In this Unit, we examine the gendered differences in the use of violence as a language. From an overview of the scope of male violence against women, we move to a consideration of the social and developmental implications of such violence. In this Unit, questions of body image, self esteem, pornography and sexual abuse are interwoven into an overall look at the development of female sexuality. Here we take on the critical intersection of economics and violence. From a legal historical perspective on domestic violence, we move to a consideration of present day problems.
Rape occurs in many different forms and remains the most underreported crime.
In this Unit, we consider various theories of rape and examine the differential treatment of rape cases in the criminal justice system. We pay particular attention to campus sexual assault issues such as date rape, date rape drugs, and teen dating violence. We consider the problems inherent in colleges regulating rapes on their own campuses, and we will work collectively to develop a Model Campus Sexual Assault program. Finally, we explore the subject of self-defense in feminist theory and practice. Finally, we will concentrate on meta-theories of culture change.