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Rape, the masculine thing to do?

Lenander, Hanna LU (2017) FKVK02 20171
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This thesis deals with the vast number of rapes that have been conducted in DRC (the Democratic Republic of Congo) since the outbreak of war in ’98. To do this I have used a comparative case approach where I have compared the DRC military with the UN’s peacekeeping forces in DRC. I have done this through content analysis, and I have analyzed studies and reports from my two different cases. By using this method I have been able to determine different themes on how rape in DRC are explained. I have then used a theoretical framework on masculinity theory in war to analyze these themes. My theoretical framework explained how militarized masculinities are theorized and how peacekeeping forces construct their masculinity. The four main themes... (More)
This thesis deals with the vast number of rapes that have been conducted in DRC (the Democratic Republic of Congo) since the outbreak of war in ’98. To do this I have used a comparative case approach where I have compared the DRC military with the UN’s peacekeeping forces in DRC. I have done this through content analysis, and I have analyzed studies and reports from my two different cases. By using this method I have been able to determine different themes on how rape in DRC are explained. I have then used a theoretical framework on masculinity theory in war to analyze these themes. My theoretical framework explained how militarized masculinities are theorized and how peacekeeping forces construct their masculinity. The four main themes that I have seen to explain why the soldiers in both DRC military and the UN peacekeeping force is: failed masculinity, high heterosexual sex drive, being a protector/ provider and gender inequality. Especially the first two themes I have seen being important when explaining acts of rape in DRC. Failed masculinity makes the soldiers want to reassert their masculinity and violence is a prominent feature of masculinity which means that resorting to violence to reassert one’s failed masculinity might be an easy choice. The attitude of males’ high heterosexual sex drive also normalizes rape and enables the soldiers to use rape as tool to reassert their masculinity. It might seem as the perfect way to reassert their masculinity for some soldiers since it both includes the masculine feature of being violent and showing off the masculine high heterosexual sex drive. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lenander, Hanna LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
A comparative study of rape in DRC by the DRC military and the peacekeeping force
course
FKVK02 20171
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
language
English
id
8909169
date added to LUP
2017-07-11 18:01:47
date last changed
2017-07-11 18:01:47
@misc{8909169,
  abstract     = {{This thesis deals with the vast number of rapes that have been conducted in DRC (the Democratic Republic of Congo) since the outbreak of war in ’98. To do this I have used a comparative case approach where I have compared the DRC military with the UN’s peacekeeping forces in DRC. I have done this through content analysis, and I have analyzed studies and reports from my two different cases. By using this method I have been able to determine different themes on how rape in DRC are explained. I have then used a theoretical framework on masculinity theory in war to analyze these themes. My theoretical framework explained how militarized masculinities are theorized and how peacekeeping forces construct their masculinity. The four main themes that I have seen to explain why the soldiers in both DRC military and the UN peacekeeping force is: failed masculinity, high heterosexual sex drive, being a protector/ provider and gender inequality. Especially the first two themes I have seen being important when explaining acts of rape in DRC. Failed masculinity makes the soldiers want to reassert their masculinity and violence is a prominent feature of masculinity which means that resorting to violence to reassert one’s failed masculinity might be an easy choice. The attitude of males’ high heterosexual sex drive also normalizes rape and enables the soldiers to use rape as tool to reassert their masculinity. It might seem as the perfect way to reassert their masculinity for some soldiers since it both includes the masculine feature of being violent and showing off the masculine high heterosexual sex drive.}},
  author       = {{Lenander, Hanna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Rape, the masculine thing to do?}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}