Feminism is for Everyone

Peggy Reeves Sanday examined the incidence, meaning, and function of rape in a cross-cultural sample of 156 tribal societies from the assumption that human sexual behavior, although based in a biological need, is an expression of cultural forces.

Two general hypotheses guided the research:

1. The incidence of rape varies cross-culturally
2. A high incidence of rape is embedded in a distinguishably different cultural configuration than a low incidence of rape.

Data suggest that rape is part of a cultural configuration that includes interpersonal violence, male dominance, and sexual separation. Rape is interpreted as the sexual expression of these forces in societies where the harmony between men and their environment has been severely disrupted.

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This is the interesting article that Professor Bridges was discussing at last night’s meeting!