The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 1

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture

Symone M. Harmon

Global Connections

G. Falls

December 8th, 2017

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 2

Abstract

Sexual assault and abuse is a phenomenon that transcends country borders and cultural

differences. This is due to the world wide prevailing rape culture, which is the normalization of

sexual assault and abuse due to the wide societal acceptance of misogynistic attitudes. Such

attitudes stem from the socialization of men and women into gender roles, forcing them to

conform to the set ideas of masculinity and femininity or face societal scrutiny and ostracism.

Masculinity and femininity encompass the traits commonly tied to biological gender. Masculine

traits are viewed as dominate, while feminine traits are viewed as submissive; this leads to the

common misconception that females are inferior to males. This misconception contributes to the

tacit acceptance of and the excuses made for perpetrators of sexual assault by degrading females

as inferior beings and encouraging males to think that their natural dominance gives them

certain privileges. In partichartical societies, such as the U.S. and India, rape culture is

intertwined with what is considered culturally and socially acceptable. Although the U.S. is

somewhat progressive in terms of gender, it is society's mentality that carries the rape culture

torch and the actions that speak louder than the lies of progress. However, the customs and

culture in India are far beyond the tacit approach of the U.S. Rape culture in India is blatant.

Table of Contents
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 3

Abstract……………………………………………………………...…………………....…...…..2

Table of Contents…………………………………………………...………………….…...……..3

Introduction……………………………………………………………...…………….….......…...4

Limitations of Study…………………………………………………...………………...…....…..5

Literature Review……………………………………………………...…………………....….…6

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………….....…...9

Rape Culture ……………………………………………………………..…………....….9

Gender Socialization……………………………...……………………………....…..….13

Rape Culture in the U.S. and India………………..……………………………....…..…15

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...……........…..22

Appendix A………………………………………………….………………....…………...…....24

Appendix B…………………………………………………………....………………….....…...26

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………...…...27
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 4

Introduction

Harvey Weinstein, Roy Price, James Toback, Jeffrey Tambor, John Lasseter, Roger Ailes,

Roy Moore, Brett Ratner, Mark Halperin, Russell Simmons, Bill O’Reilly, Charlie Rose, Louis

C.K., Matt lauer, Kevin Spacey, Bill Cosby, President Donald Trump. These men are just the tip

of the iceberg. This list contains just a few of the celebrities and politicians accused by multiple,

some more than a hundred, women of sexual assault and harassment. This list excludes the

millions of John Does guilty of the same transgressions who live in our communities and work

with us each day. It is known that in history women were not seen as equals to men, therefore,

considered lesser. Women were supposed to have eyes yet no brain, ears yet no mouth, two hands

yet only enough of a heart to love her husband first, son second, and daughter last.

Historically, the only purpose of having a wife was to have a servant behind the man of

the house, behind the door of his bedroom, and to bear his children. In some developing

countries, this history continues into the present. Regardless of the fact that in many developed

countries, progress has allowed women to speak with not only their brains but their hearts,

women around the world continue to be devalued and objectified, and therefore, women

experience unpunished sexual assault by men. Society’s subconscious acceptance of sexual

assault plays a major role in rape culture. Moreover, this reinforces the belief society has yet to

leave in the past that women are inferior to men and must accept such cultural subordination.

Unfortunately, this view has led to a perpetuation of sexual injustices. This will not change

because society restricts growth beyond the blaming of victims and promotion of sexual assault

by forcing men and women into their respective gender roles that teach contrasting lessons of

masculinity versus femininity, which is ultimately why rape culture continues.

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 5

To many, rape culture is a foreign concept, and the rejection of its existence is a common

initial reaction. Of those who do acknowledge its existence, there are some who remain myopic

to their intimate relationship with rape culture; they are able to accept its role in foreign

countries, but quick to deny its role in their own. In developing countries such as India, the

disproportionate and unreasonable gender expectations are blatantly accepted by the majority.

The heavily patriarchal structure in India, for example, has understandably prompted the

participation in rape culture. In other developed countries, such as the United States, patriarchy is

masked by false gender equality and talk of change in gender expectations. Although the U.S. is

a progressive country, rape culture remains embedded in everyday life. Sadly, the primitive

nature of rape culture has reached beyond the boundaries of country lines, economic status, and

demographics.

