- Sanday, Peggy Reeves. Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood, and Privilege on Campus. New York University Press, 2007.
- This book works to explain to the reader the everyday life and issues associated with fraternities, specifically with the sexual assaults happening in college. In just the first chapter, Sandy writes: “on many campuses, the sexual culture includes the notion that sexual exploitation is part of normal male sexual expression.” The book summarizes the life os college students in a time where forty-four percent of women report having sexual relations because of pressure, and fifteen percent of women have been threatened or forced to have sex. It includes interviews with both men and women, frat boys and sorority girls, victims and accused.
- The author of this book is Peggy Reeves Sandy.
- Peggy Reeves Sandy is a professor in anthropology at UPenn. She has written about eight books, most of them focused on women’s issues. She has a BA from Columbia University and a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. Additionally, she won the Humanitarian Award from the Commission on Assaults against Women in 1983.
- One term that’s used in the book is “riffing.” Riffing means “getting sex from women through talking, dancing, or drinking.” (Sandy 72) Another is
“Heap.” Anna, a character in the book, says that “heaping” is the punishment to a frat brother when doing something against the house rules. Heaping involves being tackled by the rest of the house while they are chanting “heap.” (Sandy 79) - Quotes:
- Quote one describes the fragile masculinity that is prevalent in frat houses. “According to Anna, the heap is one of the ways in which the brothers permit themselves physical contact with one another without compromising their ‘heterosexist male identity’” (Sandy 80)
- Quote two shows how women are seen as objects to be used in frats. “These young women are victimized because they are pawns in a status game played by brothers” (Sandy 81)
- Quote three highlights some reasons why women don’t report sexual assault in college in the first place. This quote is from the story of a woman, Laurel, who reported the sexual assault she received at a frat house five days prior. “Given the institution's support for male privilege in the U. and the history of sexual abuse at fraternity parties, it is surprising that Laurel resisted the brother's definition of what happened and reported the incident.” (Sandy 83)
- My project is hopefully going to take a deep dive into a women’s public worth in college. This book highlighting sexual assault in fraternities relates to a women's feeling of her own worth after rape, as well as how other people see a woman's worth. According to Rapecrisis.org.uk, a rape victim has a higher chance of feeling worthless because of the process that is defined in this book.
I thought this reading would be useful to you because it talks about how fraternity organization and culture actively promote the sexual exploitation of women. You might look at "ratio" within that context, as it is so clearly a practice designed to increase the chances that exploitable women will be delivered to fraternity parties. Yet it is also ritualized and institutionalized in ways that become accepted without analysis or questioning -- meaning no one ever stops to ask why a fraternity would have ratio rules in place for parties. It is simply an accepted institutional practice. The ritual of "gang rape" is just one of many ways that an "exploitation" mindset is inculcated within fraternity members.
ReplyDeleteYou should also write a lit review of Armstrong and Hamilton's article on "Sexual Assault on Campus," which I shared with you. It seems very relevant to your research, as it develops a situational understanding of sexual assault and tries to understand why fraternities in particular are so frequently the site of sexual assault on campus, because of institutional factors. Basically, fraternities have institutionalized the sexual exploitation of women, and their practices and rituals (including ratio, binge drinking, expectations of vulnerability and risk taking associated with party culture, etc.) make sexual assault more likely to occur. In their view, fraternities are among the campus contexts where "gender inequality is institutionalized on campus by 'formal structure' that supports and intensifies an already 'high-pressure heterosexual peer group.'" Their perspective "grounds sexual assault in organizations that provide opportunities and resources" due to their institutionally-sponsored practices -- including "ratio" (which provides the "resource" of women). I think that after reading Armstrong and Hamilton's piece, you might return to Sanday's book to see how she also tries to analyze the institutionalized and ritualized activities that create the context for sexual assault on campus. That framework will make it easier to analyze "ratio," and you should practice using some of that language to create your frame for analysis.