Understanding and Stopping Violence Against Women

I use this entry from encyclopedia.com only to reference historical content on the Tailhook Scandal of 1991. This incident is an example of the United States military's mal-treatment and rape of female soldiers. This coincides with my topic on female soldiers involvement in armed forced.

This article by Sheila Jeffreys discusses female soldiers involvement with the military. She argues that they are in a double jeopardy of being symbolically objectified and physically abused. This article helps my discussion on the political acts of violence against women through an analysis of the United States military and their treatment of women. This is one of the topics I address in my paper and have used many quotes to support my argument

Nordstrom, C. & Robben, A.C.G.M. 1995. Fieldwork Under Fire: Contemporary Studies of Violence and Survival." The University of California Press. "Fieldwork Under Fire: Contemporary Studies of Violence and Survival" is a collection of anthropologists first hand experiences with political violence. The essays first describe the actual experience of violence, the social and political issues that come with the violence, and the strategies individuals use to carry on with their lives in the most positive way they are able to. In particular I will use two essays; "War on the Front Lines" by Carolyn Nordstrom, and "The Croatian War Experience" by Maria B. Olujic. Both of these essays address my main topic of interest which is rape as a weapon of war. In particular they address the social implications women face after being raped. These essays will help me because they not only describe the political affair on a large scale but they get inside an even deeper problem which is gender relations and male dominance in families. These essays will help to develop my thinking on the issue and put together the pieces of this vicious cycle.

This article is useful to the development of my research because of its currency and differentiation from the books I have already bookmarked. This article's highlights are: women and girls as young as four are raped on a daily basis, 100 percent of women in camps are reported as facing gender-based abuse, and the Sudanese government dismissing or denying rape as violence in Darfur. This article will help me look at the issue from a different standpoint as the books I am using come from the voice of anthropologists where this is the voice of a new reporter--something much different and more literal or scientific. Here, the reference to culture is taken out and we are able to look at the issue objectively.

Enloe, Cynthia. 2004. "Maneuvers: The International Politics of Militarizing Women's Lives" The University of California Press. "Maneuvers: The International Politics of Militarizing Women's Lives" by Cynthia Enloe discusses the the extent to which states' militaries have relied on women in order to conduct unethical military operations like war rape and sustain a political legitimacy. In particular I will be using the chapters, "The Laundress, The Soldier, and the State" which discusses the beginning acts of political violence against women, in particular the concept of camp following and the chapter "When Soldiers Rape" which contains a literal discussion of soldiers use of rape as a weapon of war. These articles will help enhance my understanding of the political acts of violence against women, how they started, escalated, and how the military gets away with them.

This article investigates the intersection of gender, sexuality and violence in regards to 2nd generation mainland Puerto Rican Youth. The authors argue that as a result of negative behaviors and language, the youth perpetuate cycles of violence through the use of gendered based language.

This article is interesting because it is a study that compares the rate of IPV among Latinos and non-Latinos. It is interesting however because it delves into the impact of aproval of IPV as a result of cultural and alcohol related influences.

This article investigates the experience of low-income Hispanic women in terms of their risk of intimate partner violence. The authors argue that because African American women and Hispanic women tend to be over represented in the low-income strata, their economic status affects the type and duration of abuse they may be susceptible.

This report combines quantitative measurements during the civil war of the number of people killed, the types of violence commited and other factors with historical information on how institutionalized violence was perpertuated during the civil war in Guatemala. It is useful to my research because it provides quantitative results on which I can support my arguments.

This source is very relevant to the aftermath of the civil war section of my research paper. It focuses on the effects of the civil war on Mayan women in the highlands of Guatemala.

This essay focuses on how the violence in Guatemala has become to be understood as a " cultural fact". The author explores how the naturalization of political violence intro cultural violence was produced and how it was patterned.The author explores this through the exploration of the period of " La Violencia" where descriptions and public displays of cadavers and public assasinations were portrayed in newspapers.Through media the goverment was sucessfull in the creation of generalized fear.

