Tackling the Problem, Entrenching the Stereotype - How German Sexual Violence Policy Shapes Perceptions about Women and Women from Minority Groups
(2024) WPMM43 20241Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- Sexual violence (SV) is a problem that disproportionately involves men acting
violently towards women, especially against women from social minority groups
like women with disabilities or with an immigration background. In addressing the
issue, policies to address sexual violence honor this empirical reality by developing
measures that are focused on supporting women and that are targeted at the
relationship between sexual violence and minority women’s life-situation. In doing
so, policies themselves create certain images of women in general and of women
who are part of marginalized groups throughout the policy text. These depictions,
in turn, can either reinforce or challenge stereotypical patriarchal and marginalizing
... (More) - Sexual violence (SV) is a problem that disproportionately involves men acting
violently towards women, especially against women from social minority groups
like women with disabilities or with an immigration background. In addressing the
issue, policies to address sexual violence honor this empirical reality by developing
measures that are focused on supporting women and that are targeted at the
relationship between sexual violence and minority women’s life-situation. In doing
so, policies themselves create certain images of women in general and of women
who are part of marginalized groups throughout the policy text. These depictions,
in turn, can either reinforce or challenge stereotypical patriarchal and marginalizing
beliefs. This research analyzes whether stereotypes are reinforced or challenged in
German SV policy documents implemented between 2007 and 2024. Employing
Allan’s (2008) Policy Discourse Analysis Framework (PDA) as both a theoretical
framework and a methodological approach, it investigates the discourses embedded
within German sexual violence policy and how they reinforce or counter
stereotypical beliefs around women’s position in society as inferior to men and
minority group’s position as inferior to the dominant group’s. The findings reveal
that SV policies primarily perpetuate stereotypical beliefs. They do so via
discourses of risk and dependency that frame women as vulnerable, weak, and
dependent in line with societal gender stereotypes of weakness and dependency. In
the case of marginalized groups, a discourse of specificity depicts minority women as different
from the majority, reinforcing stereotypical beliefs of minority groups as inherently
different to ‘the people’. Contrary to the main finding, however, the policies also
contain a discourse of feminism and a discourse of inclusion, in the case of
marginalized groups, that highlight women’s agency and capability and perceive
minority groups as at the center of society instead of at its margins. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9152447
- author
- Vadasi, Luisa Maria LU
- supervisor
-
- Moira Nelson LU
- organization
- course
- WPMM43 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Sexual violence policy, policy discourses, gender stereotypes, minority group stereotypes, empowerment
- language
- English
- id
- 9152447
- date added to LUP
- 2024-07-18 14:03:11
- date last changed
- 2024-07-18 14:03:11
@misc{9152447, abstract = {{Sexual violence (SV) is a problem that disproportionately involves men acting violently towards women, especially against women from social minority groups like women with disabilities or with an immigration background. In addressing the issue, policies to address sexual violence honor this empirical reality by developing measures that are focused on supporting women and that are targeted at the relationship between sexual violence and minority women’s life-situation. In doing so, policies themselves create certain images of women in general and of women who are part of marginalized groups throughout the policy text. These depictions, in turn, can either reinforce or challenge stereotypical patriarchal and marginalizing beliefs. This research analyzes whether stereotypes are reinforced or challenged in German SV policy documents implemented between 2007 and 2024. Employing Allan’s (2008) Policy Discourse Analysis Framework (PDA) as both a theoretical framework and a methodological approach, it investigates the discourses embedded within German sexual violence policy and how they reinforce or counter stereotypical beliefs around women’s position in society as inferior to men and minority group’s position as inferior to the dominant group’s. The findings reveal that SV policies primarily perpetuate stereotypical beliefs. They do so via discourses of risk and dependency that frame women as vulnerable, weak, and dependent in line with societal gender stereotypes of weakness and dependency. In the case of marginalized groups, a discourse of specificity depicts minority women as different from the majority, reinforcing stereotypical beliefs of minority groups as inherently different to ‘the people’. Contrary to the main finding, however, the policies also contain a discourse of feminism and a discourse of inclusion, in the case of marginalized groups, that highlight women’s agency and capability and perceive minority groups as at the center of society instead of at its margins.}}, author = {{Vadasi, Luisa Maria}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Tackling the Problem, Entrenching the Stereotype - How German Sexual Violence Policy Shapes Perceptions about Women and Women from Minority Groups}}, year = {{2024}}, }