From criminalization to "rape culture"
Rethinking the politics of sexual violence

Socialism 2014

June 26, 2014
With Jen Roesch

More than 40 years ago, the women’s liberation movement changed the way US society talked about sexual violence—challenging the idea that rape was something perpetrated by strangers in dark alleys and revealing the extent of violence against women. But today, many of the old rape myths have been recycled and sexual assault survivors are routinely victim-blamed. This talk critically examines the process by which this backlash unfolded. It also argues for the need for a political framework beyond those currently on offer for understanding sexual violence and how to fight it.

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