this stereotyping as the social script of stranger rape.