Sexual Assault Awareness
month is nearly approaching. I find
myself asking what exactly is rape culture?
How did this enter into people’s vernacular? What does it mean to be living in a rape
culture?
A crucial aspect of the definition
of rape is the absence of consent.
Culture has many meanings. I’ll
define it as a full range of learned behaviors and patterns. The degradation of women becomes the norm
through acceptance of misogyny. In a
rape culture images, conversations, and laws validate and perpetrate rape. Validating rape culture in the media excuses
rape and reinforces myths about rape and/or sexualizing rape. Shaming and silencing survivors of rape
allows the perpetrator to ignore the actions and the survivor is left with
guilt and shaming.
Viewing mass media daily
through images and advertising becomes naturalized going unquestioned. This leads to people asking, “Violence
against women is still an issue?” In a
rape culture majority of people think this is the way it is and no one can
change it or people ignore that it occurs daily at an astonishing rate. Re-examining advertisements, music,
television, laws, macho-masculinity, speech and language are steps that need to
be taken. Being surrounded with these images, ideologies, and laws can seem
overwhelming and shaming. Re-examining,
creating self-awareness, and naming the problems need to happen to end rape
culture. Instead of teaching girls to
not get raped, there has been a shift on telling men to not rape. What made him think this was acceptable and
okay to commit rape? This is removing
the blame on women.
By Gretchen D. Hawker
I came across this article “Ten
Things to End Rape Culture.” I suggest you take a look at it: http://www.thenation.com/article/172643/ten-things-end-rape-culture#
