To be absolutely clear here: your problem with “objectification” is because it encourages slut-shaming rape victims? Because I’m still unclear after reading your comment as to how there’s cause and effect there.
Not quite. One of my problems with objectification is that it implies certain attitudes which—among other things—create a favourable environment for rapists. That being said, I wrote the above comment at a time when rape was particularly salient to me, and may have overstated its relevance to this issue; I would now argue, more generally, that objectification openly expressed within a social group signals to women (almost by definition!) that they are regarded as objects and will not receive the status of full personhood within that group. Because these attitudes can be difficult if not impossible for women to correct by speaking out, many make the decision to withdraw from the group, further tilting the power balance toward the men.
To be absolutely clear here: your problem with “objectification” is because it encourages slut-shaming rape victims? Because I’m still unclear after reading your comment as to how there’s cause and effect there.
Not quite. One of my problems with objectification is that it implies certain attitudes which—among other things—create a favourable environment for rapists. That being said, I wrote the above comment at a time when rape was particularly salient to me, and may have overstated its relevance to this issue; I would now argue, more generally, that objectification openly expressed within a social group signals to women (almost by definition!) that they are regarded as objects and will not receive the status of full personhood within that group. Because these attitudes can be difficult if not impossible for women to correct by speaking out, many make the decision to withdraw from the group, further tilting the power balance toward the men.
Fair enough. I can certainly see how that could happen.