Brownmiller’s article establishes the idea that rape has an embedded history in the development of our current world. It is not simply an act of one man against another but an entire system. Though I personally have never suffered from physical assault sexual or otherwise, I still feel the effects of this system. Beyond its effect on people close to me, the way I move through space in this world must always be filtered caution to ward off violence. I tend to operate in this fear much less then some of my peers, perhaps due to my more rural upbringing. Even though statistically I am more likely to be attacked by an acquaintance, the pervasive man hiding in the bush image is still a powerful cultural icon that serves to monitor behavior. Brownmiller’s article does have some troublesome implications. As discussed earlier in the year, if taken to an extreme it implies that the phallus itself attacks regardless of how it’s being used. I think this an overarching conclusion that vilifies men. Another troublesome conclusion stems off of her quote that rape is “A conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear.” I discussed this in my media project, though rape is perhaps a system whereby all men, unintentionally and intentionally, subjugate women, I do not think this collective process is conscious. It can be. Crenshaw’s discussion of movements in communities of color where men are encouraged to subjugate women to assert their own standing as a black community collectivizes violence towards women. Though this movement did not overtly support rape, I agree with Crenshaw’s assessment that the implications of this thinking does.
Rape culture continues whenever rape is silenced or when it morphs into a positive thing. For this reason I have a hard time being fully supportive of BDSM and rape fantasies. I acknowledge one’s rights to engage in these behaviors in a safe environment when both or all parties consent fully. But I still question the influence perpetuating rape fantasy has on rape culture. I know that in these instances it is simulated. Nevertheless, this simulation eroticizes loss of agency.
According to Crenshaw women have made significant strides in their fight for justice when it comes to domestic abuse. Years ago domestic abuse was a domestic issue that was frowned upon but was expected to be dealt with within the home. In recent years, women have come together and made domestic abuse a broad-scale issue that affects women as a class. While this is a great improvement, Crenshaw explains that grouping women as one entity does not work. There are different racial backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic backgrounds that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to aiding women who have been in abusive relationships or have been victim to domestic abuse. Crenshaw goes into detail about how African American women often must deal with poverty and homelessness issues. These are different from the issues that women from foreign countries must deal with such as language barriers and laws that force them to be married for two years before they are eligible to get their own home. For this reason, amongst others, it is very difficult to group all women together when it comes to domestic abuse. It is very hard to solve a problem for a general group when that general group has so many subgroups that separate them. Crenshaw also talks about the problem that women of color run into when it comes to receiving justice for their domestic abuse situations. Women of color must overcome sexism and racism in order to be heard whereas Caucasian women only need to overcome one of those injustices. This makes it much more difficult for a woman of color to have here court case heard and more difficult to receive a favorable outcome if the case is heard. When we think of domestic abuse against women we think of women as one general group. This is unfair, however, because a sex cannot be generalized. There are too many subgroups within each sex that face so many different stereotypes and discrimination that grouping a sex as a single entity would blatantly be ignoring huge groups of women.
ReplyDeleteBrownmiller in her article "Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rap" talks about how rape is imbedded in our culture. From the time that children are very young they are made aware of rape. Even a story like little red ridinghood has indications in it that imply that girls need to be scared of predators. Brownmiller talks about all of the justifications society has for rape such as, "she was asking for it". I found this extremely interesting because even on Colgate's campus you hear similarly questionable statements by men who seemingly have no respect for women or the concept of rape. In reality, rape is an extremely serious issue and needs to be treated as such.
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ReplyDeleteAgainst Our Will:
ReplyDeleteIn the excerpt “Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape” rapists are depicted as terrorists. Susan Brownmiller states that rapists keep women in positions of fear.
Even the notion of rape enforces this mentality. Brownmiller writes, “Rape seeps into our childhood consciousness by imperceptible degrees. Even before we learn to read we have become indoctrinated into a victim mentality”(Freedman, 313). I have tried to come up with at least one fairytale that does not promote dependency on males to “save the day,” but I have come up short. Most, if not all, happy endings in fairytale end with the man saving the woman. For example, one that I keep thinking about is Cinderella and how she needed prince charming to escape her awful stepmother and sisters.
Mapping the Margins:
“Many immigrant woman were reluctant to leave even the most abusive of partners for fear of being deported”
-Multiple factors contribute to the subordination of women of color. These factors trap women in abusive relationships (Race, gender, socioeconomic status, immigration status, cultural barriers etc…).
“By failing to take into account the vulnerability of immigrant spouses to domestic violence, Congress positioned these women to absorb the simultaneous impact of its anti-immigration policy and their spouses’ abuse”
- Some women cannot provide the appropriate documentation.
Laws against rape:
http://www.students.haverford.edu/masar/documents/USRapeLaws.pdf
I agree with Crystal in that after Brownmiler discusses the fairy tale "Little Red Ridding Hood" it is hard to look at any other fairy tales without seeing make dominated societies. Also after our discussion in class about the rape cultural and how college students basically go along with it is an interesting discussion topic. I still think its interesting that Derby Days gets a numerous amount of women to attend, makes me feel that were almost taking a step back for femininity. We agree to take part in some sexual events that we should be appalled at. There are some girls who go just to have fun and don't participate but the fact that some due for points just makes it wrong. I understand that we live in the hook up culture and it will happen, but do we get points every night for hooking up with someone? What makes this day special and makes it okay to get points? That is something I will never understand. I know this is not true, but it does seem that sometimes women are bringing rape and sexual harassment on to them by doing some things we do. It is no excuse for a male at all but it hurts a women like myself to see this being okay for some women at our school.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to April's post, I really agree that the "man hiding in the bushes" image is embedded in our culture. I know that as a woman this is something that I generally fear when out at night in the dark especially in a city. I, too, grew up in a rural area and I think I tend to associate rape with cities and strangers rather than in my safe hometown. However, April points out that people are much more likely to be raped by acquaintances than the random man in the bushes, which is an interesting paradox. We don't fear our male acquaintances who are more likely to rape us than the random man who it is unlikely we will ever come into contact with.
ReplyDeleteI find Brownmiller's comment about the phallus oppressing and scaring women for years really interesting and her point that men have consciously been using that knowledge for years. I agree with April that I think it is unfair to condemn all men. However, what I find really upsetting is that this rape culture often does instill fear and caution in my everyday actions. I have been taught to be suspicious of male strangers, especially if they are friendly. I have been trained to be hyper-aware when walking by myself at night and at least note if not panic when a man seems to be following me. I think it's really unfortunate that this attitude has been spread throughout our culture for women. Although it may seem paranoid and a little excessive to be so aware and nervous, it obviously must come from somewhere.