scholarly journals It's The Same Old Story: Rape Representation in New Zealand Newspapers (1975 - 2015)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ange Barton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Feminist Perspectives ◽  
The Media

<p>Newspaper reporting of rape, and in particular, representations of women as rape victims, have historically been presented by the media in a misinformed manner, influenced by myths and misconceptions about the dynamics of sexual violence. Previous research has shown media depictions can promote victim-blaming attitudes which affect society’s understanding toward sexual violence, promoting false narratives and rape-supportive beliefs. Victim narratives of sexual victimisation struggle within a ‘culture of silencing’ that prevents the majority of sexual offending from coming to the attention of authorities, and identifying the silencing of women’s experiences of rape has, and continues to be, a key objective for feminist scholars. Newspapers are one medium which has been exclusionary of women's experiences, therefore it is important to look at the role of newspapers on a longitudinal level to investigate whether there have been changes in reporting practices and attitudes. To address this issue, this study draws on feminist perspectives and adopts a quantitative and qualitative methodology utilising newspaper articles as a specific source of inquiry. Articles concerning male-female rape were collected from eight prominent New Zealand newspapers across a 40 year period from 1975 – 2015 with individual years for analysis being 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015. Results from this analysis show minimal inclusion of women’s words regarding newspaper commentary in articles concerning rape. This study also found that across the four decades of analysis, newspapers consistently reported the rape of women by strangers, and sympathetic justice system responses were achieved if the victim was ‘respectable’ and adhered to an ‘appropriate’ version of femininity. The findings from this study illustrate discourses that reflect features of a broader social discourse relating to the responsibility of women to protect themselves from rape. The implications from this research can be utilised to better inform journalists in their reporting practices on sexual violence cases in the New Zealand press, with a hope to challenge the way that newspaper reporters and consumers think about constructing rape, and women as rape victims.</p>

scholarly journals It's The Same Old Story: Rape Representation in New Zealand Newspapers (1975 - 2015)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ange Barton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Feminist Perspectives ◽  
The Media

<p>Newspaper reporting of rape, and in particular, representations of women as rape victims, have historically been presented by the media in a misinformed manner, influenced by myths and misconceptions about the dynamics of sexual violence. Previous research has shown media depictions can promote victim-blaming attitudes which affect society’s understanding toward sexual violence, promoting false narratives and rape-supportive beliefs. Victim narratives of sexual victimisation struggle within a ‘culture of silencing’ that prevents the majority of sexual offending from coming to the attention of authorities, and identifying the silencing of women’s experiences of rape has, and continues to be, a key objective for feminist scholars. Newspapers are one medium which has been exclusionary of women's experiences, therefore it is important to look at the role of newspapers on a longitudinal level to investigate whether there have been changes in reporting practices and attitudes. To address this issue, this study draws on feminist perspectives and adopts a quantitative and qualitative methodology utilising newspaper articles as a specific source of inquiry. Articles concerning male-female rape were collected from eight prominent New Zealand newspapers across a 40 year period from 1975 – 2015 with individual years for analysis being 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015. Results from this analysis show minimal inclusion of women’s words regarding newspaper commentary in articles concerning rape. This study also found that across the four decades of analysis, newspapers consistently reported the rape of women by strangers, and sympathetic justice system responses were achieved if the victim was ‘respectable’ and adhered to an ‘appropriate’ version of femininity. The findings from this study illustrate discourses that reflect features of a broader social discourse relating to the responsibility of women to protect themselves from rape. The implications from this research can be utilised to better inform journalists in their reporting practices on sexual violence cases in the New Zealand press, with a hope to challenge the way that newspaper reporters and consumers think about constructing rape, and women as rape victims.</p>

Gender, narrative and affect: Top-down politics of commemoration in post-genocide Rwanda

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Mannergren Selimovic
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Present State ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Top Down ◽  
National Unity ◽  
Memory Politics ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Specific Category ◽  
Key Sites

This article takes an interest in gendered memory politics and addresses the dearth of research on gender and commemoration in relation to the genocide in Rwanda. It analyses elite-produced gendered narratives at key sites of commemoration and investigates their affective role in constituting the post-genocide Rwandan state. Through a methodological approach of ‘the situated gaze’, three central observations are made. First, women are mourned as a specific category of rape victims and mothers. Second, women’s experiences of sexual violence are at the same time censored and de-individualized. Third, no other experiences, beyond being a victim, are taken into account. The article finds that the top-down affective memory politics circumscribes the role women played during and after the genocide, and restricts their agency within the present state project of ‘national unity and reconciliation’.

