Rape Culture, Consciousness, and the Importance of Language

While I was reading Julia Serano's "Why Nice Guys Finish Last", I was confronted with an idea that was difficult for me to acknowledge at the time:

"The truth is that rape culture is a mindset that affects each and every one of us, shaping how we view and respond to the world, and creating double binds for both women and men. I call this phenomenon the predator/prey mindset, and within it, men can only ever be viewed as sexual aggressors and women as sexual objects." - Serano

 I was initially thrown off, not because I was unaware of rape culture, or objectification, but because it was an issue that I thought existed outside of me. As I've supported and been an advocate for victims of sexual assault, I viewed rape culture as something that I didn't participate in, and due to my male privilege, was completely unaffected by. After reading more of Serano's argument, I realized that my mindset was not only wrong, but it was extremely counterproductive. As rape culture (like any other culture) is pervasive, it is bound to impact me regardless of if I directly participate in it or not. Furthermore, ignoring it on a macro level (like anything else) is not going to make it go away.

My sudden interest in learning more about the reach of rape culture led me to this article in the Huffington Post that details different ways in which rape culture surrounds us. One of the more important issues that the article discusses is the prevalence of language. As I was reading statements that I've heard plenty of times (even today actually), I was beginning to realize their implications. Sayings like "I just raped that test" or "we got raped in our basketball game last night", are phrases that I've not only heard, but may have even used myself at various times. Although the intent of the statements has little to do with direct sexual abuse, the use of the word "rape" in our language carries heavy connotations. For example when one says "I just raped that test", they're expressing a feeling of empowerment, dominance, and ultimate satisfaction. Contrarily, when one says "we got raped in our basketball game last night", there are undertones of disappointment, shame, and powerlessness.

It was then that I realized that rape culture not only affects all of us, but for some of us, it is embedded in our consciousness. Even though (I hope) all of us can agree that sexual assault on a micro level is wrong, it is more difficult for people to realize that even if they have never sexually abused anyone, rape culture is something that they may indirectly contribute to every day. As long as we continue to treat issues of sexual assault as case by case incidents, we will continue to ignore the culture (that many of us participate in) that almost encourages this behavior. For Serano, it seems that rape culture is most likely to end through elimination of the predator/prey mindset. For the rest of us, we need to recognize rape culture as a legitimate macro level issue, and change our own perceptions and behaviors in order to reduce its impact.