Rape Culture Controversy Essay

Rape culture is prominent in poverty ridden countries where the police force is small and men still have majority of the power. (Source C) “That’s a lesson for the world, including the United States. We need to erode the sense of male entitlement, build up female empowerment, end the taboos and, above all, end the impunity”. In India it is proven that rape is majorily a girl’s first sexual experience. It’s believed that rape thrives because it is a taboo. No one wants to talk about it because it is considered too fragile and irregular to talk

Many individuals might wonder, what is rape culture? “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.” Most women limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. (Marshall University)

As a whole, the rape culture should not exist, rape should not even be a thing but the biggest problem is the denial of it. As a whole, we would rather shut rape victims up versus listening to them and helping them. In Rose’s speech, she began to speak on rape and how injustice it is. Rape cases go unheard because victims are too afraid to come forth because they feel they will be blamed for what happened. Society has told young girls that they cannot wear too short of shorts or dresses or skirts because it is “too tempting” to surrounding males despite the weather, how absurd.

America has a proud history of being a country that has many different ethnicities and cultures living within its borders. But one of the most prevalent cultures is one that transcends race or country of origin, rape culture. The term used by modern day feminist and gender activist defines a culture which normalizes rape and sexual assaults because of the deeply rooted societal attitudes towards gender and sexuality. In a rape culture the instances of rape are accepted as everyday occurrences and even as the prerogative of men, resulting in the stigmatization and blame placing of rape victims. Although the phrase “rape culture” is relatively modern, the

The growing argument against rape culture in society is becoming more and more prevalent as feminists, rape victims and survivors, and everyday people speak out against the crime. Zerina Maxwell writes in Time’s “Rape Culture is Real” about the existence and issues with rape culture in society by using personal anecdotes and statistics to persuade her audience of the existence of rape culture. Maxwell’s article wrote her article in response to another article published in Time by Caroline Kitchens, who adamantly presents her position in “It’s Time to End ‘Rape Culture’ Hysteria.” While those two articles are opposites, Lauren Kelly also writes about the existence of rape culture in an interview with Kate Harding, author of “Asking for It: The

The term ‘rape culture’ was coined by feminists in the United States in 1970. The term itself was designed to illustrate the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault, and how the normalization of male sexual violence was acceptable. Rape culture can stem from the acceptance of rape as a daily occurrence, manifested as a male prerogative. There is a hesitation by the authorities to go against the patriarchal cultural norms, hence linking nonconsensual sex to the cultural disposition of society. The patriarchal perspective of rape culture, embedded with gender inequality and misogyny are passed through generations which ultimately leads to the extensive institutional and social acceptance of rape. Actions which advocate sexist ideals are utilized to justify and validate normative misogynistic perceptions. Rape culture sexualizes violence inflicted upon women, as it serves as a continuum of a society which views a women’s body to be sexually available by default, deriving from the overall domination and objectification of a female. The underlying cause of rape culture is localized as it based upon the social aspects of culture. For example, countries with a prolific ‘war culture’ tend to emphasize violence and masculinity, and therefore rape is viewed as a normal facet of society. I intend to parallel the element of rape culture to the enforcement of social rules and the conditioning of gender roles. I plan on analyzing the notion that within the encompassment of

The casual misinterpretation of the concept of rape extending all the way to its widespread comical usage is ghastly. The term is used when a sports team beats another sports team by a wide margin, or when someone’s electric bill is higher than it was the on the previous billing statement. In this context, rape is being devalued. Rape is not about uncontrollable sexual desire; one only has to listen in on a Call of Duty game to see that. When that kid crows, “I raped you!” he’s not complimenting his opponent; he is saying he defeated him, dominated him, and humiliated him. That is what rape is about, and that should scare society. The author of Transforming a Rape Culture, Emilie Buchwald, describes rape culture as “a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women.” Whether private or public school, rape is still an epidemic being covered up by university systems. We all have a part to play in allowing rape culture to exist—so, we can all do something to eradicate it.

Despite rape culture being clearly relevant in most all forms of media, many people choose to argue against it. Many point to the fact that even if rape is a common crime it is still considered especially heinous. Others complain that rape culture is too much

Rape has been an ongoing issue within society for centuries. In early times, men raped women for reproductive purposes. Today, it is still believed

Merril Smith’s Encycolpedia of Rape defines the term “rape culture” as “one in which rape and other sexual violence against women . . . [is] both prevalent and considered the norm” (174). Rape is not a new subject in today’s society, its origins reaching far back into history. What causes rape, though? Is it the primal drive of men to exhibit dominance over all women, or do the women share the blame because of the way they dress, act, or do their makeup? Modern American culture would place the blame on the woman who “provoked” the attack; however, a woman should not have to park closer to the building she is entering, nor should she have to carry protection just in case a sexual predator decides that she is his next victim. Men are just as

Feminist scholarship has argued that rape ideology encourages and justifies sexual coercion, trivializes sexual violence and demeans and devalues women who have experienced sexual assault. The foundation of this argument is based on women's experiences in patriarchal societies. Due to the fact that

Rape and rape culture is a serious issue within the world we all live in today. What’s worse is men and women’s responses to rape, consequently promote ‘rape culture’ in society. The teachers statement was reflective of this problem and how societies perception and judgement of rape cases is far too tolerant. She is a woman, a wife and a stepmother to young girls, yet her comments only contribute to the “sweep it under the rug” attitude society holds for rape and rape culture. In her statement she indirectly validated the act

To begin, the question often asked about this topic is a simple one; what is rape culture? As Joshua Rothman states in his article, The Meaning of Culture, “It goes without saying that ‘culture’ is a confusing word, this year or any year. Merriam­Webster offers six definitions for it. The problem is that ‘culture’ is more than the sum of its definitions.” (Rothman 1) When thinking of a culture, it is first thought of as a group of similar people with learned behaviors or ideas from their parents, and the people around them. For example, a culture in America is manners. Say “Please” when you want something, and “Thank You” when you get it. A child is taught these mannerisms by his parents, because it is a part of the American culture. It is very similar to that of an animal with learned behaviors, such as a baby bird learning to fly or a baby bear learning to eat. Now, when you think of rape

Rape culture is the environment in which rape is common and sexual violence against women is normalized by the media. Rape culture is promoted with the use of “misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence,” which creates a society that ignores the rights and safety of women. In 2013, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams released the summer hit “Blurred Lines,” which became known as a rape song. “Blurred Lines” is the perfect example of how rape culture is used by the media while using misogynistic language, objectification of women’s bodies, and glamorization of sexual violence.

Rape Culture was not acknowledged as a societal problem until the end of the twentieth century. It had been brought into the public eye to pursue justice for the raped victims by feminists and human/women-rights-activists. These movements helped a lot in shaping and changing the laws around the United States. A lot of studies were made on the issue of Rape Culture, some of the most thought-provoking and informative studies will be discussed under this section.