Subject subjected - Sexualised coercion, agency and the reorganisation and reformulation of life strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/ocps.v10i2.1974Keywords:
sexual coercion, agency, subjectivityAbstract
When not acting in ways that are recognised as physical
self-defence, women are often – in psychology and in
other dominant discourses – generalised as inherently
passive during subjection to sexualised coercion (rape
and attempted rape). Likewise, in the aftermaths, their
(in)actions are frequently pathologised as ‘maladaptive
coping strategies’.
We present theoretically and empirically based arguments
for an agency-oriented approach to women’s
perspectives on sexualised coercion. Agency is understood
as intentional, situated and strategic. Sexualised
coercion is not generalised as a single “traumatic”
event, but conceptualised as life events. Meanings of
coercion are embedded in social activities connected
to discourses on ‘rape’ and ‘trauma’. Thus personal
meanings of subjection are understood as developed in
and through participation in trajectories across diverse
contexts.
Adopted in our study, this approach points to the
great diversity of personal meanings of sexualised coercion.
Moreover, it reveals intimate connections between
situated, personal and dominant discursive meanings of
coercion, and women’s strategies of (in)actions during
and in the aftermaths of the events.
Our analysis of participants’ perspectives also indicates
an imperative need for reinterpreting concepts
such as ‘victim’ and ‘passivity’. In a reinterpretation
women, although subjected to sexualised coercion,
emerge as subjects both during subjection and in the
aftermaths. Furthermore their seemingly pathological
behaviour may be re-conceptualised as personally sense-making
strategies of action in reflected attempts
at (re)formulating and (re)organising their life
strategies.
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