Understanding and Stopping Violence Against Women

Donnerstein, Edward., Berkowitz, Leonard. 1981. "Victim Reactions in Aggressive Erotic Films as a Factor in Violence Against Women." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 41(4): 710-724 * This article addresses a follow-up study by Donnerstein and a colleague to his previous study on aggressive-erotic films. This study went further to test whether the outcomes would be the same with male vs. female confederates, and aggressive-erotic films with positive vs. negative outcomes. This article is important as it provides further evidence and controls for more outside influences. Donnerstein also provides extensive background on both the theoretical and applied aspects of erotica which is extremely helpful in my research.

Donnerstein, Edward. 1980. "Aggressive Erotica and Violence Against Women." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39(2): 269-277 * This article was written to describe a study conducted by Edward Donnerstein on whether or not aggressive-erotic stimuli would make males more aggressive towards females. In this study males were shown either neutral, erotic, or aggressive erotic stimuli and then given an opportunity to deliver electric shock to a female confederate. Out of the 120 males subjects who participated in the study it was shown than even non-angered males showed an increase in aggression towards the female after viewing the aggressive-erotic film. I think that this article will be extremely useful in my research as it provides evidence of the effect of aggressive-erotic films on men, even when those men had in no other way been angered.

Dines, Gail., Jensen, Bob. 1997. Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality. New York, NY: Routledge. * This book is quite interesting because it is written by feminists that are involved in the anti-pornography movement. Because of their stance it is important to try and read what they present objectively. What the authors claim to be doing within their book is changing sex from something used to oppress women, to something used to liberate them. In order to do that they point out all of the social, and legal constructs that cause pornography to be so detrimental to women. This book does not provide and empirical evidence or research, but does provide an extensive overview of pornography's role in the cultural construction of gender and sexual identity. I think that this book will be extremely helpful in both causing me to think from a perspective I may not have before, as well as providing an extensive amount of background information.

Sylverstein, L. 1999. "The Evolutionary Origins of Male Violence Against Women" in Haraway & O'Neil (eds) What Causes Men's Violence Against Women? Sage Publications. This chapter is important, however in a secondary way. I will use this article to further supplant the points I wish to convey from the films I am using, most specifically with The Accused, and in part with Showgirls. I will use Sylverstein's points of the female/matriarchic oriented Bonobos in relation to the women of both films. I will discuss the parallels found between these bonding primates and their counterparts found within The Accused as portrayed in the unified fight for justice between Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) and Sarah Tobias (Jodi Foster). From Showgirls I will discuss the similarities of the primates violent tendencies as they relate to a slur against one of their own, as Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) defends and seeks vengeance for her friend Molly Abrams (Gina Ravera) - although this ideal of one woman protecting another is more fantasy than realism, especially in relation to the consequences. Again, this chapter will be more valuable to me in supplementing, rather than instigating, my ideas in relation to rape and how it affects the relationships amongst women.

Johnny Belinda, 1948, John Negulesco, dir. This film is key to my research mostly in part to its date. Many people believe that rape has only recently been shown explicitly in more recent films, however this is a film that invalidates this thought. While Gone with the Wind does deal with rape in film, it does not explicitly mention or show the rape; Johnny Belinda, on the other hand, overtly deals with rape and its repercussions. Also helpful in this movie selection is the ample discourse found in relation to it, from Sarah Projansky. It deals with many topics the other films deal with, but also has differing aspects to consider, in relation to rape in film, such as the consequences of rape and how one copes with them. While it is important to, in a sense, keep a period eye when watching this film, the film too has many still valid points, which I am interested to further develop and question while writing this paper.

