Homo Economicus as the Rapist in Sociobiology (From Violence Against Women - A Critique of the Sociobiology of Rape, P 85-114, 1985, Suzanne R Sunday and Ethel Tobach, eds. - See NCJ-99563)

• NCJ Number: 99567
• Author(s): J S Schwendinger; H Schwendinger
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 30 pages
• Sale Source: Gordian Press, Inc.
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter interprets the sociobiological explanation of rape behavior as a version of utilitarian and classical economic theory, compares the sociobiological and feminist views of rape behavior, and contrasts the implications of these views for rape prevention.

Abstract

Sociobiologists argue that rape is a genetically programmed, adaptive, reproductive strategy used by men who have been unsuccessful in achieving consensual sexual relations. In presenting these explanations of rape behavior, however, sociobiologists do not provide an indepth analysis of the biological processes that produce such adaptive social behavior. Instead, their behavioral explanations are drawn from utilitarianism (pleasure-pain premises) and classical economic theory. Using classical economic theorizing, sociobiologists reason that rapists, who have limited resources to propagate through consensual sexual relations, maximize their reproductive return by choosing to force the reproductive act on an unwilling female. Feminist interpretations of rape behavior, on the other hand, view it as conditioned cultural behavior resulting from patterns of male dominance over women and the use of violence to control women and resolve problems in general. Sociobiologists tend to recommend punishment as a means of deterring persons from choosing rape as an adaptive strategy. The feminist view of rape encourages prevention through the development of social policy and public education designed to change cultural values that promote gender inequality and violence against women. Thirty-nine references are listed.