With her brand-new book, MeToo: How Rape Culture in the Media Impacts Us All expected to release in June 2021, University of Iowa professor Meenakshi Gigi Durham explores rape culture and sexual assault in media organizations, as well as the implications of social media in the MeToo movement.
Professor Durham has been studying the media representation of gender and sexuality for over 20 years and has released a multitude of distinguished work within the field. Each book expands on one another, and this especially holds true with her latest installment.
“I’m looking really close at rape culture, which has been a theme in my previous writings, but in this one I'm really focusing the lens on that,” said Professor Durham. “I’m taking a broader look and I’m investigating the media not just as a site of representation and not just a site in which people respond as audiences, but I’m also looking at media organizations as kind of a petri dish for rape culture.”
She also goes through the positives and negatives of social media within rape culture. On one hand, it is able to give the victim a platform to speak out on, but on the other hand, it also presents the opportunity for cyber stalking and a multitude of forums to discuss pursuing violence against women.
Professor Durham explains how to handle these pros and cons as we move forward into the unknown.
“The media is such a complicated, complex terrain. It’s not all one thing or another,” said Professor Durham. “My focus is really on the progressive anti-rape activism that can happen in media spaces…. But I think also in recognizing the more oppressive and dangerous and damaging aspects of the media, we can take steps to counter them.”
While responsible for contributing to the problem of sexual assault, social media has also shown many positives in this battle. Professor Durham believes that huge strides can be made by promoting the anti-rape side of the web while simultaneously diminishing the rape culture that currently exists.
Now with a great awareness on the topic, Professor Durham also believes there can be steps taken through legislation to help ensure the safety of victims. It is important to continue the momentum gained throughout the past couple of years and expand the movement further past the stage of social awareness.
In recent years the MeToo movement has made tremendous strides. In large, it’s thanks to the combination of in-depth research by scholars like Professor Durham as well as the bravery shown by victims speaking out about their experience.
Professor Durham has been studying the intersection of the female body, rape culture, and media for quite some time now. She truly cares about this cause, which is a big reason why she has found so much success in her career.
She urges all aspiring writers and researchers to focus on a cause that they truly care about. It is a long process, and if you aren’t as interested, you may lose focus or interest along the way. Let your passion drive your words.
“If you find something that really lights you up, the work is going to be good,” said Professor Durham. “No one wants to read about anything that the author isn’t interested in. If the writer is interested in it, it’s going to be terrific.”
This article was written by Dylan Fadden, current student. You can also listen to his podcast interview with Professor Durham by clicking here.