Reproducing Rape

This book offers new insight into one of the most disturbing social problems of modern societies: rape. Matoesian provides an analysis of pre-existing studies of the phenomenon, but in the bulk of the book he seeks to break away from existing approaches. We can understand how patriarchal domination is perpetuated, Matoesian argues, by looking at the social organization of rape trials. Using tape recordings of actual trials, Reproducing Rape considers the cross-examination of the victim as an adversarial war of words which serves in effect as a system of domination. Rather than looking at the way in which rape is experienced subjectively by individual victims, Matoesian explicates how rape is interpreted and classified within the ongoing language of the court room. Reproducing Rape will be of interest to students and professionals in the fields of sociology, feminist theory, linguistics, criminology and legal studies. The book represents a contribution to social theory as well as to the empirical study of the conditions of sexual violence.