Limitations of Study

While rape culture is present in most corners of the world, the author chose to center the

paper around the United States and India. Opposers to the existence of rape culture may believe

that the concentration on only two cultures negates the claim that rape culture is present around

the world, but as the author previously stated the focus on the U.S. and India proves that such an

issue is not biased towards a particular type of culture, economic status, or demographic, as the

two focus countries are vastly different in all of the stated areas. While the research examines the

social structure and beliefs of masculinity versus femininity in the focus countries, the author

chose to stray away from research pertaining to the mental development process of adolescents

within individual households, instead focusing on the broader societal upbringing of its youth.
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 6

Literature Review

The scope of research connecting societal views on masculinity and femininity to the

continuation of rape culture is limited; consequently the support for such a topic lies in the

cultural and societal norms of the focus countries. Jeffrey Hays (2015) outlines the cultural and

societal norms in India that are closely related to Hindu, the dominant religion with 79.8% of

Indians having this religious affiliation. Hays utilizes a series of reliable resources: Library of

Congress, Encyclopedia of Sexuality, Washington Post, National Geographic, etc. Research

shows in India the patrilineal family is one of the basic units of society; in Hinduism grihastha,

which literally translates to family member, is an important stage of life that one must pass

through. The joint family structure in India consists of multiple generations patrilineally living in

a single home and functioning as one. In this form of family structure, the eldest males decide all

family matters. In the family hierarchy, elders are held to the highest regards and treated with the

most respect. Hays continues his case for the lack of gender equality by explaining the

oppressive life women in India live, which Hays connects to the Laws of Manu, the ancient

religious code of conduct in Hinduism. Hays quotes the Laws of Manu, “Women were

considered inept, inconsistent, and sensual and were restrained from learning the Vedic texts or

participating in important social functions. Women were kept in abject subjugation all their

lives,” to show the origins of gender inequality in India.

In Heather Jones’s “The Real Meaning of ‘Fragile Masculinity’,” fragile masculinity is

defined as “The idea that men must constantly prove their masculinity via aggression, violence

or sexual domination [rape culture]. Masculinity is threatened by femininity,” which happens to

be incorrect and actually stands as the definition of toxic masculinity. Jones continues with “...

women have disowned the title of ‘the weaker sex’ – desperately trying to pass the title over to
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 7

their male counterparts in the name of third wave feminism…” In the fields of education, nursery

workers, and other caregiving occupations, women hold 80% of these positions. Attributable to

this fact and the amount of single mothers, Jones surmises that the increasing female influence

and prosperity is the main contributor to the “crisis of masculinity.” Jones inadvertently blames

fragile/toxic masculinity on women. The author chose to use this article as research to act as

evidence of how societal views on masculinity correlates with rape culture.

Continuing with America, the United States Department of Justice website has many

valuable statistics on rape. In the United States, every 98 seconds an American is sexually

assaulted. In the United States 321,500 children and adults are raped per year ranging from ages

12-64, 54% of rape victims are 18-34 years of age. Of the 321,500 reported cases of rape, 90%

are women; 17.7 million American women have been raped since 1998. Of every 1,000 rapes

only 310 are reported, only 57 reports will lead to an arrest, only 11 cases are referred to a

prosecutor, only 7 cases lead to felony conviction; of every 1,000 rapes only 6 rapists will be

incarcerated. Thus leaving 994 rapists unpunished. “Perpetrators of sexual violence are less

likely to go to jail or prison than other criminals.”

Correspondingly, the article “India: More than 34,000 cases of rape reported in 2015,” by

Zena Tahhan, analyzes the rape statistics in India in 2015. In 2015, there were approximately

34,651 cases of rape reported from women as young as six and as old as sixty. Similar to the

United States, the source of the majority of cases reported ranged from 18-30 years of age. There

were also 4,437 attempted rape cases reported. These numbers lack truth to the severity of the

problems in India because “Rape is highly underreported.” The reason for this is that discussing

and reporting sexual assault in India is taboo. This article quotes Kavita Krishnan, secretary of

the All India Progressive Women's Association, stated "The heart of the issue is structures in
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 8

India that continue to restrict women's autonomy, and especially sexual autonomy, are often

justified in the name of culture." Tahhan does acknowledge the progress in India’s parliament; as

of June in 2015 parliament passed a law to install panic buttons, which would alert police of

potential sexual violence, on public buses. Although the Indian parliament shows movement

towards progress, the same could not be said for society; in 2015 there were a total of 327,394

reported crimes against women.

