Sociology: violence against women
NEWS IN SHORT:
Cases of rape and harassment of women in the national capital have increased by around 40 per cent in the first five-and-half months this year as compared to the corresponding period last year, while the total number of heinous crimes has gone down marginally.
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Syllabus: Paper I: Gender & Paper II: Violence against women
- Sociological explanations of rape fall into cultural and structural categories similar to those presented earlier for sexual harassment.
- A related cultural belief is that women somehow ask or deserve to be raped by the way they dress or behave. If she dresses attractively or walks into a bar by herself, she wants to have sex, and if a rape occurs, well, then, what did she expect?
- Structural explanations for rape emphasize the power differences between women and men similar to those outlined earlier for sexual harassment. In societies that are male dominated, rape and other violence against women is a likely outcome, as they allow men to demonstrate and maintain their power over women.