As is made apparent by Susan Brownmiller and Kimberle Crenshaw, we are currently living in a culture that allows for and even endorses violence against females. Perhaps due to the economic disparities that exist between men and women today, females often remain attached to abusive males for financial security. Crenshaw illustrates that women of color, Latina women, and female immigrants especially, are often trapped in this cage of abuse due to poverty or language barriers. However, it has been found that almost all women, no matter what cultural identity or economic background, have experienced some form of violence/ harassment in their lives. Brownmiller illustrates that our socially constructed conception of sexual relations in today’s society fully perpetuates patriarchy and male physical dominance over women. With the example of rape, Brownmiller explains that this act further brings about male control of society because the threat of violence instills fear in women, making them call on men for protection. This vicious cycle allows rape to be used as a tool of intimidation for all women, thus making it a crime and a feminist issue.
One way in which our society endorses violence against females is the media. Many films and television shows openly portray harassment against females that goes unpunished and that is openly tolerated. Moreover, as we have discussed in class, the porn industry openly endorses violence against females that instills a patriarchal mindset in male viewers. As Brownmiller discusses, this widespread mindset enables men to hold a philosophy that secretly all women enjoy being domineered, and thus all women want to be raped.
I often witness this violent and problematic attitude on Colgate’s campus, a supposed elite and prestigious institution, filled with our country’s future leaders. The hook-up culture here fully promotes female subordination and exploitation. Many males on campus believe that if a girl acts a certain way while intoxicated, she is “asking” to be aggressed. Even in the jug I often witness solely females inhabiting the dance-floor while males survey this crowd of women, attempting to locate its weakest targets. Even though the hook-up culture on campus can be highly problematic regarding female mistreatment, throughout my years here, I have seen visible attempts to evolve from this patriarchal system of sexual relations. A few years ago there were numerous signs on bathroom doors exposing true stories of female sexual harassment on campus, making this issue real and relatable for all. Moreover, with events such as the “Yes Means Yes” seminar, and “No Excuse for Abuse” campaign on campus, as a student body, we are definitely taking steps to rid our generation of a toxic attitude regarding violence against females. Overall, while these events serve as a great starting point, much larger strides should be taken to expedite a general shift in attitude toward female violence and exploitation on campus and throughout the world.
Zoe makes good observations and connects the reading pretty accurately to a stereotypical social scene at Colgate. I think Zoe’s perception of progress on campus could, unfortunately, be a reflection of her status as an upperclassman. I think it is the general trend at Colgate, and in college more generally, to move away from the places (like the jug) that facilitate such degrading behavior. More time at the university also breeds more familiarity with programs like “yes means yes” and “no excuse for abuse.” But I would venture to guess that first-year participation in these programs is low by comparison. Basically, we have to ask the question: are these programs and efforts, which are very good things, reaching the people that are most affected by the unhealthy sexual climate in this area? If they are not, we need to find new ways to target these awareness efforts toward the people that would most benefit from the knowledge they provide.
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