Squires, Catherine. June, 2002. "Review: Mixed Messages" The Women's Review of Books, 19: 25-26. Retrieved April 11, 2010 (http://www.jstor.org/stable4023945). Although this is only a review of two key books, it is helpful in summarizing key information necessary to supplement my research for this paper. It allows me to note the overarching/key issues within each book, and then consider how they relate to the bigger picture of rape in film and how it affects culture and society. This was especially helpful in allowing me to narrow my search within one of the reviewed books, Watching Rape, by Sarah Projansky (of whom I found another article to use, as cited above). This review also makes observations that relate back to other sources and films I am using, such as Showgirls - discussing the foci of rape as related to the actions of white male and female characters, even when the victim herself is of color. Rather than specifically considering gender, this article questions other factors, such as race and class. Also important from this article is its consideration of perspectives and viewpoints as differing over time and through different lenses. The article overall was a helpful find in summarizing pivotal points in concise yet amazingly detailed format.

Showgirls, 1995, Paul Verhoeven, dir. Crenshaw, K 1991. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics and Violence Against Women of Color." Stanford Law Review v43:1241-1299 Williams, Linda. Spring, 2003. "Showgirls & Sex Acts." Film Quarterly, 56: 40-41. Retrieved April 11, 2010 (http://www.jstor.org/stable/1213965). This was a debatable film for me to use, however I ultimately decided to use it for three specific reasons. The first, I believe it shows important ideals of female support, as similar to the Bonobo primates that Sylverstein discusses. Yet I was more drawn to this female compassion - of Nomi seeking revenge for her raped friend Molly - due to its fantasy and lack of realism. Nomi seeks Molly's assaulter and fiercely kicks his face in multiple times. While this is an oddly heroic scene of just revenge, it is not realistic in its culminating consequences. For this point, Linda Williams's article is helpful in further realizing this idea. Williams discusses the vengeful Nomi as a new heroine for post-feminist film, as different from the original innocent female heroine - Nomi is not innocent and sexually naïve, quiet the opposite! Nomi is sexually literate and knows how to use her body to her best advantage, whether for violent vengeance or her own survival. However, the second issue raised is the relation of hidden powers, here as presented through fame and fortune. It is due to the rapist's elite social standing that no investigation or authorities are begun or brought in (hence the vengeance of Nomi). I will explore how this instills ideas of impunity, as discussed in many of the readings this semester (therefore I will most likely additionally use such readings as the Carey and Torres reading, etc.). One final (third) topic I will explore within the film is the fact that Molly is a woman of color. I will explore this topic in relation to topics raised by Crenshaw in her "Mapping the Margins…" Some of these to

Three sources here, but I assumed as Crenshaw was a class reading and the third source has a highlighted link I would simply put the film link as the URL.

Gone with the Wind, 1939, Victor Fleming, dir. Dox, Donnalee. 1996. "Constructions of Rape: Two American Musicals." Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 17: 210-238. Retrieved April 12 2010. (http://www.jstor.org/stable.3346888). I felt it was important that I use Gone with the Wind in my paper, as it is one of the most highly cited films in relation to my topic (rape in film). The most cited aspect of the film is found within the scene in which Rhett Butler carries an angry and reluctant Scarlett O'Hara up the expansive staircase to her bedroom. The next scene the audience is shown is Scarlett awakening the morning after, seemingly happy. Many critics take issue with these scenes as they seem to promote the ideal that no means yes. Donnalee Dox touches on this idea in the opening to her article, "Constructions of Rape…" Dox mentions others, such as Tom Kuntz and Christina Hoff Sommers, who also debate over the subliminal messages found within these specific clips from the film. Dox notes the taboos in addressing this film as "many women continue to enjoy the sight of Rhett Butler carrying Scarlett O'Hara up the stairs in a fate undreamt of in feminist philosophy." If many women still enjoy this scene, it makes it difficult for other (perhaps more feministic) women to condemn this scene as a bad representation of rape and women. This article is helpful in addressing the multiple perspectives on reading rape in film, and will be useful in challenging my own thoughts regarding rape and film.

Two sources here... but I assumed the JSTOR would be more important to add as the URL.

