¶ … gender, race, and sexual orientation? What affect does this have on us and our way of thinking?
Katz argues that domestic violence is a male issue given that men tend to be the major perpetrators of this crime. However, there tends to be a reflexive view of all gender-related issues as particular to women alone, similar to how racial issues are viewed as only of interest to black people (as if the dominant group had no role in perpetrating the abuse of power).
What did you think about his sentence activity? Does it make you feel differently about language and sexual assault?
I think his language illustration is important because it underlines how language does influence how the crime is viewed. The identity of a woman as a 'battered woman' takes the blame off of her husband as if she is innately destined to be battered. His example made me think how the names of rape victims are never revealed in the news media, versus...
What does he say about "individual perpetrators"? How do we see them, how is this contrary to reality and what does he say actually helps in creating these perpetrators?
Katz believes that violence against women is not produced by individual violent impulses alone; rather it is produced by a culture and a language which condones violence and even associates violence against women with positive aspects of masculinity. Even when violence against women is condemned, it is objectified as an isolated incident rather than seen for what it is: a product of a larger male-dominated culture.
Q4. What is the name of Katz program and what is the definition he gives for this title? What is taught in this program? Do you think something like this can work? Why or why not?
The name of the program is "Violence and Silence." Because we live…
