Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the Present

Since 1932, Poland has had a progressive law regarding rape, according to which rape is defined regardless of the relationship between the rapist and the victim or their gender. However, this law has not been fully executed because of widespread stereotypes concerning rape. This paper draws on multi...

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Main Author: Agnieszka Kościańska
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Open Library of Humanities 2020-08-01
Series:Ethnologia Europaea
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ee.openlibhums.org/article/id/1740/
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author Agnieszka Kościańska
author_facet Agnieszka Kościańska
author_sort Agnieszka Kościańska
collection DOAJ
description Since 1932, Poland has had a progressive law regarding rape, according to which rape is defined regardless of the relationship between the rapist and the victim or their gender. However, this law has not been fully executed because of widespread stereotypes concerning rape. This paper draws on multiple ethnographic and archival sources and focuses on the changes in discourses on rape and court practices in rape cases that have occurred since the 1970s. It shows that feminists have been instrumental in shifting discourses of sexual violence and court practices in rape cases by bringing women’s/victims’ voices into the public sphere. This paper also unveils mechanisms of emancipation that were not possible without local developments in expert knowledge and local feminist activity.
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spelling doaj.art-5cc4d2fd75724bffa6d6e134d1bcee6b2022-12-22T04:14:57ZengOpen Library of HumanitiesEthnologia Europaea1604-30302020-08-0150110.16995/ee.1740Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the PresentAgnieszka Kościańska0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5512-425XEthnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of WarsawSince 1932, Poland has had a progressive law regarding rape, according to which rape is defined regardless of the relationship between the rapist and the victim or their gender. However, this law has not been fully executed because of widespread stereotypes concerning rape. This paper draws on multiple ethnographic and archival sources and focuses on the changes in discourses on rape and court practices in rape cases that have occurred since the 1970s. It shows that feminists have been instrumental in shifting discourses of sexual violence and court practices in rape cases by bringing women’s/victims’ voices into the public sphere. This paper also unveils mechanisms of emancipation that were not possible without local developments in expert knowledge and local feminist activity.https://ee.openlibhums.org/article/id/1740/Polandfeminismpostsocialismhistory of sexualitysexual violence
spellingShingle Agnieszka Kościańska
Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the Present
Ethnologia Europaea
Poland
feminism
postsocialism
history of sexuality
sexual violence
title Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the Present
title_full Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the Present
title_fullStr Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the Present
title_full_unstemmed Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the Present
title_short Gender on Trial: Changes in Legal and Discursive Practices Concerning Sexual Violence in Poland from the 1970s to the Present
title_sort gender on trial changes in legal and discursive practices concerning sexual violence in poland from the 1970s to the present
topic Poland
feminism
postsocialism
history of sexuality
sexual violence
url https://ee.openlibhums.org/article/id/1740/
work_keys_str_mv AT agnieszkakoscianska genderontrialchangesinlegalanddiscursivepracticesconcerningsexualviolenceinpolandfromthe1970stothepresent