Sociology of Rape
University of Minnesota Duluth
Group Project

How much is Sex? How much is Power?

type_Document_Title_here "Are sex crimes by nature acts of men unable to control their sexual impulses? Or are they a form of violence, the crudest expression of male dominance and lust for control over women?

"If they are acts of sudden impulsiveness, this suggests that the fault lies with a small number of individuals who commit this animalistic act. The majority of men, who can control their sexual desires, are thus bystanders and have nothing to reassess about themselves. Sex crimes are considered 'idiosyncratic' behavior, occurring only between specified types of men and women, so there is no need to greatly restructure power relations between men and women." This point of view is seen by many feminists as, by design, favorable to males.

To avoid seeing all responsibility pushed onto "a small number of bad guys," feminists often draw attention to structural factors: women made into sex objects in TV ads, the highpriced bargirl culture where businessmen socialize, paternalistic family structures that place higher value on men than women. They point to all the "repressive" behaviors that are a builtin part of daily life, arguing that these are the true roots of rampant sexual criminal behavior."
Laura Li, Sexual Crime:It's Time to Challenge the Myths. http://www.sinanet.com/sinorama/0497/article1/english/1.html.



Look at Laura Li's statement (published in Twian) and discuss the relationship between sex and power/control as it relates to rape. How do you see that relationship? How much is rape about Back up your opinions with information from the readings, or other information you have at your disposal.

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