The formation of gender identity and consequent gender differences is instilled in the
social fabric, reinforced in daily life and is practiced and perpetuated through the
process of socialization. This leads to asymmetry and consequent inequality which in a
way sanctions male hegemony over gender hierarchy and allows for a male gaze
through which women are viewed as an object of gratification; a vulnerable group; a
voice less gender; and traditional care-givers. This narrow gaze vis a vis women
consequently put the lives of women in jeopardy and expose them to various sexual
violence and discrimination in private and public domain.
However, enforcement of law has not sufficiently reduced the crisis of sexual violence.
The reason behind this being legal consciousness having a narrow value laden gaze in
which sexual violence is defined through the same larger framework of patriarchal
discourse which considers it to as crime only. This escapes the root cause of sexual
violence and intensifies the problem of gender inequality and gender violence in society.
This paper therefore, attempts to analyze the ways through which women are viewed
through a social gaze which objectify them as modest, tender, and weak and thus
justifies their vulnerability in public spaces. It also analyses how the legal
consciousness has been influenced by the patriarchal gender discourse and reinforces
this social gaze.
Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate into new ways which helps in reversing this
social gaze by triggering a change in the social mindset at larger level so as to delimit
the scope of this social gaze on women. This, the paper holds that the solution lies in
reversing and widening the social gaze with respect to gendered space, gender role performance, and conceptual domain of sexual violence so that a woman could receive
her freedom, liberty and rights not being a woman only but as an equal gender.
Table of Contents
1. Gendering Sexual Identity
1.1 Conceptualizing ‘Social Gaze’, Gender Identity and Male Hegemony
1.2 Normalizing Gendered Desk
2. Gendered Space, Modernity and Sexual Violence
2.1 Modernity and Gendered Space
2.2 Ethics of Public Space, Sexual Violence and Culture: An Indian Experience
3. Rape: The Heinous Act
3.1 Rape Culture in India
3.2 The Geography of Fear
4. Legal Consciousness and Sexual Violence
4.1 Narrow Gaze:
4.2 Social Norms, Values and Law
4.3 Challenges before Law
5. Verma Committee on Sexual Violence: A New Hope
5.1 Beyond Law and Women: Deconstructing Gender
6. Conclusion
Research Objective and Core Themes
The paper investigates how societal structures and patriarchal discourses shape the "social gaze" through which women are objectified and perceived as vulnerable. It aims to analyze how this gaze, reinforced by legal frameworks and cultural norms, justifies sexual violence and how reversing this mindset is essential for ensuring gender equality and safety.
- The construction of gender identity and the manifestation of male hegemony.
- The role of "gendered space" and the ethics of public versus private domains.
- Critique of legal consciousness and the systemic failures in addressing sexual violence.
- The impact of rape culture and the "geography of fear" in the Indian context.
- Strategies for social reform, including gender mainstreaming and deconstructing gender hierarchies.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Conceptualizing ‘Social Gaze’, Gender Identity and Male Hegemony
Gaze is a psychoanalytical term brought into popular usage by Jacques Lacan to describe the anxious state that comes with the awareness that one can be viewed. In her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975), Laura Mulvey introduced the second-wave feminist concept of ‘male gaze’ as a feature of gender power asymmetry in film. Mulvey stated that women were objectified in film because heterosexual men were in control of the camera and women are represented for male gaze.
The social gaze with respect of viewing women is rather like that. It occurs when the society projects the ‘woman’ through the perspective of a man. The patriarchal society narrates the lifestyle, code of conduct in which women are usually represented the manner men want. Thus a female objectification is sanctioned and reinforced through a socially created gender discourse and create an environment in which male body perpetrate sexual violence on ‘women’, thinking her being an object of sexual gratification.
Summary of Chapters
1. Gendering Sexual Identity: Explores how gender is a socially constructed, learned behavior that creates hierarchical power relations, establishing male domination and female subordination.
2. Gendered Space, Modernity and Sexual Violence: Discusses the dichotomy between public and private spheres and how the control of these spaces through a "social gaze" restricts women's mobility and enforces patriarchal authority.
3. Rape: The Heinous Act: Analyzes the political nature of rape as a tool for enforcing male dominance and discusses the prevailing "rape culture" in India that stigmatizes survivors.
4. Legal Consciousness and Sexual Violence: Examines how the law often reflects biased social norms, resulting in inadequate definitions and procedural failures that perpetuate secondary victimization.
5. Verma Committee on Sexual Violence: A New Hope: Critically evaluates the recommendations of the Verma Committee versus government ordinances, highlighting the need for socio-political changes over purely punitive measures.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes that sexual violence is rooted in political and social power structures, advocating for the deconstruction of gender hierarchies through gender mainstreaming and legislative reform.
Key Words
Sexual violence, Gender identity, Social gaze, Male hegemony, Patriarchal discourse, Rape culture, Legal consciousness, Gendered space, Modernity, Victim-blaming, Gender mainstreaming, Equality, Human rights, Women's agency, Social structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
The paper examines how patriarchal social structures and the "social gaze" create an environment where sexual violence against women is normalized and sanctioned.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The work covers gender identity, the sociology of public and private spaces, the limitations of current legal systems regarding sexual violence, and the political dimensions of rape culture.
What is the ultimate research objective?
The objective is to argue that sexual violence is not merely a crime but a tool of political and social dominance, requiring a paradigm shift in the social mindset to ensure women's rights.
Which scientific approach does the author use?
The author employs a feminist socio-political analysis, combining psychoanalytical concepts like the "gaze" with legal and sociological critiques of power structures.
What does the main body address?
It details the construction of gender identity, the geography of fear in public spaces, the failings of the Indian judicial system, and comparative analyses of rape reform proposals.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include sexual violence, social gaze, male hegemony, patriarchy, gender hierarchy, and gender mainstreaming.
How does the author define the "social gaze"?
The social gaze is described as the patriarchal perspective through which society projects and objectifies women, reinforcing their status as "weak" or "modest" to maintain male control.
What is the significance of the "geography of fear"?
It refers to the restriction of women's movement in public spaces due to the constant threat of violence, which serves as a mechanism to keep women confined to the private sphere.
What critique is leveled against current legal measures?
The paper criticizes the law for being trapped in a "narrow gaze" that views rape only as a crime against family honor rather than a violation of individual bodily integrity, leading to ineffective prosecution.
- Quote paper
- Manasi Sinha (Author), 2013, Re-versing the Social Gaze: Sexual Violence, Law and Gender, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/265537