One particular American example documented by CNN is the Brock Turner Stanford

University Case. Turner, the perpetrator, was arrested after brutally raping a female student.

Turner and the victim, who remains anonymous, attended Stanford University. However, Turner

was a promising swim athlete, excelled in academics, and came from a wealthy family; it is for

these reasons, not directly stated by the judge but speculated be CNN, that upon being found

guilty Turner was only sentenced to six months in jail. Similarly, Leslee Udwin, producer and

activist, published an article through BBC News reporting the vicious gang rape of a 23 year old

medical student in Delhi, India. On December 16th, 2012, the victim and her male friend

boarded a bus at 8:30 p.m. and were attacked by six men. The male victim was beaten, and the

medical student was repeatedly raped and sexually violated with an iron object. The internal

injuries the student sustained resulted in her death. The six men were sentenced to death, four of

whom attempted to appeal this sentence.

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 9

Discussion

Rape Culture

Rape culture is a social environment whose prevailing social attitudes have the effect of

normalizing and trivializing sexual assault and abuse (Marshall n.d.). Rape culture has such an

overpowering effect that not only does it seep into a country's separate culture, blurring the lines

between the two, but it leaves many blind to its presence in their daily lives. Marshall University

Women’s Center webpage outlines the tacitly accepted societal views, which are contributing

factors to rape culture:

Blaming the victim (“She asked for it!”)

Trivializing sexual assault (“Boys will be boys!”)
Sexually explicit jokes
Tolerance of sexual harassment
Inflating false rape report statistics
Publicly scrutinizing a victim’s dress, mental state, motives, and history
Gratuitous gendered violence in movies and television
Defining “manhood” as dominant and sexually aggressive
Defining “womanhood” as submissive and sexually passive
Pressure on men to “score”
Pressure on women to not appear “cold”
Assuming only promiscuous women get raped
Assuming that men don’t get raped or that only “weak” men get raped
Refusing to take rape accusations seriously
Teaching women to avoid getting raped instead of teaching men not to rape
(Marshall 2017)

“She asked for it,” a typical response to justify an inappropriate action, using the victim

as a scapegoat; “She asked for it,” meaning the victims of sexual assaults, such as rape, wanted

to be sexually violated; “She asked for it,” a phrase used when a victim’s blood alcohol content

was a .09% instead of .08%, a victim wore a “promiscuous” outfit, or flirted with her attacker

during the time of assault; as if there is an excuse or reasoning that could warrant sexually

violating a human being. When society looks toward the victim(s) of a crime’s conduct for

answers as to why the incident occurred and holds the victim(s) accountable for the actions
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 10

committed against them, this is called victim blaming. “Publicly scrutinizing a victim’s dress,

mental state, motives, and history,” also constitutes victim blaming. When the response to sexual

assault allegations or convictions is to question the character of the victim, not only does this

excuse the behavior of the perpetrator, but it is degrading and dismissive of the victim’s

emotions. These views excuse the socially “appropriate” behavior of sexual harassment

perpetrators, who are statistically more likely to be male, and questions the morality of victims,

who are statistically more likely to be female.

“Sexually explicit jokes,” are seen as harmless, and often referred to as “locker room

talk.” However, this “locker room talk” is a microinequity, a form of harassment that acts as a

gateway offense to more severe actions. To explain, sexual predators and aggressors gather

baseline data on their victims to determine how far the can go without being accountable for their

actions, beginning with sexually explicit jokes, then catcalling, then assertive or “pushy” pursuit,

etc. These predators and aggressors continue to push the line of which they consider appropriate

sexual conduct, which is actually harassment, further back until they reach their own atypical

limit, usually far beyond the limit and comfort of others. A modern day example of the

contribution of sexually explicit jokes to rape culture is when Donald Trump made light of his

inappropriate sexual behavior. At the time of offense, he made sexually explicit comments in a

conversation with Billy Bush, who in 2005 was the co-anchor of the show “Access Hollywood.”

