Rape prone societies

A detailed Summary of Rape prone societies

The Webster's Dictionary defines rape as any unlawful sexual intercourse by force or threat. The context of rape cannot be reduced into this one sentence. No definition can incorporate the horrific act of rape into a sentence. There is no limitation to what rape is. The act of rape goes far beyond the minute definition of forceful intercourse. Rape is not a one-time occurrence of "sexual intercourse". Rape remains forever in the victim's mind. It affects her mentally and physically for the rest of her life. There isn't just one victim of rape either. Rape affects the victim's family and friends. They too become victims. Rape also affects the entire society as a whole. One act of rape introduces a fear into a community, which was not felt before. But why are some communities victims of continuous rape while others are not?

Rape is a cultural dilemma that is not felt by every culture. Extensive research indicates that cultures, which report frequent occurrences of rape, share many of the same characteristics. These societies are referred to as Rape-Prone. Peggy Reeves Sanday was one of the researchers who studied rape. In her research, she examined a number of different tribal societies. She gathered information

Friedrich Engels, a theorist, believes that in some cultures, women held the power in society. That is, before reproduction was understood. After scientists learned of the man's role in reproduction, a shift took place and men took over the power. Societies changed, and dominance over women became prevalent. Even in contemporary American society, dominance over women is a factor in rape.

All of the Rape-Prone societies view rape as dominance and control over women. Many of the common cultural factors Sanday defined were, also, of men punishing women. Sexual assault is performed on enemy women as a punishment during warfare. Rape is also used to punish a family. Because women are viewed as property, the highly valued women are the chaste ones, and rape cheapens the women, which, in turn, hurts the family. Rape is also used to punish wives that cheat. A husband allows his wife to be gang raped for punishment of her infidelity and embarrassment to him. Women are supposed to be monogamous, mainly for inheritance rights.

haracteristics of how a man acts, and every man finds himself struggling to prove they are "in" the box. To prove they are 'in' the box, they must fight the challenger or find someone they can dominate to relieve their anxiety. This is the beginning of explaining domestic violence.

"At age 14 or 15 the Arunta girl is taken out into the bush by a group of men for the vulva cutting ceremony. A designated man cuts the girls vulva after which she is gang raped by a group of men which des not include her future husband. When the ceremony is concluded the girl is taken to her husband and from then on no one else has the right of access to her. (Spencer and Gillen 1927)"

The structure of the economy plays a role in Rape-Prone societies. America is considered a Rape-Prone culture, but rape wasn't always so prevalent. Economy played a huge role in that change. Before the Industrial Revolution, gender differences were not explicit. The economy consisted of farmland. Men and women shared the physical labor chores on the farm, shared the income, and the power. Women weren't view as passive

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Approximate Word count = 1441
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People