Conflict Theory: The Functionalist View Of Rape

The Merriam Webster dictionary Defines rape as “unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception”. Rape seems like an act that an individual would never think of committing. However, rape happens every day in many different instances, and what's worse, the excuse for certain rape cases. In my paper I'll be breaking down the social issue of rape through the structural functionalism theory, the conflict theory, and the symbolic interactionism theory. With the conflict theory I'll be examining

rape with the conflict theory through the feminist/queer theory lense.
In my opinion, a view of Rape and Rape culture through the functionalist perspective can only be explained of how it upsets the core of the perspective.

Rape serves no purpose in society because it adds nothing to social roles and keeps no type of harmony. There is no type of stability to be found in Rape. The sole purpose and effects of consensual partnership is to create the next generation and people finding life partners. Without that consent, what is there to be gained?. Luckily, the average person would agree with this. Any decent person can understand that rape is a bad thing and should be punished. But why do people still avoid talking about it? Or not take people who report it seriously? Why are male victims of rape barely ever talked about? I want to try to answer those questions with the other two of the big three

theories.
Through the conflict theory, Rape and Rape culture is designed itself to for one person to have power over another. I feel that the people being dominated by Rape culture are any femme presenting individuals, people of color, LGBT+ identifying individuals, or any combination of these three. According to rainn.org 1 in 6 women have been victims of completed or attempted Sexual assault. 1 out of every 10 rape victims will be male. According to nclrights.org and ovc.org as the individual’s identity becomes more specific of their gender and race, the facts change a bit. 1 in 8 lesbian women and half of the percentage of bisexual women will experience sexual assault. 4 in 10 gay men will experience sexual assault with the same statistic of half of bisexual men experiencing sexual violence. In the same article there is a statistic that states 64% of transgendered individuals in their lives.
With the symbolic Interactionist Theory I will attempt to explain the origin of the problem of rape culture in society.

Firstly, Rape culture can be defined as the normalization and excusing of sexual violent behavior towards women in everyday media and culture (marshall.edu). Rape culture can also be the over sexualization of women’s bodies and misogynistic attitudes. These images and attitudes may not seem like they are obvious or even present but they are subtly weaved into many of the symbols and daily interactions in society. This is what causes rape and rape culture to be normalized. For example, if a young woman is sexually assaulted in a club, instead of asking details about the person who committed the act, the questions are reversed onto the victim. There are questions that arise such as, “what was she wearing?”, “was she drunk?”, “was she flirting with him/her at first?”. These questions are problematic because they suggest that the victim is the one is at fault for being sexaually assaulted. This idea is pushed by the symbolic interaction that if someone is trying to get lucky the other individual has to follow through, especially in party settings. I often see this especially in music and movies where stalking and harassing a person to the point of being uncomfortable is chalked up as a heated “romantic” pursuit.. For another example, women’s bodies (and often men’s too) are oversexualized. The is especially in the advertising industry and again in the media.

Using parts of a woman’s body as tools still dehumanizes her body as a whole. When there is just a zoom in of highheeled long legs in a magazine, those legs are officially sexual objects.
Overall, even though rape and rape culture stems from a patriarchal society, I do not thing a female/femme presenting society is necessarily the answer. I believe that there needs to be a balance and society itself needs to observe these problems carefully.