When criticized for his actions, Donald Trump excused the comments as “locker room talk,”

which implies that “boys will be boys” and females must accept their actions. In 2016 before the

start of Trump’s presidency, The New York Times published the complete transcript of Trump’s

explicit conversation,

Trump: Yeah, that’s her. With the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start
kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 11

them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let
you do it. You can do anything.

Bush: Whatever you want.

Trump: Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.

Bush: Uh, yeah, those legs, all I can see is the legs.

Trump: Oh, it looks good.

Bush: Come on shorty.

Trump: Ooh, nice legs, huh?

Bush: Oof, get out of the way, honey. Oh, that’s good legs. Go ahead.

(Transcript 2016)

Donald Trump not only disrespected and belittled his wife, Melania Trump, indirectly with his

words and actions, but belittled, disrespected, and objectified the female gender. In the

conversation Trump stated, “I don’t even wait,” meaning when kissing a female he does not care

for their consent; this is sexual harassment. Trump continued with, “Grab ’em by the pussy,”

which not only shows his lack of care for the sexual consent of a female, but his use of the word

“pussy” is also vulgar and disrespectful. The word “pussy” originates from pusillanimous, which

means showing a lack of courage or determination; timid, and slang for “vagina”. Consequently,

the use of “pussy” to refer to “vagina” indirectly marks females as courageless and submissive

beings. The Donald Trump situation only supports the opinion that he is an ignorant and

misogynistic human being. However, it is a fact that after many voters witnessed this spectacle in

the media, Donald Trump was still elected President of the United States. This does not mean

those who did vote for Trump supported his actions, but this does mean that they accepted his
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 12

actions and subscribed to his excuse that “boys will be boys” and that “locker room talk” is

acceptable, thus proving rape culture does indeed exist and remains prevalent.

Furthermore, the excessive gratuitous gendered violence in movies and television overly

exposes people of all ages to sexual violence, which normalizes rape and sexual assault.

Therefore, when instances of rape are expressed by friends and family, discussed amongst peers,

or reported in the media, the reactions are ones of little shock or care due to this desensitization.

The lack of reaction or care towards instances of sexual assault equals acceptance of such crimes

in society.

The pressure on men to score is the idea that a man’s masculinity is equivalent to the

number of females he conquers, which creates a motive to pursue. The pursuit of sex is the goal,

not necessarily the pursuit of a human partner, which objectifies women. Additionally, the

pressure on women not to appear “cold” makes rejecting unwanted pursuit difficult, thus further

blurring the lines of consent. This pressure also encourages the idea that in order to be attractive,

in a non-sexual way, a woman must be willing to comply with what is wanted by her.

“Make sure you walk with a friend.”

“Don’t wear that. It’s too revealing.”

“Don’t drink a drink that you didn’t handle yourself.”

These are the lessons commonly taught to women on how to keep themselves safe in social

environments, lessons not usually taught to men. One of the most harmful actions that social

institutions commit, which contributes to rape culture, is teaching women to avoid getting raped

instead of teaching men not to rape. This is where the socialization of women believing their

rapes were their own faults, and perpetrators being granted the right to avoid responsibility for

their actions from society, stems from.

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 13

Gender Socialization

Masculinity is the possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men.

Femininity is the possession of qualities traditionally associated with women. In both the United

States and India, masculinity denotes independence, empowerment, aggression, strength, and

dominance, while femininity denotes dependence, disempowerment, nurture, vulnerability,

weakness, and submission. When analyzing these traits, one may not find those tied to femininity

to be desirable due to how societies train its citizens to value certain traits, traits that supposedly

lead to one's prosperity, such as strength and dominance. In many patriarchal societies, such as

the United States and India, the traits associated with masculinity are viewed as superior to that

of femininity. This does not directly mean that societies believe females are inferior to males;

however, “masculine” and “feminine” traits are forcefully tied to the male and female sexes, thus

indirectly reinforcing the outdated belief that males are superior.

