RESUMO
Background: Universities' responses to sexual violence have faced scrutiny for their lack of proactiveness and their failure to address campus socio-cultural norms that contribute to rape myth acceptance. The labels victim and survivor play a crucial role in shaping attitudes toward sexual violence, but there is limited research on how university students perceive these labels.Objective: This paper explores sexual violence labels and their role in perpetuating rape culture. Undergraduate university students' beliefs on using the label survivor instead of victim to describe someone who has experienced sexual violence were examined to consider how these labels create societal discourse on sexual violence.Method: The study draws on qualitative data collected from undergraduate students in Canada and the United States through open-response questions in an interactive textbook. Data were analysed and interpreted using a multi-method approach that combined principles of Critical Discourse Analysis and Feminist Poststructuralism. Direct quotes and word clouds from participants' responses are used as evidence and to visually display discourse.Results: Findings revealed that participants recognised the negative societal discourses associated with the label victim and supported using survivor to challenge perceptions of sexual violence. Despite this, participants expressed hesitancy to adopt the label survivor because of the potential negative implications, such as the label promoting the allocation of individual blame, increasing barriers to justice, and reducing the perceived severity of sexual violence.Conclusions: This study underscores the complexities of sexual violence labels, the influence of language in shaping societal perceptions, and the need for a more comprehensive and equitable approach to responding to sexual violence.
Dichotomy of Labels and Nuanced Perceptions: Sexual violence labels shape identity perceptions. Participants dichotomised the labels victim and survivor, associating one with negative attributes and the other with positive attributes. However, nuanced views of how people perceive and identify with these labels challenge distinct categories. Victims being negatively perceived, while survivors are admired for their resiliency highlights complexities in societal expectations that may not fully address the underlying determinants of sexual violence.Role of Language in Reproduction of Rape Culture: Poststructuralist theories emphasise the role of language in the production and maintenance of discourse. The study shows that victim discourse is steeped in rape myths. The historical discourse surrounding the label may contribute to the perpetuation of negative attitudes and behaviours toward victims of sexual violence. The emergence of the label survivor reflects a societal shift, but findings suggest this may lead to societal complacency towards sexual violence.Spectrum of Severity and Societal Empathy: Participants' understanding of sexual violence as a spectrum of severity may lead to unequal levels of empathy and support. This discourse creates positions of dominance and oppression, potentially marginalising certain groups who are disproportionately affected by sexual violence. The study highlights how severity discourse can influence institutional agendas and may result in political and institutional neglect of sexual violence.
Assuntos
Delitos Sexuais , Estudantes , Humanos , Canadá , Sobreviventes , UniversidadesRESUMO
Este artigo se propõe a analisar a representação e repercussão do estupro na minissérie brasileira Justiça (2016), produzida e exibida pela Rede Globo e de autoria de Manuela Dias. O artigo discute o papel que a representação tem na construção do imaginário coletivo em relação a esse crime, abordando a noção de cultura do estupro, o modo como o crime de estupro é representado na mídia, bem como os mitos perpetuados pelas abordagens feitas. A presente pesquisa apresenta então três momentos de análise: 1) análise da representação do estupro na série; 2) análise da repercussão de tal representação; 3) análise da presença ou ausência dos chamados mitos da cultura do estupro na trama de Justiça.
This article aims to analyze the representation and repercussion of rape in the Brazilian miniseries Justiça (2016), produced and aired by Rede Globo and written by Manuela Dias. The article discusses the role that representation plays in the construction of the collective imagination concerning this crime, addressing the notion of rape culture, the way this crime is represented in the media, as well as the myths perpetuated by the approaches made. This research then presents three moments of analysis: 1) analysis of the representation of rape in the series; 2) analysis of the repercussion of such representation; 3) analyzes the presence or absence of the so-called myths of the culture of rape in the plot of Justiça.
Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la representación y repercusión de la violación en la miniserie brasileña Justiça (2016), producida y televisada por Rede Globo y escrita por Manuela Dias. El artículo discute el papel que juega la representación en la construcción del imaginario colectivo en relación a este delito, abordando la noción de cultura de la violación, la forma en que el delito de violación es representado en los medios de comunicación, así como los mitos perpetuados por los enfoques adoptados. A continuación, la presente investigación presenta tres momentos de análisis: 1) análisis de la representación de la violación en la serie; 2) análisis de la repercusión de dicha representación; 3) análisis de la presencia o ausencia de los llamados mitos de la cultura de la violación en la trama de Justiça.
