Feminism is for Everyone
a celebration of feminism at the university of virginia
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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:
- The incidence of rape varies cross-culturally
- 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.
(32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
This is the interesting article that Professor Bridges was discussing at last night’s meeting!
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Photo reblogged from new wave feminism
don’t forget to craft some cool posters for the Take Back The Night rally (5-7 pm) and march (7-8 pm) on Thursday night!
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Indiana Rep. Eric Turner wants to make sure to avoid the “loophole” of women pretending to be victims of rape/incest in order to obtain free abortions.
Luckily Rep. Linda Lawson responds perfectly to how disgusting this is.
(Source: thinkprogress.org)
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1) Republicans not only want to reduce women’s access to abortion care, they’re actually trying to redefine rape. After a major backlash, they promised to stop. But they haven’t yet. Shocker.
2) A state legislator in Georgia wants to change the legal term for victims of rape, stalking, and domestic violence to “accuser.” But victims of other less gendered crimes, like burglary, would remain “victims.”
3) In South Dakota, Republicans proposed a bill that couldmake it legal to murder a doctor who provides abortion care. (Yep, for real.)
4) Republicans want to cut nearly a billion dollars of food and other aid to low-income pregnant women, mothers, babies, and kids.
5) In Congress, Republicans have a bill that would let hospitals allow a woman to die rather than perform an abortion necessary to save her life.
6) Maryland Republicans ended all county money for a low-income kids’ preschool program. Why? No need, they said.Women should really be home with the kids, not out working.
7) And at the federal level, Republicans want to cut that same program, Head Start, by $1 billion. That means over 200,000 kids could lose their spots in preschool.
8) Two-thirds of the elderly poor are women, and Republicans are taking aim at them too. A spending bill wouldcut funding for employment services, meals, and housing for senior citizens.
9) Congress just voted for a Republican amendment to cut all federal funding from Planned Parenthood health centers, one of the most trusted providers of basic health care and family planning in our country.
10) And if that wasn’t enough, Republicans are pushing toeliminate all funds for the only federal family planning program. (For humans. But Republican Dan Burton has a bill to provide contraception for wild horses. You can’t make this stuff up).
Sources:
1. “‘Forcible Rape’ Language Remains In Bill To Restrict Abortion Funding,” The Huffington Post, February 9, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206084
“Extreme Abortion Coverage Ban Introduced,” Center for American Progress, January 20, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205961
2. “Georgia State Lawmaker Seeks To Redefine Rape Victims As ‘Accusers,’” The Huffington Post, February 4, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206007
3. “South Dakota bill would legalize killing abortion doctors,” Salon, February 15, 2011
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/02/15/south_dakota_abortion_killing_bill
4. “House GOP Proposes Cuts to Scores of Sacred Cows,” National Journal, February 9, 2011
http://nationaljournal.com/house-gop-proposes-cuts-to-scores-of-sacred-cows-20110209
5. “New GOP Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Let Women Die Instead Of Having An Abortion,” Talking Points Memo, February 4, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205974
6. “Republican Officials Cut Head Start Funding, Saying Women Should be Married and Home with Kids,” Think Progress, February 16, 2011
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/16/gop-women-kids/
7. “Bye Bye, Big Bird. Hello, E. Coli,” The New Republic, Feburary 12, 2011
http://www.tnr.com/blog/83387/house-republican-spending-cuts-pell-education-usda-pbs
8. “House GOP spending cuts will devastate women, families and economy,” The Hill, February 16, 2011
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/144585-house-gop-spending-cuts-will-devastate-women-families-and-economy-
9. “House passes measure stripping Planned Parenthood funding,” MSNBC, February 18,2011
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/18/6080756-house-passes-measure-stripping-planned-parenthood-funding
“GOP Spending Plan: X-ing Out Title X Family Planning Funds,” Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2011
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/02/09/gop-spending-plan-x-ing-out-title-x-family-planning-funds/
10. Ibid.
“Birth Control for Horses, Not for Women,” Blog for Choice, February 17, 2011
http://www.blogforchoice.com/archives/2011/02/birth-control-f.html(Source: pol.moveon.org)
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One of the classic attacks on today’s third wave feminism is that it fails to really accomplish anything. False. The latest developments surrounding the “No Taxpayer For Abortion” Act would prove otherwise.
The lowdown: Historically, there have always been exceptions made to federal funding for abortions in cases of rape and incest. In January, House Republican Chris Smith proposed a bill limiting federal funding for abortion containing specific provisions to limit federal funding for abortions strictly to cases of “forcible rape.” The implications of such language (i.e. giving lawmakers the ability to decide whether or not a woman fought back hard enough to be considered a rape victim) caused widespread outrage, culminating in multiple petitions from MoveOn.org and EMILY’s List, a twitter campaign, and widespread outcry among editorial columnists.
One particular facebook campaign poignantly states:
“bruises and broken bones do not define rape, a lack of consent does.”
and provides this visual to give an idea of some of the bill’s sponsors:
The Result: As of yesterday, the House GOP caved under the pressure of the public backlash and has been forced to remove the “forcible rape” provision from the Smith Bill. The moral of the story here is that your activism can make a difference, even if it’s only at a grassroots level. If you feel strongly about something as a feminist, a patient, a taxpayer, a consumer, etc. — do something about it!
FEMINISM FTW.
