Rationalization of Rape Culture
Why do many women feel unsafe alone with men? Perhaps it is because over 85% of violent crimes in the U.S. are committed by men. Or because 99% of rape is committed by men (Katz 21). Decades of media and popular culture that encourage power and dominance as the traits of truly actualized men, and, conversely, submissiveness as the trait of women, have come with a price. Oftentimes, in cases of rape or abuse, the victim is blamed, and the male perpetrator 's actions are rationalized with arguments carrying sentiments like "boys will be boys." This environment, called rape culture, has become normalized. After all, if power and dominance are what truly define a man, what could he have done wrong? Rape culture needs …show more content…
According to sexual violence educator Jackson Katz, in the documentary Tough Guise – Violence Media and the Crisis in Masculinity: “Even though the crime rates in general have been coming down in recent years, the rape rate hasn’t, the sexual abuse rate hasn’t” (Tough Guise). Why this change? With the advent of the Internet, pornography is more widely available than ever before and this fact can help throw some light onto the matter. “We should also look at it [pornography] for what it tells us about masculinity…if we did we’d see that at the flipside of submissive femininity is a masculinity that is defined by power, control, dominance, and sometimes violence” (Tough Guise). While some may argue that there are legitimate uses for pornography, its legitimacy is not the point. It speaks to the state of our culture, showing how we live in an environment in which man’s role is defined by dominance and woman’s by submissiveness. In this environment, it is only natural for the man’s interests to take first place and the woman’s second. Sexual violence begins to be normalized, creating a rape culture in which women are lesser than their male …show more content…
The first step is quite straightforward -- listen to women. Jackson Katz writes: “Men often cut women off in conversation, or treat women’s contributions to a conversation with less weight than a man’s” (Katz 10). To treat someone as an equal, you must listen to what they have to say. And understandably, victims of sexual abuse do not find it easy to talk about what they have been through. Knowing someone who is willing to listen to them can be a great aid in coming forward for help. Men can also come to the aid of women who they see undergoing abuse. In the Stanford rape case, two male students came to help the victim while she was being abused, and she thanks them at the end of her statement (“Sexual Assault Victim’s Powerful Statement”). Some may mention, and it is true, that some women may not want this help, due to their unique situations (Katz 25). Men can still help those who are in need of aid, however. They can educate others about rape culture. Men can show how it leads to the subjugation and harming of women. They can also lead through example, demonstrating in their own lives how masculinity does not have to be defined by power and dominance, but can be defined by caring for others, hard work, and sensitivity. These are the steps men can take to help end rape
Why do many women feel unsafe alone with men? Perhaps it is because over 85% of violent crimes in the U.S. are committed by men. Or because 99% of rape is committed by men (Katz 21). Decades of media and popular culture that encourage power and dominance as the traits of truly actualized men, and, conversely, submissiveness as the trait of women, have come with a price. Oftentimes, in cases of rape or abuse, the victim is blamed, and the male perpetrator 's actions are rationalized with arguments carrying sentiments like "boys will be boys." This environment, called rape culture, has become normalized. After all, if power and dominance are what truly define a man, what could he have done wrong? Rape culture needs …show more content…
According to sexual violence educator Jackson Katz, in the documentary Tough Guise – Violence Media and the Crisis in Masculinity: “Even though the crime rates in general have been coming down in recent years, the rape rate hasn’t, the sexual abuse rate hasn’t” (Tough Guise). Why this change? With the advent of the Internet, pornography is more widely available than ever before and this fact can help throw some light onto the matter. “We should also look at it [pornography] for what it tells us about masculinity…if we did we’d see that at the flipside of submissive femininity is a masculinity that is defined by power, control, dominance, and sometimes violence” (Tough Guise). While some may argue that there are legitimate uses for pornography, its legitimacy is not the point. It speaks to the state of our culture, showing how we live in an environment in which man’s role is defined by dominance and woman’s by submissiveness. In this environment, it is only natural for the man’s interests to take first place and the woman’s second. Sexual violence begins to be normalized, creating a rape culture in which women are lesser than their male …show more content…
The first step is quite straightforward -- listen to women. Jackson Katz writes: “Men often cut women off in conversation, or treat women’s contributions to a conversation with less weight than a man’s” (Katz 10). To treat someone as an equal, you must listen to what they have to say. And understandably, victims of sexual abuse do not find it easy to talk about what they have been through. Knowing someone who is willing to listen to them can be a great aid in coming forward for help. Men can also come to the aid of women who they see undergoing abuse. In the Stanford rape case, two male students came to help the victim while she was being abused, and she thanks them at the end of her statement (“Sexual Assault Victim’s Powerful Statement”). Some may mention, and it is true, that some women may not want this help, due to their unique situations (Katz 25). Men can still help those who are in need of aid, however. They can educate others about rape culture. Men can show how it leads to the subjugation and harming of women. They can also lead through example, demonstrating in their own lives how masculinity does not have to be defined by power and dominance, but can be defined by caring for others, hard work, and sensitivity. These are the steps men can take to help end rape