I saw an article today about video game sexualized violence and it argued that any violence that happens in this setting is wrong and should be considered a crime. This debate has been going on for awhile and it also includes whether or not violence in video games can have an effect on children's behavior. I'm kind of still debating this myself. Before this class, I thought that it was the parents' job to teach children to differentiate between the real and the virtual world. It seemed pretty logical. But now, I think that they should still teach their children but not responsible or liable if their children can't make that difference. This argument can also apply to pornography. In Law and Order, Special Victims Unit, (one of my favorite shows) there had been cases where males see rapes, torturing, among other things in video games and porn and try to replicate it in their personal lives. But in these types of cases, who is responsible: the guy who commits these crimes or the industries that create the scenarios? It's a fine line because society first creates these criminals and then punishes them for the same behavior it taught them. This is a question I still can't answer. But, by using this example, I think that sexualized violence in video games is real because it programs the users to think that this is ok, in other words, it normalizes violent behavior. It is the same process that is seen in the military. Weird how all of these things are connected...
But please comment with your ideas.
Hi Maria,
ReplyDeleteI did an anthropology project on this exact topic, and my final takeaway was:
It is the proverbial chicken and egg scenario.
But, just like with victim-blaming, the real question is: what kind of a society are we that creates these images and markets them to young people? This would seem to indicate that we are A OK with this kind of behavior.
So, yes, people should know better. But we as a culture are sending some pretty mixed messages about what's OK: violent images and games: yes. Billion-dollar porn industry: yes. Rape if you're a famous sports player: well, you probably won't get a very harsh sentence. More funding for shelters for survivors of domestic abuse: NO. Images and games that promote sensitivity, creativity and flexible gender roles: NO.
So while I think on some level everyone but the mentally ill know that rape is wrong, societally we punish VICTIMS, not perpetrators. So where would kids be getting the message that it's not OK?
The influence of two parents (which our popular media tells us not to listen to anyways) is not much against the brunt of American Mainstream/malestream culture.
I definitely agree! It also puts a lot of pressure for parents to raise their kids a certain way, but it's only two (sometimes one) parent(s) against this giant monster of sexualized violence in society. That's why I like to see examples of struggles and mini-revolutions in different settings. I think it was Lisa who was doing the paper on pornography and she talked about a woman making her own porn from a woman's perspective. Whether or not you think that porn is morally wrong, this woman is taking control and has power in an industry where the majority of "players" are men. It just goes to show that small groups can make a difference!
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