Rape, rage and culture : African men and cultural conditions for justification of, and sanctions against rape

Abstract

This study is a cultural investigation into rape, with specific focus on the role of African men. With more than 70 000 cases of rape and sexual violence reported in a year in South Africa, and estimations that this may reflect one ninth of the actual number only, South Africa has been labelled the “rape capital” of the world. The study seeks to explain the root causes of rape, its ontological make-up and possibilities for resolving the issue by identifying cultural aspects, factors and manifestations that either justify or sanction rape. Four concepts, namely, rape, masculinity, culture and rage, serve as the thematic lens for identifying and interrogating cultural conditions through multidisciplinary and Africancentred perspectives. The analyses contained in the study are based on a mapping process involving comparing the data from a wide range of literature and also focus group interviews. Highlighting the multi-layered complexities of rape as phenomena, the study then outlines recommendations for transformative work in research, cultural institutions, communities, families and men