Rape and Virtue in the Media

Paper Summary:

In this essay, the writer discusses three different sources regarding the subject of rape and virtue. Women and society are looked at in this article. The writer discusses how rape is viewed in society and the many implicated meanings it has in the minds of both men and women. The writer concludes that the articles discussed in this paper indicate a society that prides itself on its advancement and openness, but that really is still in the Stone Age in many respects.

Outline:
Nongovernmental Organizations, "Grassroots," and the Politics of Virtue.
Toward a New Feminist Theory of Rape
Remapping the Event: Institutional Discourses and the Trauma of Rape

From the Paper:

"The author's research began right after apartheid ended, and so covers a time of "historical transformation" in the country and in women's lives. The author admits there were many changes to the country after apartheid ended, but more importantly, many things did not change, including women's networks and their empowerment of other women.
She notes that women's organizations were included in the new government, which gave women new opportunities to lead. It also gave them opportunities to network on a global scale with other women, and this also opens up many questions. How do women pick and choose who to nurture and support and who not to? Ultimately, at least some of this nurturing is based not on need, but on women's perceptions of those who are "virtuous" or "deserving" and those who are not. They make choices based on women who are "trying to help themselves" rather than women who are needy or seem to "beg" for aid from others. In other words, they may choose to help one grassroots organization that seems to be worthy because it cooperates with others, but also because they meet certain requirements. For example, these women might not help a black, uneducated woman because they feel she is not doing anything to help herself, but they would help a black woman who has enrolled in school to learn English."

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