Socio-Cultural Context of Rape - A Cross-Cultural Study

• NCJ Number: 81150
• Journal: Journal of Social Issues Volume: 37 Issue: 4 Dated: (Fall 1981) Pages: 5-27
• Author(s): P R Sanday
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): RO1 MH 28978
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This research departs from the familiar assumption that rape is an inherent tendency of male nature, and begins with the assumption that human sexual behavior, though based on a biological need, is an expression of cultural forces.

Abstract

The incidence, meaning, and function of rape in a cross-cultural sample of tribal societies are presented. Two general hypotheses guide the research: first, the incidence of rape varies cross-culturally; second, a high incidence of rape is embedded in a distinguishably different cultural configuration than a low incidence of rape. The data suggest that rape is part of a cultural configuration which included interpersonal violence, male dominance, and sexual separation. Rape is interpreted as the sexual expression of these forces in societies where the harmony between men and their environment has been severely disrupted. (Publisher abstract)