ipl-logo

Catherine Mackinnon's Theory Of Violence Against Women

927 Words4 Pages

In India, violence against women occurs daily in some or the other form. For some Indian women the possibility of violence occurs throughout their lives, especially with changes in marital status. For many years this kind of violence and oppression is seen in most of the house. Even though women’s organizations, feminists and researchers have initiated paradigm shifts in understanding and ending VAW (Violence Against Women) in India, it remains one of the worst forms of oppression faced by women. Such violence impedes women’s development and well-being and is a violation of their human rights (Johnson & Johnson, 2001) Domestic Violence, Mental Stress, Dowry, Sati, Dowry Death, Verbal abuse etc are all forms of oppression faced by women and …show more content…

Catherine MacKinnon develops her theory of gender as a theory of sexuality. Very roughly: the social meaning of sex (gender) is created by sexual objectification of women whereby women are viewed and treated as objects for satisfying men's desires (MacKinnon) MacKinnon recognizes gender to be a socially built inequality of authority and dominance in which men are governing and women subsidiary. She claims that male’s power and female’s submissiveness both are conditioned and constructed by the society in which we live. Sexual objectification of women has remained the primary focus of male and their dominance. Women’s submissiveness, silence and the power to rule her are all social performance to stay and bind oneself in that wall of society whereas for men, their skill and power is recognised from their knowledge; men as authoritative and dominant is a socially acceptable phenomenon as they are meant to be universally more powerful and this is how a society functions. Sexual objectification of women is a social condition as women are meant to be subordinate and submissive to men as to be guarded by the social process. MacKinnon mentions in her book “Objectivity is the methodological stance of which objectification is the social process. Sexual objectification is the primary process of the subjection of women. It unites act with word, construction with expression, perception with enforcement, myth with reality. Man fucks woman; subject verb object.” (MacKinnon,

Show More
Related
762 Words | 4 Pages

Earl Warren was born on March 19, 1891, in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in financially conservative family, Warren was taught the importance of a good work ethic and education. In his pursuit to attend college, he spent most summers working for the Southern Pacific Railroad; where his father worked. It was working for the railway that would begin to influence Warren’s career.

Read More
511 Words | 3 Pages

America is often perceived as a country that values human rights. But on many occasions, this has been invalidated through the objectification of people of all genders, races, and backgrounds. Objectification is the act of treating a person as though they are not human but much rather an object or thing. For instance, Frederick Douglass’s aunt Hester in Narrative of the Life of a Slave by Frederick Douglass and Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Objectification has caused human suffering, not just in the past but today as well.

Read More
148 Words | 1 Pages

The issues that Kilbourne is attempting to attack are highly sensitive ones. Therefore, it would follow that her essay would appeal to pathos more than usual. The violence that Kilbourne is talking about affects nearly all women and is something that demands attention. It is true when Kilbourne says, “Most of us become numb to these images, just as we become numb to the daily litany in the news of women being raped, battered, and killed” (430). While they are certainly important, all the statistics and data can appear disconnected from the reality of real life abuse women endure.

Read More
967 Words | 4 Pages

In a woman’s case, being objectified promotes violence, harassment, and lack of control that is often reflected in relationships. When depicting another as a sex object, how can a relationship have value or exist at all when men

Read More
343 Words | 2 Pages

Institutional violence goes beyond violence towards women, however, a majority of the institutionalized violence happens towards women. Media, sports culture and pornography all multi-billion dollar industries have the potential to lead individuals to commit violence acts towards women. The media with regards to advertisements and commercials, present women in an objectifying manner and sometimes contain words that may hint at sexual mindset. Athletes are taught to be tough, however that mindset does not always stay on the field. Some athletes that have the potential to continue professionally attract a lot of attention from fellow classmates and fans all around the country.

