Sexual Violence Flashcards
Sexual violence
range of behaviors: any sexual act, act of sexual nature or act targeting sexuality, physical or psychological, that is committed without consent
Range of behaviors that are umbrella’d under sexual violence
- sexual harassment and street harassment; sexual assault
- stalking
- voyeurism (spying)
- sexual exploitation
- sleathing
- indecent exposure
- distribution of sexually explicit photographs or videos
- threats of rape and sexual harm
- incest, child sexual abuse, sexual trafficking
What is Sleathing
- to remove a condom secretly during sex
define “rape culture”
a term describing the political, legal and social subordination of women created the conditions for sexual violence to occur, which also normalized violence against women
Are there groups more vulnerable to sexual violence than others? if so who are they?
yes, examples include: transgender youth, indigenous women/girls/boys
What is Victim-blaming and rape myths?
are attitudes and beliefs deployed to undermine dismiss, belittle or invalidate survivors’ experiences
When did the use of ‘storytelling’ get big? Why did it have such a big impact?
- got big in the ’80s with Oprah bringing on women to interview on their stories
- through stories, patterns are found - “i’m not alone, this is not only about me” (being oppressed as a group
Consciousness raising
- began in the ’60s
- created a space for women to come together and discuss a range of challenges they experienced in their personal lives, including sexual violence
- It was through consciousness raising networks where women began to erode normative assumptions about sexual violence, and brought to light the widespread nature and experiences of other forms of sexual harm, such as sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, and unwanted sexual contact
How did Consciousness Raising alter the understanding of sexual violence?
altered how sexual violence was socially, legally and politically understood sparking further, more public forms of activism and structural reforms including legal changes and the development of rape crisis services
Types of “Speaking Out”
- public forums
- survivor memoirs
- artistic forms (ex. Clothesline Project - addresses victim blaming)
Criminal Law Reform
Reform efforts have focused on increasing rape conviction rates, and redefining rape
Criminal Law Reform drawbacks
- sexist stereotypes still used when looking at cases
- still see problematic patriarchal attitudes in the courtroom
- most sexual violence happens often with people you know
Why is “no means no” not good enough?
- because it is harder when victim is in place of lower power in comparison to the offender
Affirmative Model of consent
“yes means yes” rather than silence means yes
Why is Digital Activism important?
create subaltern counterpublics - spaces where dominant norms and attitudes are disrupted and subverted
What are some ways that Digital Activism is used as a form of protest
- changed social movement organizing
- embedded in everyday life
- can mobilize protests offline (i.e., slut walk)
- use images to reflect back/resist (i.e., memes)
- create “community, solidarity, respect”
- vital in areas where activism is restricted or women’s public life restricted
Critiques of activism against sexual violence
there is a lack of examination fo structural dynamics and intersectionality
- prominent public image of sexual violence survivors and activists speaking out have been – and remain – white, heterosexual, mostly middle-class women
- consciosness raising did not provide a framework for women to understand the extent to which structural dynamics, such as racism or class shaped women’s experiences of violence
Critiques of digital activism against sexual violence
- access to technology
- state imposed digital censorship
- literacy/tech literacy
- online is individualist (attention economy; self-branded neoliberalism)
- curating a particular image for others to see
Impact of the #MeToo Movement
- fall 2017
- use the # 19 million times in 12 month in English
- created of global collective voice
- diverse voices but often privileged
- excluded 2SLGBTQA+
- focused on criminal/legal changes (ie. the Weinstein trial)
Why did the Weinstein’s conviction seem like a clear win for survivors
It provided institutional recognition and vindication after decades of sexual harassment and violence that had been quietly ignored (if not openly condoned), with his victims often intimidated into silence
What is the future of Sexual Violence activism
- need to attend to complex political conditions
- some success with systemic approaches on campus
- explore alternative justice
- recognize/strategize re: limitations of digital forms
- victim centered, culturally informed, community-based and collaborative
- link to systems of oppression: colonial practices, state practices, etc.