The Accused, 1988, Jonathan Kaplan, dir. I am using this film to illustrate the use of rape and its consequences as depicted in film. This film is unique as it shows rape in a non-normative light, differing from how rape is typically depicted within film. Rather than from the perspective majorly of men, this film shows rape through the eyes of the victim and the defender, both women. However, ultimately (as Projansky predicts), it is a man who (in all honesty unrealistically) "saves the day," and the honor of the victim (played by Jodi Foster). While this film is innovative in its brutal truth about rape and all that it entails (physical harm, emotional/mental harm, economic harm, and the difficulty of court trials), it is also in a sense, a fairy tale for raped women - certain aspects of the film, such as the conclusion, depict a more optimistic world. Still, this film has many positive qualities in exhibiting topics in relation to rape, such as the instilled patriarchic views within court and government systems, and among fraternities of men. I would not say that this film desensitizes rape, but rather that it magnifies the horrors of rape; however, this perception could differ between men and women. These are some of the topics I will explore of rape and its consequences as portrayed through this film and its relation to viewers and what they do with such images and information.

Projansky, Sarah. Autumn, 2001. "The Elusive/Ubiquitous Representation of Rape: A Historical Survey of Rape in U.S. Film, 1903 - 1972. Cinema Journal 41: 63 - 90. This article was a wonderful article for me to begin my research with because it led me into many of the topics I wish to discuss within my research paper. In fact, the article was a main instigator in my changing my research topic solely to film and its relation to rape, rather than film and pornography and their relation to rape. This article argues "that rape is a central theme in American cinema… [That] not a year has gone by since the beginning of cinema when rape, attempted rape, or other forms of sexual violence were not represented or alluded to in films" (63). Many of the topics that surface throughout this article will be key in explaining my own film selections and how they promote patriarchic ideals, the submission of women, and the desensitization of rape that film presents historically and globally to its viewers. Topics I will touch upon include Production Code regulations (from the beginning of film to present), rape in relation to women's vulnerability, independence and the family, rape in relation to economic and social class ambivalence, and finally, rape in relation to race. All these subtopics arise in differing aspects of each film I have chosen to consider in relation to my research topic. Overall, this article is the perfect push I needed to get my research started, and it will continue to be valuable as the holder of the bedrock ideas and topics I wish to present within my paper.

Horeck, Tanya. 2004. Public Rape: Representing Violation in Fiction and Film. New York, New York: Routledge. This is important for all the above reasons listed in source 11, however this book is not as expansive in information as Projansky's book. Still, this book is more advantageous in supplying me with more information about the film The Accused, relating an entire section to this subject. The first part (of three) deals with the ideas of fantasy and origin stories of rape. This chapter deals precisely with the issue of where one can draw the line between fantasy and reality - key to my research paper. This book is very interesting in its dealing with this topic. It is one of the first to actually mention how exactly all this perhaps originated. Again, this book will be very useful as a grounding reference to my paper with its broad yet concise discussion of rape in film.

Projansky, Sarah. 1995. Watching Rape: Film and Television in Postfeminist Culture. New York: New York University Press. This book is very useful in further legitimizing and supporting many of the points I wish to make throughout this paper. What I found valuable and helpful was the film index in the back of the book. I can easily find most of what I need from this film index, and this book discusses two of the likely three films that I will use throughout this paper. This book is also important in my research because it discusses the often neglected issue of race, specifically that of black women, in film rape. This will be key in my critique of the usage or neglect of race within the film Showgirls. Also, this book does a thorough job in explaining key terms in relation to my paper (such as postfeminism), therefore I better understand and can look at much more within each film. Overall, this is the perfect book to turn to for most any question I could have in relation to my paper.