In the process of socialization, what behavioral actions are considered “right’ and

“appropriate” for men versus those “right” and “appropriate” for women are constructed based

on the masculine and feminine traits tied to each sex. These gender roles are enforced through

social institutions: various forms of media, religion, education, government, legal, family, etc. A

common misconception is that gender is a reference to one’s biological sex, but gender is defined

as the social and cultural differences between sexes, generally male and female. Commonly, men

and women are socialized into their respective gender roles. Those who do not conform are

criticized, scrutinized, and ostracized by the social institutions who placed them there. For

instance, if a man cries or shows forms of vulnerability or weakness he is called a “bitch”, which
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 14

is also slang for female, or referred to as a female, or when a woman would rather play sports

than shop, she is called a “tomboy” or referred to as being “manly.” This detrimental

stereotyping adds to the set of gender expectations and guarantees adherence.

Moreover, the Social Role Theory states that social structure is the underlying force in

distinguishing genders and that sex-differentiated behavior is driven by the division of labor

between the sexes (Social n.d.). This means that men and women are expected to act according to

the gender roles set by society, with women taking positions of lower status and men taking

positions of higher status. Granted, gender roles are different around the world because culture

varies tremendously around the world due to the varying expectations that different cultures set

for their males and females. Although gender roles vary between countries and cultures, they are

based on society's ideas of masculinity and femininity, which in patriarchal societies show few

differences from one place to another.

Society’s gender roles indirectly lead to rape culture by conditioning society to believe

certain actions or crimes are okay based upon the gender expectations tied to a person's sex.

People learn that women are weaker, easily degraded, and therefore, must accept male behavior.

Conversely, people learn that men are dominant and have the right to pursue all females in any

way they please. This is not to say that all males abide by the teachings of society or even believe

in them, but when some do, society is ready to excuse inappropriate behavior with “Boys will be

boys.”

Rape Culture in the United States and India

The United States

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 15

The United States is known as the melting pot of culture and is one of the most

progressive countries in the world, yet the principle of the social role theory, common in the

1700 and 1800’s, is still prevalent. Although the U.S. has made great strides, there still remains

major problems with the social acceptance of gender equality. This is not to say all Americans

struggle with accepting change and progress, but it is prominent enough of a problem to be

persistently addressed in various social settings. This struggle with progress not only pertains to

gender roles, but sexual assault as well. The U.S. has yet to move beyond the acceptance of

women being sexually preyed upon, both verbally and physically, by men who are taught

through gender socialization that, because their gender marks them as dominant, they have the

right to their counterparts, submissive women.

The root of said problem lies in the gender socialization of citizens that contradicts the

perceived progress of women and men in the United States. Traditionally, women were raised

being taught the ins and outs of being the perfect homemaker: cooking, cleaning, hosting, raising

children. Men were raised to work. In the United States’ partichartical society, the breadwinner is

viewed as the dominant figure and the rule maker, while the homemaker is viewed as the

submissive figure. The partner who brings in the most income is usually said to “wear the pants

in the relationship,” and wearing pants as opposed to a skirt marks this as male. Interestingly,

modern finances have changed the family structure from one in which the husband or man would

be the sole breadwinner, to one in which both partners, husband and wife, bring in income.

However, the mental progress of citizens in America has yet to match the tangible progress of

women. In the past few decades the number of women in executive positions is in a steady

incline, correlating with the increase in women in the workforce. Women and men are now

performing at the same levels in the same occupations, but for every dollar a man is paid a
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 16

woman is only paid seventy-seven cents. For women of color, the pay is less. According to The

World Bank, women in the United States make up 50.5% of the population, but even with

women making up slightly more than half of the population only 18.1% of Congress is composed

of females; the underrepresentation of women indirectly dismisses half the population as unfit

for leadership of the country (United n.d.) (Warner n.d.). The unspoken message here is that

women are good enough to raise the country's children, smart enough to go to college, skilled

enough to work alongside men, but at the end of the day, they are expected to cook and clean for

their family to fulfill their “womanly duties” as these are considered primary and any other

accomplishments are secondary.