scholarly journals Women's Experiences of the Justice System

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 649
Author(s):  
J Morris
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Law Commission

This article considers the impact of gender upon women's experiences of the New Zealand justice system, as lawyers and clients. As well as summarising study and survey material, it draws upon information provided to the Law Commission in the course of its project on Women's Acces to Justice: He Putanga mo nga Wahine ki te Tika. It concludes that women are still significantly disadvantaged by the justice system as a result of their gender and that there is an ongoing need for debate and consideration of these issues if women's access to justice is to be improved.

Women and Genocide in Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Jessee
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
International Law ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Resistance Movements ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
The Social ◽  
Written Sources

Genocide, defined in international law as killings and related mass atrocities that are committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group,” has negatively impacted countless communities across Africa over the centuries. The resulting historical literature is strongest regarding those genocides that occurred in the 20th and 21st centuries due to a tendency to privilege written sources. Within this literature, African women’s experiences remain understudied compared to the experiences of men, despite widespread recognition that genocides often affect people differently according to their gender identity. However, in looking at the widely studied examples of colonial genocides in Belgian-occupied Congo (1885–1908) and German-occupied Namibia (1904–1908), and the subsequent genocides in Burundi (1972), Rwanda (1994), and Sudan (2003–2008), it becomes evident that perpetrators have targeted women in particular ways as part of their broader efforts to exterminate unwanted communities. While women are frequently killed alongside men during genocides, the literature on these case studies abounds with examples of sexual violence, particularly rape, that the perpetrators inflict upon women as part of their efforts to undermine the social vitality of their intended victims’ communities. Women’s experiences of genocide are often far more diverse than the literature’s singular focus on sexual violence suggests, however. The case of Rwanda demonstrates that women can also serve as combatants and perpetrators, while the case of Belgian-occupied Congo reveals that women can lead resistance movements in opposition to genocidal violence. Similarly, German-occupied Namibia and Rwanda demonstrate that women can serve important roles in rebuilding their communities and advocating for recognition and reparations in the post-genocide period. Scholars are beginning to pay greater attention to women’s diverse experiences of genocide, but there is a great deal of research to be undertaken, particularly regarding how different facets of women’s identities, such as class, ethnicity, and socio-economic status, among others, shape their experiences of genocide.

scholarly journals Recognizing Connections Between Intimate Partner Sexual Violence and Pornography

2020 ◽  
pp. 107780122097135
Author(s):  
Laura Tarzia ◽  
Meagan Tyler
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Unexpected Finding ◽  
Concerted Effort ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Pornography Use

In this article, we call for a more concerted effort to understand the ways in which pornography might be used in, and contribute to, intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV). We seek to address this through an overview of existing work and the introduction of data from an Australian-based project on women’s experiences of IPSV, where pornography use was an unexpected finding. Furthermore, we argue that there is a pressing need to address such issues now, given the increasing mainstreaming of pornography. Our findings contribute toward a better understanding of the context and dynamics of IPSV for women and suggest that pornography ought to be a greater focus in prevention efforts.

scholarly journals The Strives, Struggles, and Successes of Women Diagnosed With ADHD as Adults

SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401770179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mira Elise Glaser Holthe ◽  
Eva Langvik
Keyword(s):  
Gender Norms ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Negative Judgment ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
The Media ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender Specific

The objective of the study was to aid an understanding of women’s experiences of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with special consideration of the role of stigma and gender-specific issues. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with five women aged 32 to 50 years, all diagnosed with ADHD as adults. The interviews were analyzed in accordance with thematic analysis. The data analyses were centered around five core themes: (a) from unidentified childhood ADHD to adult diagnosis, (b) present main symptoms and challenges, (c) conflict between ADHD symptoms and gender norms and expectations, (d) stigma of ADHD: “People think it’s a fake disease,” and (e) managing ADHD symptoms and identifying strengths. Despite their difficulties, all participants are highly educated and employed, and differ from common portrayals of individuals with ADHD as observably hyperactive, disruptive, or globally impaired. The participants are reluctant about disclosure of their diagnosis, due to fear of negative judgment and lack of understanding from others. The findings highlight the importance of recognizing and targeting ADHD as a serious disorder that yields continuing, and even increasing, impairment in multiple areas into adulthood. Gender-specific issues of ADHD need to be examined further, particularly challenges associated with motherhood. Stigma and the conflict between ADHD symptoms and gender norms complicate women’s experiences of living with ADHD, and should be essential areas of focus in research, educational settings, and the media.