This source is very valuable for my research because it is a report that attempts to recover the historic memories during the civil war in Guatemala. This volume explores the different impacts of political and sponsored state terrorism on the different social sectors of Guatemala. It discusses how the state respressed any form of sympathy or indentification with the guerilla movement. Moreover, it also focuses on violence against women during this period and especially the objectives and effects of raping women in public. This source also discusses how rape was used as a tool to communicate social and political messages and to dehumanize indigenous communities. The report also discusses the social roles through which women responded and resisted this type of violence.

This source explores the ways in which state sponsored terrorism during the civil war in Guatemala was sustained. It discusses the nature of the torture and masacres during this time. It describes the way in which soldiers were trained to masacre and rape victims and how they were mentally and physically trained to do so. This source also discusses the different goverment's sectors that participated and collaborated with the state's sponsored terrorsm.

This essay is useful in my research paper because it discusses the economical and ideological factors that led to the civil war in Guatemala. It discusses the role of the U.S in the movement as well.

This report is by the Comisón Para el Escalarecimiento Historico ( CEH) and it is a very valuable source for my research. It provides a historical framework of the causes of Guatemala's civil war and also information on the different ways that violence was systematized in Guatemala. This report also focuses on the violations of human rights that were comitted during this period and it focuses on the effects and causes of violence against women ( especifically rape ), which I am intrested in.

Miller, Barbara D. 2001. "Female-Selective Abortion in Asia: Patterns, Policies, and Debates." American Anthropologist. 102(4): 1083-1095. This article discusses aspects of Asian culture that support son preference, the leading cause for sex-selective abortion and female infanticide. It is important to understand a culture's belief system in order to make sense of their communal actions. Miller, by her use of cultural anthropology, has helped me better understand not only Asian culture, but the global context to explain prenatal gender discrimination.

Oomman, Nandini, and Bela R. Ganatra. 2002. "Sex Selection: The Systematic Elimination of Girls." Reproductive Health Matters.10(19): 184-8. I found that this article applied to my research on an ethical level. There is agreement that there needs to be an improved status for women and girls, which will hopefully and eventually diminish the insistence on sex selection. This article answers the questions: Is sex selection a part of a women's right to free choice? Role of medical profession? Are all manifestations of sex selection equally unethical? Solutions? Do solutions pose new ethical dilemmas? Gender-based preference for pregnancy, why sex selection should be available as a form of reproductive choice, empowering for women? (This was published in the issue titled, "Abortion: Women Decide.")

These authors look at first hand accounts from survivors and look at the added public costs to society from human trafficking. They talk about problem areas when it comes to stopping trafficking and how the US cities are becoming the largest destinations for trafficked women.

Hirve, Siddhivinayak S. 2004. "Abortion Law, Policy and Services in India: A Critical Review" Reproductive Health Matters. 12(24): 114-121. Abortion Law, Policy and Practice in Transition This article focuses on the history of law and policy regarding abortion in India since the 1960's as well as the amendments created in 2002 and 2003. Siddhivinayak comments on propositions and problems that have arisen, some that have been solved, and others that have not. He also discusses items he believes needs to be improved upon for women to have better access to safe abortion/medical care. (It was published in the issue titled, "Abortion Law, Policy and Practice in Transition.")

George, Sabu M. 1997. "Female Infanticide in Tamil Nadu, India: From Recognition Back to Denial?" Reproductive Health Matters. 5(10): 124-132. This article was published in the issue titled, "The International Women's Health Movement," which I found very helpful in aiding my understanding of female infanticide. It offers a different perspective on the relatively recent phenomenon of female infanticide and discusses the circumstances that led to its entrance into the political sphere as well as critiquing programs such as the 'Girl Child Protection Scheme' that are intended to stop female infanticide. I found this article very interesting and educational.