This gross inequality has always been apparent to women the world over. The problem

lies in getting males to see the error in their socialization. Andrea Wenzel, Diana Lee, and Beth

Boser, professors and scholars of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for

Communication and Journalism, collaborate on the articles published for the School for

Communication and Journalism website. In a piece on femininity, masculinity, and sexual power,

the following quote was published,

It may seem natural that men go to work and women stay home. It may seem natural that

men are warriors and women are sex objects. It may seem natural because we see these

images over and over again. These images are repeated in the movies and television we

watch, the books we read, and in the conversations we have with friends and family. They

become familiar, and we tend to treat them as if they have always existed as natural facts.

(Gender 2017)

When women attempt to step out of their gender constructed box, they are sexualized and

objectified by social institutions to compensate for the “masculine” or “manly” position they
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 17

have acquired, thus negating the perceived progress of societal views on gender roles. This

sexualization of women in powerful positions degrades women and is meant to not only appeal

to male audiences, but subdue the growing encouragement of female empowerment. The over

sexualization of women normalizes the act of viewing women as sexual objects that are meant

for the pleasure of men.

The most disgusting example of this took place on January 17th, 2015. Brock Turner

raped a female college student who attended Stanford University with Turner and remains

anonymous. A year and a half later, CNN was able to reveal the depths of the court documents.

Turner was found by two civilians above the unconscious victim behind a garbage dumpster.

While the civilians restrained the drunk Turner and called the police, the victim remained

unconscious with her dress shoved up, her underwear discarded, and her disheveled hair ridden

with pine needles. The victim remained unconscious until three hours later at 4:15 a.m. when she

awoke in the hospital; her blood alcohol concentration was recorded to be .22% during the time

of the assault. In the court documents, it is was revealed that Turner was seen taking pictures of

the victim’s limp body, which he later sent to a group of friends, and the evidence was deleted.

At the party prior to the assault, Turner attempted to kiss and grab the victim's’ unwilling sister,

who notified a friend of his aggressiveness. During a previous party, a female reported Turner to

be “grabby’ and “touchy” making her uncomfortable. When excusing his behavior to the police,

Turner claimed that he was an inexperienced “party goer” and “drinker,” and therefore, he can

not be held accountable.

Later in the trial, evidence disclosed that he had used drugs and alcohol regularly in high

school, thus marking Turner as a rapist and liar. Yet, due to his promising academics and

athletics, he was placed above the law and above the life of the anonymous victim when Judge
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 18

Aaron Persky gave Turner a paltry six month jail sentence. Dan Turner, Brock Turner’s father,

perpetuates the acceptance of sexual assault in a letter begging for his son to have an undeserved

lighter sentence. Dan Turner writes, “That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of

his 20 plus years of life…incarceration is not the appropriate punishment for Brock. He...has

never been violent to anyone including his action on the night of Jan. 17th, 2015.” Unbelievably,

Turner is currently appealing his six month jail sentence.

India

Due to the prominent influence of Hinduism, culture in India cannot truly be analyzed

separately from the religion. With family being a central element of Hinduism, marriage, the

pathway to family, stands as an important pillar in India’s social structure and is a non-negotiable

fact of life for girls and women. In the patrilineal family structure, especially joint family units,

the eldest males are the rule makers, enforcers, and overseers of all decisions dealing with the

family as a whole and its individuals, decisions including career paths and arranged marriages.

However, times are changing; currently the deterioration of the joint family lifestyle is allowing

more individual freedom in India, but this pertains to families of high socioeconomic status only;

62% of India resides below the international poverty line. The international poverty line is set at

$1.90 USD per day, which is close to not having any income at all. For the lower middle class,

the international poverty line is set at only $3.20 USD, while the line for upper middle class is set

at $5.50 USD per day (India’s n.d.). This means that 62% of India is living on $1.90 USD per

day and those “lucky” enough to be considered middle class are not far from the struggling lower

class. To say only 62% of India resides in poverty is an immense understatement. Hence, despite
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 19

the deterioration of the joint family, little has changed and stigmas against the equality of women

remain the norm.