scholarly journals The Cycle of Female Prisoner (Re)Integration: Pathways, criminal justice and imprisonment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Hannah Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Female Offender ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Female Prisoner ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Treatment Services ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
First Time ◽  
Gender Specific

<p>With increasing rates of female imprisonment, and female prisoner re-imprisonment rates of 33% for first time prisoners and 48% for recidivist prisoners within four years, women’s experiences of (re)integration are in need of examination. Issues of abuse, addiction, economic, social and political deprivation and poor education are not only seen to underpin women’s pathways into crime, but also the treatment of female offenders within a system that has redefined their welfare needs as risks. Using a feminist, qualitative methodology that provides often unheard women with a voice, semi-structured interviews were conducted with female ex-prisoners and those who work with women once released from prison. Interviews examined women’s experiences of release and the areas that contribute to successful or unsuccessful (re)integration. Findings reveal that support networks, release conditions, employment, accommodation and treatment services are key factors that either help or hinder women’s (re)integration. Consistent with literature on women’s (re)integration, interviews further revealed that female offender pathways are not addressed prior to, during, or after release from prison. To address such problems, this thesis argues that collaborative, holistic, gender-specific programmes, that are tailored to meet women’s daily needs and experiences, are required both within the community and prisons.</p>

scholarly journals Pleasure, pain and pornography: A gendered analysis of the influence of contemporary pornography on the lives of New Zealand emerging adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Samantha Keene
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Sexual Scripts ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
New Zealanders

<p>Historically, concerns have been raised about violence in pornography and the influence that such portrayals may have on levels of violence against women and children. Today, pornography is pervasively available on the internet and viewed by both men and women in ever-increasing numbers. In New Zealand, violence against women and children remains at alarmingly high levels, and concerns about pornography’s influence on gendered violence are a common refrain. Research remains inconclusive about the impacts of pornography on viewers’ sexual scripts, behaviours and attitudes, yet the voices of those most affected by pornography – viewers and their partners – are often omitted from pornography studies.  Few New Zealand studies employ a gendered analysis of men’s and women’s experiences with pornography. To provide research specific to New Zealand about these experiences, this thesis explores the reported influences of mainstream pornography on the lives of a self-selecting sample of (primarily) heterosexual New Zealanders between the ages of 18 and 30. It adopts a uniquely gendered analysis and critically interrogates both men’s and women’s experiences with pornography in the digital age.  The findings of this research suggest that pornography research necessitates a gendered appraisal both in terms of how pornography is experienced individually, but also within intimate relationships. For instance, whilst both men and women suggested that mainstream pornography was often aggressive, demeaning and degrading, the way that aggression was perceived and understood differed between the genders. Some women spoke of ‘rough sex’ having some sexual appeal, however, they also felt conflicted about feeling aroused by pornography in which actresses appeared potentially in pain or distress.  Conversely, several men spoke of aggression in pornography as commonplace but something they might avoid rather than denounce, leaving the door open for other men to engage with as a matter of individual ‘choice’. Further, men’s worries about pornography concerned their compulsive need to use it, which differs substantially from women’s concerns. This research also suggests that gender is a critical factor in considering pornography’s impact in intimate relationships, particularly regarding pornography addiction and the perceived influence of pornography on partners’ behaviours and sexual scripts. These findings are a testament to the gendered way that pornography is experienced, understood and interpreted in the digital age.  Overall, this thesis provides a platform for future research into pornography in New Zealand. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how online pornography affects the lives of every day New Zealanders, and highlights the need for more critical, gendered analyses within this space. Further, the findings also indicate the importance of providing young people with the media literacy skills needed to appraise how mainstream pornography reinforces stereotypical gendered representations of men, women, and heterosexual sex.</p>

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