Dissertation Information for Christina TrentNAME:
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SCHOOL: ADVISORS: COMMITTEE MEMBERS: MPACT Status: Fully Complete Title: Forgetting rape: Sexual violence and social justice in America Abstract: In 1975, Susan Brownmiller transformed perceptions of rape with her revolutionary bestseller, Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape . Brownmiller\'s dictum, that rape is oppressive, not sexual, rallied feminists to work for rape law reform. The anti-rape movement achieved some goals, particularly improvement of victim services, but prosecution rates did not increase significantly as rape rates soared. Despite the efforts of Brownmiller and others, rape never quite became accepted as an issue of urgent social justice among progressive activists. Instead, the historical association of charges of rape with racism and lynching has persisted, impacting both activism and public policy. Over the last thirty years, anti-rape activists have found themselves fighting on two fronts: against sexism entrenched in the justice system and against other progressives whose vision of legal reform focuses exclusively on defending the accused. Defense strategies continue to reinforce sexist stereotypes about rape victims, while representations of rape in the media and popular culture continue to pit victims of racism against victims of sexism in socially tragic ways. Susan Brownmiller described this intersection of race and rape as a \"violent crossroads\" in American life. Forgetting Rape is a meditation on some of the ways this \"crossroads\" has impacted the possibility of justice for victims of sex crime. |
MPACT Scores for Christina TrentA = 0 Advisors and Advisees Graph |