The inequality of women in India is a disadvantage that begins at birth. When discussing

the differences in India’s societal responses to males, Jeffrey Hays quotes Shoba Dé, India’s best

selling English-language author,

For him the universe begins and ends in his belly button. He is self absorbed, narcissistic,

feudal, hopelessly spoiled and completely infantile in his responses...In a society like

ours, to be born male is enough. A man does not need any other attributes. It is also a

society that pampers men beyond reason. (Hays 2013)

In India’s male-centric patriarchal society to be born male is a blessing, but to be born female is

a curse. Males are seen as the breadwinners of the family; they are expected to care for their

elders and become the head of the household. Consequently, females are seen as burdens

because, once married, they must leave their biological family to serve their new family.

Additionally, the bride's family must pay a dowry to the groom and his family, meaning that

many in India see girls and women as expensive servants, items to be bought and sold.

( Hays 2013)

According to Hays, the expectations of the Indian bride is to treat her husband like a god,

to whom she must show respect and subservience. “Husband” is defined as a partner in marriage,

but in Sanskrit, the primary language of Hinduism, “Husband” acquires the meaning of “owner,”

creating the societal view that males hold ownership over the females within their family. Thus,

society and religion are encouraging males to do as they wish with women, their property. This

mentality gives approval to the idea that to rape a woman is simply the expression of the rights a

man is born with.

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 20

In 2015, Leslee Udwin, a British filmmaker, actress, and human-rights activist, produced

and directed a documentary called “India’s Daughter.” The film follows and analyzes the culture

and values in India following the brutal gang rape and murder of a 23 year old medical student in

Delhi, India’s capital city. BBC News published an article in March of 2015 following the story

of Udwin’s research in India, and included Udwin’s telling of the tragic rape and murder of the

23 year old student. The details are as follows: on December 16th, 2012, a young medical student

and her male friend board a bus at 8:30 p.m. to travel home after seeing “Life of Pi”. On the bus

sat six men, five adults, one juvenile, and the two victims. Without any concern for human life

the six men brutally beat the the male victim, her friend, and proceeded to gang rape the medical

student and sexually assault her with an iron object, damaging her inner organs, and causing

death by internal bleeding. The case prosecutors report that the bus driver, Mukesh Singh, was

one of the six men. Reports say that Singh let another man drive while he took part in the assault

and, as of 2015, is attempting to appeal his death sentence along with three of the other

condemned rapists. Udwin interviewed multiple rapists, including Singh, who showed no

remorse. In the article Udwin publishes a portion of Singh statements,

A decent girl won't roam around at nine o'clock at night. A girl is far more responsible for

rape than a boy," he said. People "had a right to teach them a lesson" he suggested - and

he said the woman should have put up with it. "When being raped, she shouldn't fight

back. She should just be silent and allow the rape. Then they'd have dropped her off after

'doing her', and only hit the boy," he said. Chillingly, he went on: "The death penalty will

make things even more dangerous for girls. Now when they rape, they won't leave the

girl like we did. They will kill her. Before, they would rape and say, 'Leave her, she won't
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 21

tell anyone.' Now when they rape, especially the more brazened criminal types, they will

just kill the girl. Death. (Delhi 2015)

Udwin went on to interview another rapist, Gaurav. Gaurav raped a five year old girl, who was

no taller than his knees. When Udwin was asked how he could do such a thing, his response was

“She was a beggar. Her life was of no value.” (Delhi 2015)

Clearly rape culture in India is far more blatant than in the United States. The society in

India does not tacitly label females as submissive, yet overtly states that the female sex, the same

sex that births India’s beloved boys and marries their worshiped men, has no value or place in

their society. However, rape culture is not measured on scale of prominence, rape culture is either

present in society or not, and if it is, it needs to be eradicated.

Conclusion
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 22

The author must add Hardik Sikri, Karan Chhabra, Vikas Garg, Mukesh Singh, Gaurav,

and Brock Turner to Harvey Weinstein, Roy Price, James Toback, Jeffrey Tambor, John Lasseter,

Roger Ailes, Roy Moore, Brett Ratner, Mark Halperin, Russell Simmons, Bill O’Reilly, Charlie

Rose, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, Bill Cosby, and President Donald Trump.

Unbelievably society will allow a man who has been accused of sexual assault by sixteen

different women to be president; defend an actor who raped well over 50 women; reduce the

sentence for rape to six months in jail for a man with a promising future; and turn the other way

when a victim of sexual assault is in need in hopes of protecting the rapist. How far will the line

for what is acceptable be pushed back at the expense of women?

