Literature Review Blog #4

1. Visual: 

2. Citation: 
Smith, Merril D. Sex without Consent: Rape and Sexual Coercion in America. New York: New York UP, 2001. Print.

3. Summary: This book explores the meaning of rape as well as the experience and prosecution related. Through this exploration of what rape meant in particular times and places in American history, from interracial encounters due to colonization and slavery to rape on contemporary college campuses, the contributors to this book help us understand the crime and punishment as well as gender roles and sexual politics.

4. Author: Merril D. Smith is the editor of this collection of essays. She is an independent scholar, author, and editor. Merril has a PhD in American History from Temple University and extensive experience in American history with a focus on early American women’s lives and sex and sexuality.

5. Key terms:

• Sexual coercion: the act of using subtle pressure, drugs, alcohol, or force to have sexual contact with someone against their will. Sexual coercion is ongoing attempts to have sexual contact of some kind with another person who has already made it clear that he or she does not want to have sexual contact. Sexual coercion is the act of being persuaded to have sex (or engage in other sexual activities) when you don't want to. (http://bandbacktogether.com/sexual-coercion-resources/)
• Sex crimes: criminal offenses of a sexual nature. Commonly known sex crimes include, rape, child molestation, sexual battery, lewd conduct, possession and distribution of child pornography, possession and distribution of obscene material, prostitution, solicitation of prostitution, pimping, pandering, indecent exposure, lewd act with a child, and penetration of the genital or anal region by a foreign Object. (http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/sex-crime/)

6. Quotes:

• "The perception of women's and men's natures and ideas about their proper roles differs and changes throughout the centuries and places studied here. Women were variously considered "lustful daughters of Eve," pure or asexual creatures, and demure but willing temptresses. Sometimes these notions coexisted at a particular time or depended upon the race, ethnicity, or class of the women involved. Similarly, men might be considered the "protectors" of women, hapless victims caught in their snare, or lust-filled beasts. These ideas about women and men, in turn, colored the perception of rape throughout American history and the formulation of rape laws and prosecutorial procedures" (Introduction)
• "Besides examining who commits rapes and who is raped, these essays look at where rapes occur... College campuses, whether urban or not, are also the site of many rapes. As Campbell-Ruggaard and Van Ryswyk have documented, the number of campus rapes is greatly under-reported. For one thing, methods of collecting statistics and reporting crimes vary from school to school. In addition, some students feel that the assault was not really a 'crime,' so they do not report it to authorities. As Campbell-Ruggaard and Van Ryswyck note, many college rapists do not even consider themselves to be rapists. They do not believe that they really forced their partners into having sex" (Introduction).

7. Value: This collections of essays would be valuable to my research paper because it gives us a very historical perspective on nonconsensual sex. I believe that in order to understand things, one must look at the history of it. These essays will help get down to the bottom of sexual coercion as well as the politics and punishment of it in order to then look at the cases.