I wanted to bookmark the recap because this latest episode of Criminal Minds involves so many elements of the articles we have read, as well as the class discussions. It's about a white male police officer at the Texas border who was killing illegal immigrants who were trying to cross into the US. The female sheriff was doing her best to end the murders but wasn't getting any cooperation from her deputies or the government. She ends up getting killed by the police officer because she was getting too close to solving the crimes. The deputies in the town kept wasting time by trying to pin the murders on a local gang instead of trying to find the actual murderer. Throughout the episode there was talk about how things like this are allowed to happen with little action taken by the government, which coincides with many of the articles that we have read. There was also an illegal immigrant woman who was separated from her family by the person who was helping them get across the border and he raped her, which is what the border rape article was all about.

This is absolutely a crazy article. The author goes into how colleges and universities are being taken over by women and are becoming unsafe for men, as they will most likely be accused of rape. The author then takes a stab at feminism by saying that schools are being taken over by feminists, which is ruining the system.

I would like to preface this by saying that I love James Brown and respect him as the Godfather of Soul and appreciate his work not only for it in itself, but for all of the artists whose work he influenced. I am glad that Christina Aguilera took the effort to honor him at the 2007 Grammy's, but am not sure why she picked "Its a Mans World" as the song to sing in his remembrance. I can admit that I like the song, but not the lyrics. I feel that this song is pertinent to our class because it shows that patriarchy is still the driving force behind our society. James Brown has produced so much work worthy of remembering, but this particular song makes me uncomfortable. It shouldn't be just a man's world, but everyone's world. I'm glad that he decided "it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl," but I just don't think that is the right approach. I had a difficult time choosing between this song and Respect by Aretha Franklin because they are both great, but then I found Christina's version and thought it was worth mentioning.

I must admit as well that I love this song and Christina Aguilera. With that being said, this song title captures the essence of our patriarchal society. James Brown was a brilliant musician and to be a true artist, you must observe the world you live and and deliver your emotional response. He did this by acknowleging the reality that we live in a society of male privilege. I would also like to add that this clip is another example of how the media helps to perpetuate our beliefs about women and is a tool to keep women subordinate to men.

Men Can Stop Rape is an organization dedicated toward mobilizing the male youth to speak out against violence against women. The website advocates males to come together and work alongside women in order to promote healthy relationships and gender equality. Men Can Stop Rape provides a variety of solutions for men and ways to become involved such as through attending events, trainings, and presentations.

This is a great website because its main focus is to educate men and prevent violence against women. I found the "Strength campaign" to be very interesting because it is a campaign that can be implemented within many organizations. As I was reading through their campaign adds I noticed how they used the phrase, "Our Strength is Not for Hurting" which is used to show men that strength those not mean violence.

I'm an absolute advocate for men to speak out against violence towards women. I believe it is critical that men become allies for this cause because essentially men can influence male culture more than women can. If men begin to condemn violence towards women than the passive notion amongst men can change to one of proactive means. Men are also influential for younger males and may often be mimicked by these younger males, so if you practice what you preach it can really make a difference.

These advertisements portray a particular type of woman. I found that while a few are directly related to violence against women, all of them are working to perpetuate a male dominated society and an unattainable body image for most women. I'd like to note that there is a link on the left side of the page that brings you to positive ads.

While I was browsing the website, I couldn't help but think of the add we looked at in class about the shoes. Although the adds did not scream femicide I found them very similar. I understand media plays a major role in the oppression of women but I feel like the root of the problem is not the media and it is capitalism, which is a much larger picture. These adds are appealing to the majority of people and are succeeding though harmful and violent messages. I believe changing adds will help in challenging people's perception of women (I appreciated the positive adds!) but at the same time this is merely one problem and we must look at the larger picture of why this issue is happening and go to the root of the cause.

I definitely find this critically important. It reminds me of Dove's campaigns to highlight the abuse of women in advertisement. However no matter how many advocacy groups petition against this type of advertisement, we're still bombarded with these images of perfection, slenderness, sexuality and consumption. My continuous fear regards young teens and preteens who are beginning their "growing pain" period and have to stress about having "skinny hair" whatever that means. It's insane because if women our age are still highly susceptible to this form of advertisement, than imagine young girls. It's a really scary thing to think about. I just want to know how we can stop it.

