Do Violent Women Betray Stereotypes?
By Jacquelyn Wright
November 14, 2008
Dr. Laura Sjoberg recalled seeing a cover of the Los Angeles Times with a picture of the Abu Gharib prison torture and abuse scandal in Iraq. Her reaction? She was surprised to see a woman engaging in the violence.
The Women's Center and Women's Studies program invited Sjoberg give her lecture "Women's Violence in Global Politics," in Torgersen 3100 Thursday night, where admission was free and doors were open to all.
It was the last part in a series of lectures called "Through Feminist Eyes," put on by the Women's Center to bring in a variety of speakers on many different women's issues and achievements.
Barbara Ellen Smith, the director of Women's Studies, gave Sjoberg's introduction. Soon after, the lights were dimmed, a huge projector screen was lit up on the wall, and the crowd grew silent.
"Women are not supposed to be violent," Sjoberg told the audience of students and Blacksburg residents. She said violent women betray the stereotypes of what women are and what they should be.
But according to whom?
She told of the impact of the Times photograph. Fifteen minutes after seeing it, the impact hit her. She, a feminist, was surprised that a woman was engaging in such violence.
Heads nodded in the crowd at this point, as many realized they too had similar reactions to women's violence.
Sjoberg then acknowledged that women have come a long way with jobs such as politicians and government officials, but she said she understands how far women still have to go. " The Study of women's violence in global politics shows there are still boundaries," she said.
Sjoberg painted the clear picture that when it comes to war, women are still seen as these naturally nurturing, domesticated and inferior people who need protection.
Instead of taking this stereotypical viewpoint, Sjoberg said, "As women's freedoms increase, so will their violence." They no longer need to be looked at as people who need protection, she said, adding that, in fact, others may need protection from these women.
Sjoberg said that when women engage in violence, they are often portrayed as one of three things: mothers, monsters or whores who have no agency in their violence. Instead, their violence is always attributed to some sort of emotion or problem, never just because they are strong-willed women fighting for their rights. If it's a woman engaging in violence then popular culture always attributes her violence to some sort of disorder or emotional breakdown.
"When I see women interacting in violence under their free will it really confuses me because I feel like they probably had some type of mental hold on them that caused them to do it," agreed Kara Noble, 19, a graphic design major at Virginia Tech.
Sjoberg ended with some quotes from her slides: "Violent women are psychologically handicapped and therefore unable to make their own decisions."
"Violent women are different than 'real' or 'regular' women."
"Violent women cannot speak
for themselves."
Comments (5)
An expose on the gender feminist construct which has inaacurately portrayed women as morally superior beings. Interesting, maybe they had women's behavior more accurately pegged before the third wave of insane feminism. This presentation was good because it is a start at moving beyond the "women always good, only victim" mentality that is rampant in women's studies departments.
amy | November 15, 2008 11:46 AMI have had similar feelings for awhile, but since I'm male I feel afraid to say anything to most people because I will get some sort of miscellaneous emasculating or non-gender specific belittling comment made against me. I know of at least two incidents where women committed DV against my male friends but they kinda shrugged it off since that's all they have to power to really do in today's world.
Michael | November 15, 2008 12:37 PMI am afraid today's men are very misguided. They're trying to be get themselves feminised & try to be ultra-accomodating towards women, to the point where their own self-respect goes for a toss.
I wonder where they get this nonsensical mentality. I am not a Christian but I know the Bible upholds universal brotherhood & respect of manhood. But will the idiots care ? They don't really seem to be concerned about their own well-being. Just read a story about women in Japan killing their young children.
Now they say if women are killing their own children, it is not their own fault. Suppossedly its depression caused by neglect by their husbands. How can any amount of depression cause you to kill small innocent children ? Why don't you just kill yourself instead ? It could only mean a monstrous mentality. They should be executed at once. But the age of women's equality will fight tooth & nail to save these 'victim' females to the point where their husbands will be made to sound the actual offender. The men are complicit in this garbage by supporting these monster wives & even accepting that somehow they're at fault.
I don't know whats wrong with men of today. But the Bible's genesis story should serve a reminder. It was woman who was created from man to serve as his help-mate in his work assigned by God & not the other way around. Also it was woman who disobeyed God & obeyed the serpent. The man did not obey the serpent but choose to comply with the woman when she asked him to. We know what happened next, don't we ? This is a very profound allegorical tale. But people miss the significance of it. If men of today only understood this tale they'll stop being mere appendages to their womenfolk.
Women can be violent in the most vile way. And this has been known for thousands of years by people. But this new-age nonsense of equality has put all that knowledge on the back-burner. Women are not more caring & understanding than men. They only pretend to be so. Remember, actions speak louder than words. But men today do not want common sense. They're the most disconnected men in history, disconnected from truth, living in a world that at every turn is abusing them in a way that would never happen to a woman. But they'll live like blind bats, not ready to accept that they really need to be MEN & stand up against crap. If not, they will be the first casualties - before the women & children. This has been the case all through history & it is now as well. No amount of man-made equality will change it.
anon | November 16, 2008 11:24 PMIt's fun watching feminists turn themselves inside out. For decades, they've concocted theories of Patriarchy that blamed any wrong committed by women on male privilege. Now, shocked at their own attitudes of women, they're coming up with a new set of theories to blame it on male privilege and musing over how women still have a long way to go before Patriarchy gets overcome. And in the process, they are taking pride in the strength of women who committed war crimes by torturing imprisoned men.
bbk | November 23, 2008 10:06 AMwomen that are violent is my issue that i can be proof that when are manipulative at all given time ,its in there nature that refers to stereo type women,violent women have wicked attraction,they are strong in every aspect of good will ,if in circumstance like my presence my woman thinks she the man in this relation, in between that, i have son so you try to make the best of it to continue as i do so cause the right of my position of being a father ,provider,supporter of my reality .... wicked women dont have principles even at their prime i ask GOD to help me pass each day to give me strength every day of my life..my relationship in my past is all wicked women who never believe in being prosperous ...so its no surprise that women are evil genders when they have issues that they endorse as kids some were abused,raped,molested or just have mental distractions to come to mind unknowingly i speak beyond what you readers read on the average on typical relationships.quickly said at the age eleven my babysitter force sex on me and introduce me to all world of wicked women in my path so i have so so many stories that will amaze the real media networks im 35years old and i know better now to become more loving for myself and children ..torture you cause they can get away with murder and the man will pay severely for their violent ways THEY SHOULD BE A LAW THAT CONSTITUTES AGAINST WOMEN THAT VIOLATES MEN RIGHTS VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN IS REAL,,, BY THE AGE OF FORTY MY BIOGRAPHY SHOULD BE ,PRINTED..BOOK TITLE
raji | December 29, 2008 11:41 PMHOW DID I GO WRONG SOON FOR THE WORLD TO KNOW
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