After reading the troubling findings of a
study conducted by Tara Ferguson and colleagues, which explored how exposure to
a promiscuous stereotype influenced sexual harassment judgments, I began to
think about the broader topic of personal responsibility. Ferguson’s study
found that those exposed to promiscuous women perceived a victim of sexual
harassment as less traumatized and more responsible for the event. In addition
it was found that the activation of the promiscuous female stereotype was shown
to have generalized to judgments of women in nonsexual contexts (Ferguson et
al., 2005, p. 477). I find these results concerning, not only for that fact that
they reveal a cognition that justifies sexual harassment towards promiscuously perceived females but also that this sexual stereotyping penetrates
nonsexual domains.
Reverting back to my thoughts about personal responsibility in
regards to sexual harassment, I think that it is relevant to acknowledge the societal
assumption and media portrayals of men that broadly claim that males cannot
control their sexual impulses. For instance, the statement that “Boys will be
boys” is a popular cultural mantra that minimizes the inappropriate behaviors
of males. I believe that statements such as this reveal a prevalent cultural notion
about males that is problematic in the way in which it excuses their behavior and
consequently disperses the blame on females.
A segment from The Daily Show depicts prevalent media outlets endorsing sexual harassment on the belief that society cannot “…restrain boys from being boys. So the long stare, the off-hand comment, you have to…excuse it? Because it was certainly provoked”. I reject the prevalent justification that people make, as seen in Ferguson’s work, which states that a women’s promiscuity makes her more responsible for the event. This statement blames the victim and also dehumanizes promiscuous females by indicating that they do not deserve the same rights and respect as other women. It also ignores the instances of sexual harassment in which women who are not dressed provocatively continue to be sexually harassed. I do not believe that simply being a female in the presence of men should elicit sexual harassment, nor do I believe that if a women is dressed in revealing clothing that it justifies inappropriate comments and stares.
I am not blaming sexual harassment on men or women, but on the media that cultivates behavioral exemptions for men and produces stereotypical representations of women that impose sexual scripts on nonsexual daily activities. It time that intellectually advanced societies, such as the United States, cease to perpetuate sexually ignorant ideas by holding men and women to the same behavioral standards, regardless of sex or physical appearance.
References
Ferguson, T., Berlin, J., Noles, E., Johnson, J., Reed, W., & Spicer, C. V. (2005). Variation in the application of the “promiscuous female” stereotype and the nature of the application domain: Influences on sexual harassment judgments after exposure to the Jerry Springer Show. Sex roles, 52(7-8), 477-487.
I really enjoyed your post Megan. That is such a great thought. I feel as though while our society is become progressively more aware of the way that men’s perceptions and treatment of women shape policy and social norms, the idea that “boys will be boys” is most certainly perpetuated in the media and something that has not been formally addressed. I think about it, and wonder if women did not dress provocatively would this idea of “boys will be boys” still stand? If, in fact, “boys will be boys” it shouldn’t necessarily matter what women wear, right? That being said it makes the case that the statement “boys will be boys” is an excuse for any kind of advance or vulgar comment/ statement/ action regardless of the women’s dress, a concerning thought. The media shapes our culture, and if we can begin to send the message that men have control over their emotions in our sitcoms, dramas, commercials, and so forth maybe we can begin to begin to silence this claim.
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