Masculinity and femininity are the traits that societies fuse to the biological sexes, male

and female. These traits are the cornerstone of gender expectations forced upon men and women

through gender socialization, which constructs the foundation of rape culture by branding men as

dominant and women as submissive beings. This is the lesson taught in society.

Progress begins when a new lesson is taught, and is as simple as changing the focus of a

single conversation. Instead of teaching girls and women the measures they need to take to ward

off rape, boys and men need to be taught not to rape. Instead of teaching females to forcibly “say

no,” teach males to unquestioningly “accept no.” Teach males that when “No” is not said aloud

an unspoken “Yes” should not be implied.

Rape is, unfortunately, the expression of one’s perceived dominance by robbing others of

their free will and forcing them into submission. The continuation of rape culture through

robbing females of their free will and forcing them into the submission of gender expectations

and socialization in the United States and India is the metaphorical rape of women in such

societies. When will society begin to hold itself to a higher standard? Should women be
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 23

subjected to the leisurely pace of progress? It is in the present environment of the global stage

that progress begs to eradicate rape culture. Unfortunately, the current environment of women

and men banding together in order to put an end to the lack of equality and utter disregard for the

lives of females, has had to grow from the victimization of hundreds of women by “powerful”

and misogynistic men in the United States and India. However, this storm has given society the

water it needs to flourish and grow into a new age. Never before has so many people, in India

and the United States, spoken out against the objectification and sexual harassment of women.

Now, is the crucial time in which society must take advantage of this rarity and force the

conversation of change.

Appendix A) Interview with Dr. James Avila (Principle of Tallwood High School)
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 24

1. In your role as a high school principal, how do you see the impact of rape culture on young

students?

Avila: I am not sure I see a rape culture in my role. Certainly, I think that the high school setting

can be male-dominated, but I also think that the female voice is loudly present in a high school,

especially with over half the population being young women. If a rape culture does exist, this

may come from outside societal forces, such as media, popular culture, and family upbringing.

2. What do you feel is the antecedent of rape culture in the lives of the students you watch over?

Avila: I definitely believe that media and popular culture play a role in shaping a students.

Music, especially, plays a significant role in developing our adolescents. Male role models in

music who portray themselves as misogynistic have a direct impact on impressionable young

men. And female role models in music are often portrayed in a sexual way. Both of these

factors combined shape our students’ viewpoints.

3. What do you believe the key factors are in finding a resolution to rape culture?

Avila: Conversations. If more people speak out, then perpetrators will know their behavior is

wrong and unacceptable. I think that your topic is rather poignant considering the many

allegations that are making the headlines with prominent males. With the Time Magazine’s

Person of the Year being the group of women who have been vocal on harassment, abuse, and

rape, I think that the conversations will lead to more understanding of what rape is.

4. What role can the justice system play in this resolution?

Avila: The justice system needs to act quicker and not lay blame on the victim. The justice

system needs to be more proactive in legislating harsh penalties against people who violate these
The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 25

rights. Conversation is great, but if there are no legal repercussions, then the conversation is just

talk.

5. What do you think young people can do today to combat rape culture in order to improve

societal gender relations?

Avila: Stand behind this current movement of equality. We often see movements come and go;

however, the issue of equality as it pertains to women, minorities, ethnicities, and gender will

continue to affect this diverse world. Students need to take local government and politics

seriously and participate in it! Apathy will only breed acceptance.

Appendix B) Rape Case in India

The Effect of Gender Socialization on Rape Culture 26

“But for the next 18 months, he used her nude photographs to blackmail her and rape her. Not
just that, he also forced her to have sex with his two friends and on one occasion, Sikri and
Chhabra gang-raped her.”
In the 12-paged court order, “The young woman was castigated for drinking beer, smoking,
taking drugs, keeping condoms in her room and not confiding in her parents that she was being
abused.”
Excerpts from the judgments: “Her "narrative does not throw up gut wrenching violence that
normally precede or accompany such incidents".”
"It would be a travesty if these young minds are confined to jail for an inordinate long period
which would deprive them of their education, opportunity to redeem themselves and be a part of
the society as normal beings,"

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