This site is about domestic violence perpetrated by police officers. I thought this site was interesting because it deals with a subset of domestic violence that is not always on the top of the discussion list. It talks about the added problems that victims have when their abuser is a cop who has been trained to be the authority figure.

I agree that this site is interesting and worth noting because it does happen and when it does, there is practically nothing a civilian victim can do against a government paid law enforcement officer. It was difficult for me to read because it reminded me of a classmate I had in high school who had been physically abused by his father who was a judge. His story was particularly difficult for me to understand because he had volunteered all of this information about his horrible home life without warning. It was also interesting to me because he had decided to leave his house to live with his grandmother, which is actually how we started carpooling. He was a year older than I, but he has a younger brother in my year who stayed at home with his parents. I never knew how to act around him knowing what I did even though he hadn't told me. The boy in my year must have had a crush on one of my best friends and had a poor way of showing it, which I think was partly due to his violent family dynamic. My girlfriend still tells me about how he stalked her and still calls and sends her odd and unwelcome messages.

I also agree that this site is very interesting. Not only does it expose a flaw of prosecuting domestic violence in our legal system, but also shows how traditional "masculine" roles influence domestic violence. I like that the author shows how police culture, which conforms to many stereotypes about masculinity, works to increase rates and intensity of domestic violence, rather than only looking at problems with the individual abusers. The only thing I didn't like about this article was that I felt it down played the difficulties that women who have not been abused by officers face. The beginning of the article made it seem as if there was a wide network of support and help for victims of domestic violence within the legal system, which is not typically the case.

I came across this while searching for ant-domestic violence campaigns and couldn't resist posting it... This is an article on a Danish anti domestic violence PSA, which apparently asks you to virtually beat a woman and then calls you an idiot and presents facts about domestic violence at the end. I personally do not think that this is an effective way to prevent domestic violence, as it would seem to desensitize people to it, but not all commentators agreed, and some that I read felt that this was a good strategy because it was edgy and attention grabbing, and would make people notice this issue. Other peoples thoughts?

I think this game is just as sick as the other game that we saw in the CNN article. I would love to know who came up with the game's design to see why they chose to use "pussy" and "gansta" to describe the type of man you could be, and why they thought this would stop violence rather than increase it. I think the creators are making these actions seem normal by putting the female character in a situation that could happen so frequently and by making the male respond to it with violence. Like we've been talking about in class, it seems like the game is only going to increase the amount of violence against women rather than stopping it.

What this anti-violence campaign is doing is making light of violence against women. Although the reason why it was created was to make people aware of violence against women, in fact I believe it is doing the opposite of what they intended. The campaign was created to shock people and to catch their attention in order to bring a focus on violence against women. I'm curious to hear about what others think and whether they believe this example of activism works in certain contexts. My question is, did this campaign work in Denmark? Was it effective???

This might seem an odd choice but I decided to post this because I found it to be incredibly moving and emotional. Although it does not explicitly deal with violence against women, it is about war in the Ukraine and violence against all people (men, women, and children). Women do play a key role in the sand art though: mothers being abandoned by their soldier husbands, left to fend for themselves and their children, women growing old without knowledge of family and lovers who died, etc. This violence towards women seems to be more symbolic and emotional, rather than strictly physical. Relates to past readings like Bourdieu, Das, and perhaps Enloe.

I am really glad that you chose to bookmark this video. I remembered you showing it to me a while ago and liking it, but watching again just now from a different angle, I feel as though I can see much more. This woman is obviously harboring some intense grief, whether it be just hers or that of her country as well. I love the way she used this form of artistic expression, coupled with emotion provoking music, because it told her history from a couple sitting comfortably on a street bench to a mother and child alienated from perhaps the same male figure on the other side of a window. This production obviously made a impact on the audience who most likely share her history of war, destruction, tears, violence, alienation, hopelessness, etc. Thank you for finding this.