Discourses of danger: the construction of gender through talk about violence

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997Women report far more fear of violence than do men; however, crime statistics show that men are victimized more frequently than women. Explanations proposed for this paradox include the underreporting of violence against women, women's fear of rape, the effects of sexual harassment, and media sensationalization of violence against women. I argue that in addition to these factors, everyday conversations construct particular meanings of gender that sustain women's heightened fear of violence, as well as men's relative lack of fear in the face of substantially higher risk. I use survey data and transcripts of focus group discussions to address three questions. First, what is the social organization of fear and vulnerability? In other words, who is fearful, of what, in what situations, and with what effects? Second, are cultural conceptions of vulnerability and danger linked to particular social groups? Finally, how are these meanings constructed, transmitted, maintained, and transformed? I find that in general, women report being more afraid, perceive themselves to be more at risk, and have less confidence in their ability to defend themselves than do men. This gender difference tends to be greatest for those strategies that most limit one's normal life activities. Other less privileged groups (those with less education, lower incomes, and those in the youngest and oldest age categories) are also more likely to practice highly limiting strategies. On the conceptual level, analysis of the focus group transcripts demonstrates that women are consistently associated with vulnerability and men with invulnerability. Moreover, men are associated with potential danger, while women are believed not to be threatening to others. In both cases, gender interacts with other social statuses, including race, class, age, and sexual orientation. Finally, I identify five discursive strategies that are used to construct these conceptual associations between gender, vulnerability and dangerousness: story-telling, warnings, offers of and requests for protection, teaching and learning danger management strategies, and collective strategizing. I also note, however, that these tools can be used to challenge dominant conceptualizations of gender as well as to reinforce them

Unsettling Gender

L’Empowerment self-defense (ESD) ou empowerment par l’auto-défense, en plus d’aider les femmes et les filles à résister à la violence, peut produire des transformations profondes dans la vie quotidienne des étudiantes. M’appuyant sur des données d’enquêtes, issues d’entretiens approfondis et d’observations participantes, je montre que la formation à l’ESD modifie trois types d’attentes liées au genre : celles concernant ce que les femmes et les hommes devraient être (caractère genré) ; celles concernant la manière dont elles et ils devraient ressentir les choses (émotions genrées) ; ainsi que celles portant sur la manière dont elles et ils devraient se comporter (comportement genré). Ensemble, ces nouvelles attentes modifient les processus de responsabilisation et génèrent de nouveaux processus d’interaction. Ces derniers sont perceptibles dans les descriptions par les participantes de leurs expériences après avoir suivi un cours d’ESD, ainsi que dans leurs réévaluations a posteriori de leurs expériences précédant le cours. L’analyse permet de rendre compte de la façon dont les changements chez les individus peuvent se répercuter vers l’extérieur, déstabilisant ainsi le contexte interactionnel plus vaste.In addition to helping women and girls resist violence, empowerment self-defense (ESD) training can produce profound transformations in students’ everyday lives. Drawing on data from surveys, in-depth interviews, and participant observation, I show that ESD training changes three types of gender expectations: expectations for what women and men are and should be like (gendered character), how they should feel (gendered emotion), and how they should behave (gendered behavior). Together, these new expectations change accountability processes and facilitate new patterns of interaction, visible in participants’ descriptions of their experiences subsequent to taking an ESD class, as well as their reevaluations of their experiences before the class. This analysis provides evidence for how changes in individuals may ripple outward to unsettle the larger interactional context

Integrating Sexual Assault Resistance, Bystander, and Men’s Social Norms Strategies to Prevent Sexual Violence on College Campuses: A Call to Action

© The Author(s) 2018. Sexual assault prevention on college campuses often includes programming directed at men, women, and all students as potential bystanders. Problematically, specific types of sexual assault prevention are often implemented on campuses in isolation, and sexual assault risk reduction and resistance education programs for women are rarely integrated with other approaches. With increasing focus on the problem of sexual assault on college campuses, it is timely to envision a comprehensive and interconnected prevention approach. Implementing comprehensive prevention packages that draw upon the strengths of existing approaches is necessary to move toward the common goal of making college campuses safer for all students. Toward this goal, this commentary unpacks the models and mechanisms on which current college sexual assault prevention strategies are based with the goal of examining the ways that they can better intersect. The authors conclude with suggestions for envisioning a more synthesized approach to campus sexual assault prevention, which includes integrated administration of programs for women, men, and all students as potential bystanders on college campuses