Gender violence: power, privilege, and societal structures

Gender Violence
a) According to Katz, what is gender violence?
Gender violence is a social problem that includes sexual assault, domestic violence, sexual harassment, relationship abuse, and sexual abuse of children (Katz, 2013). Gender violence has been seen as a women’s issue, but it is as much a men’s issue that affects first men, as much as it affects women.
b) Why is calling gender violence a "women's issue" problematic?
Gender violence has been previously misleadingly and wrongly described as a women issue, and that is problematic. This description forms a basis for men to overlook the issue and excuse themselves and not pay attention. When the majority of men hear of the term “women’s issue”, they simply tune it out. In addition, this misleading description sets the ground for diversion from the core issue and questions for example, why do men perpetuate gender-based acts of violence towards women? Why are gender violence acts still a big issue is the current United States of America, as well as in the rest of the world especially in the current 21 century? What causes acts of gender violence and why do men abuse emotionally, physically, and verbally women, girls, other men, and boys who they claim to love? And what is the problem is today’s society that causes gender violence in the world? Additionally, this wrong description of gender violence plays a role in diverting the attention from the various institutions that are tasked with the role of tackling the issue. Lastly, the misleading description is a naïve way of understanding what is rather a much deeper and more systematical social problem.
c) What are key characteristics of power and privilege and how do dominate systems maintain themselves?
The first characteristic is creation of confusion of the terms involved thus the dominant group does not attract attention to itself. A clear example of this confusion is in the case of gender violence and how the term gender is blurred in meaning to create the perception of only women, and thus the victim. Second, and as a result of the confusion created around terms, the dominant group doesn’t get challenged and others don’t even get to think about its dominance. As a result of the diverted attention, the dominant group is able to get away without being examined, without introspection. Third, the issues that concern the masses or issues that are of importance are rendered invisible in a large measure. Fourth, those who stand up to challenge the status quo are shouted down by being bad-mouthed or name called in an effort to stop them from rocking the boat.
d) Katz argues that our societal cognitive structure is set up to blame women. Please provide examples of this and identify what kind of questions we should be asking instead.
First, the word gender is commonly perceived as to be a matter affecting women. The word gender is attached to the female gender and thus, in the matter of gender violence, attention by effect of the prevailing societal perception, is diverted to mean violence against women. This is best illustrated in how a case of battering against a woman is fast changed to focus only to the victim of the violent acts, rather than the perpetrator. For example, in a case where “john beat Mary”, it is changed to “Mary was beaten by John.” Sooner than later, this is also changed to focus solely on the woman, with the perpetrator being dropped “Mary was beaten” (Katz, 2013). This entirely changes the issues leading to the victimization and prosecution of the victim rather than the perpetrator and thus sidelining of the critical questions for example, why did John beat Mary? How can John be prevented from beating Mary? This orientation of societal cognition is also evident in the matter of sexual orientation where, it is unconsciously attributed to gays, lesbians, and heterosexuals, and not the straights.


Reference
Katz, J. (2013). Violence against women—It’s a men’s issue. TEDxFiDi Women.