*Trigger Warning: Rape*
According to Cultural geography, “social stratification” refers to society’s categorisation of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, gender, occupation and social status or derived power (social and political).
As such, stratification is the relative social position of persons within a social group, category, geographic region or social unit. And if we produce a diagram, it would come out as a pyramid distinguishing the categories.
Now coming to “rape stratification”, which is very similar to the definition of social stratification, having a hierarchical order:
- The foundation (Victimisation): objectification, gender-biased stereotypes and asking for “nudes”.
- Niche 01 (Beleaguer): casual sexism, homophobic jokes, rape jokes and misogyny.
- Niche 02 (Degradation): force, verbal abuse, threats, insults, sexist bullying, sexual harassment and emotional abuse.
- Niche 03 (Removal of autonomy): lack of consent, sexual assaults, domestic violence, rapes and gang rapes.
- Niche 04 (Explicit violence): murders and brutal murders.
Why have I used the term niche instead of stages? According to environmental geography, a niche is defined as the evolutionary result of a species morphological (morphology refers to an organism’s physical structure), physiological and behavioural adaptations to its surroundings.
With the growth of larger, pervasive problem of rape culture, objectification of women comes from a deep sense of entitlement; across barriers of caste, income and education. The niche of the rape stratification pyramid is a systematic problem and will continue unless the root cause of patriarchy, entitlement and toxic masculinity are addressed.
The fiasco lies within “rape stratification” promoting “rape culture” in filthy mentality. Understanding zero consequences like we have been ignoring the roots of ill results of social stratification, let’s not ignore the fact of “rape stratification”. We need to make sex education important, including the knowledge of rape stratification in the school syllabus.
And why school syllabus? Because it’s high time that the State realises that young girls are exposed to horrific scrutiny and misogyny by underage boys who are part of their social media or social circles.
Cyberbullying is the reason for degrading mental health, risk of increased suicides and self-harm and other issues among teenagers across the world.
Hiding irresponsible behaviour behind “not all men”; letting men get away with abuse because “boys will be boys”, is wrong. All those complacent within the heads talk is wrong.
In light of being a country where several other instances of misogyny have become a habit, it’s important for all of us to understand rape culture and how it stratifies and how we might be unknowingly contributing to it. This is an illness; curb it before it infects the whole nation.
Know rape stratification, stop rape stratification.