Read More
1773 Words | 8 Pages

In the 1800s-1850s numerous groups and individuals had to fight for equality under the oppression of the government and their fellow Americans. The brutality of slavery began to spread throughout these years and the escape of slaves from the south to the north that brought along their stories showcased the brutality of slavery. This made the northerners start to oppose slavery harder and abolitionists began to speak out. Women were another group affected by the oppression of the government and the system. Seen as lower than men, women had many restrictions on what they could do in life.

Read More
1101 Words | 5 Pages

(Purpose Doc. 4) Another example of inequality in marriage is dowry deaths. In Asian countries, specifically India, if a man was unhappy with his wife, for not providing children or overcooking his food, the wife would be doused in kerosene and burned to death. The wife could take no similar action and was forced to abide by her husband's will. (Outside Information 1)

Read More
809 Words | 4 Pages

Women have found themselves at the bottom of society’s hierarchal pyramid for eons. Even though females make contributions that prove vital to the world’s function, they are still regarded as the weaker link. The female plight of constantly facing debasement is a pawn used to ensure compliance. It is a common notion that if one is demeaned enough, he or she will conform to the suggested persona. Society tests this notion through its treatment of women.

Read More
495 Words | 2 Pages

“Doing Gender” by West and Zimmerman is similar to Butler’s “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution.” However, West and Zimmerman build upon the ideas that Butler puts forth. Butler focuses on gender as performance and how gender is made up by specific actions. While West and Zimmerman take the concept of performance and constitution and applies it to a new concept, the sex category and how sex categories and gender are intertwined in society. Sex categories and gender, according to West and Zimmerman, are different and interconnected.

Read More
1232 Words | 5 Pages

Universally, domestic violence is referred to abusive behavior that is used by the intimate partner to control or power over the other intimate power. This can be in the forms of psychological, sexual, economic or emotional threats or actions that will influence your partner (Kindschi,2013).Domestic violence studies provides that psychopathology, which happens when in violent environment in child development can make the argument of domestic violence progress of being a generational legacy (Kindschi,2013).I chose to write about the Feminist Theory to explain why people commit domestic violence. It believes that the root causes of domestic violence is the outcome of living in a society that condones aggressive behavior by men, while women

Read More
842 Words | 4 Pages

This serves as a mirrored view toward societies views on women and sexuality in the

Read More
1534 Words | 7 Pages

A Definition of Justice Equality is the well-known problem faced by women. It is the issue of how women have been treated differently from men who act as if they have a higher social position. Besides the equality issue, there is another problem faced by many women: mental abuse at home. The husbands are not literally abuse their wife, but how they act have made their wives live in agony. Subsequently, when the women as the oppressed party who have been treated unequally cannot demand such abuse to be punished since it is not written in man’s law, they will seek their own justice.

Read More
911 Words | 4 Pages

Feminist theory shows the ways of a gender structured life . This culture is also displayed in Crime and Punishment by Sonya and Dunya. Feminist criticism is a type of literary criticism that was well known in the 1970’s. Women would begin taking apart the classics and analyzing how the author portrayed women. The women in Crime and Punishment , especially Sonya and Dunya have a stronger state of mind and are able to handle the pressures and struggles of life better than the men in the novel.

Read More
1232 Words | 5 Pages

Today violence against women is an uncontrollable phenomenon, which is a direct result of the rapid urbanization, industrialization and structural adjustment programs which are changing the socio-economic scenario of our country.   "Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women" (United Nations Declaration1993) Domestic violence has attracted much attention of the sociologists in India since the decades of 1980s. Violence affects the lives of millions of women, worldwide, in all socio- economic and educational classes. It cuts across cultural and religious barriers, threatening the right of women to participate fully in society.

Read More
1114 Words | 5 Pages

Introduction In India, discriminatory attitude towards men and women have existed for generations and thus it affect the lives of both genders. Although the constitution of India has granted men and women equal rights, but gender gap still remains. Female discrimination violates human rights. These are mostly seen in family land sharing among sisters and brothers.

Read More

More about Catherine Mackinnon's Theory Of Violence Against Women

Related Topics

Open Document