Lakehead University Knowledge Commons,http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca Electronic Theses and Dissertations Electronic Theses and Dissertations from 2009 2014-12-05 The culture of rape: examining causes and educating for a rape-free society Beaudrow, Jacob http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/559 Downloaded from Lakehead University, KnowledgeCommons THE CULTURE OF RAPE: EXAMINING CAUSES AND EDUCATING FOR A RAPE-FREE SOCIETY American Girl in Italy, Ruth Orkin, 1951 Jacob Beaudrow A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education. FACULTY OF EDUCATION LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY © 2014 Jacob Beaudrow Trigger Warning: This thesis contains graphic language pertaining to rape and sexual assault i Acknowledgements Two years ago, when I came to Dr. Gerald Walton with a broad idea about the necessity of anti-rape education in the Health and Physical Education curriculum, I did not know if it would be a valid topic, or if he would have any interest in guiding me in the role of Supervisor. And though we ran into our fair share of obstacles along the way, he always managed to offer encouragement when I needed it most and constructive feedback when I needed to hear it. His perspective on not only the thesis process, but on the topic at hand was invaluable. Now, I can say, thanks largely to his enthusiasm and support, I believe this thesis acts as worthwhile step in beginning to explicitly address these issues in the classroom. I cannot thank Gerald enough for his advice and for always having my back. I would also like to thank Dr. Teresa Socha for her important and necessary feedback on my work and for her expertise in the area of Health and Physical Education. Without her, I would not have been able to implement the abstract need for anti-rape education into practice, into the current context of the curriculum documents. As well, Dr. Jan Oakley provided insight and creativity, both as a teacher and as an examiner. In fact, as a student of hers, I was able to explore research and literature related to my thesis and to focus my in-class presentations on topics that would later prove helpful in crafting not only my Literature Review, but my recommendations for improved pedagogical practices for Physical Education teachers. Jan’s innovation and engagement as an educator are inspiring. It is an honour to have Dr. Michael Kimmel offer his perspective on my work, because his own work was so crucial in guiding my personal exploration of what it means to ‘be a man’ in our society, as well as in formulating my thesis. I sincerely appreciate his participation here, and I admire his groundbreaking work on the subject of masculinity and related areas of study. ii Finally, I am, as ever, in debt to the women who first identified and continue to work to address the issues presented in this thesis. I hope I can do my own part to further the aim of ending men’s violence against women and to hold my fellow men accountable for their beliefs as well as their actions in this regard. iii Abstract This thesis explores factors, influences, and causes of rape through social constructivist and feminist lenses, and makes recommendations for improving sex education to address and challenge rape myths and rape culture in general. The ultimate aim is to promote education in order to reduce rape. I review the literature related to rape and rape culture in order to identify factors and influences contributing to rape-supportive beliefs and behaviours in society at large, including the ways in which women’s lives are impacted by the constant threat of rape and how male socialization contributes to and normalizes this threat. Based on discourse and content analyses of online comments on articles related to rape and rape culture, and with reference to Ontario’s most recent Health and Physical Education curriculum documents for grades 9 and 10 (Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, 1999), I make specific recommendations for how to better-educate boys and men about their roles and responsibilities in ending rape and mitigating rape culture. iv The Culture of Rape: Examining Causes and Educating for a Rape-Free Society Table of Contents Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... i Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iv Terminology............................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................... 3 Self-Positioning............................................................................................................ 9 Research Questions and Organization of the Thesis.................................................. 11 Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................................................ 13 Gender Roles ............................................................................................................. 13 Woman-Hating (or “Slut-Shaming”) ......................................................................... 16 Racism ...................................................................................................................... 19 Victim-Blaming ........................................................................................................ 21 Media and Politics .................................................................................................... 23 Humour ..................................................................................................................... 28 Male Socialization .................................................................................................... 30 Jock Culture .............................................................................................................. 32 Coercive Sexuality ..................................................................................................... 35 Education .................................................................................................................. 37 Consent ..................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 3: Methodology and Methods ................................................................................ 43 Methodology .............................................................................................................. 43 Methods ..................................................................................................................... 48 Analysis of Online Comments .................................................................................. 54 Analysis of Curriculum Documents ......................................................................... 60 Chapter 4: Analysis of Online Comments ........................................................................... 63 Overall Themes .......................................................................................................... 72 Anti-Feminism ........................................................................................................... 72 Denial of Gendered Aspect of Violence .................................................................... 77 Rape as a Topic for Humour ...................................................................................... 81 Denial of Rape Culture .............................................................................................. 82 Hostility toward Consent ........................................................................................... 83 Victim-Blaming ......................................................................................................... 86 Rape Threats .............................................................................................................. 91 Rape is Not Violent (and “Non-Violent” Rape Isn’t “Real” Rape ............................ 92 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 98 Chapter 5: Analysis of Curriculum Documents and Implications for Education .......... 100 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 109 References .............................................................................................................................. 111 v Appendix 1: “The Importance of Men Seeing Women as Human Beings” (2013) – Kimberly Burge ............................................................................................................ 132 Appendix 2: “Why Daniel Tosh’s ‘Rape Joke’ at the Laugh Factory Wasn’t Funny” (2012) – Elissa Bassist ...................................................................................................... 135 Appendix 3: “Violence Against Women Is a Men’s Issue” (2011) – Michael Flood ........... 137 Appendix 4: There Is No Great Stigma Attached to Being a Rapist” (2013) – Glosswitch ....................................................................................................................