The Social Geometries of Rape

Abstract

Rape represents one form of sexual violence and may be defined as “forced sexual violation.” The following paper builds upon that definition to differentiate among three distinct types of rapes to create an analytic typology that specifies the conditions under which these are more likely to occur. By drawing upon Black’s theoretical approach of “pure sociology” and by examining the cross-cultural literature, the paper presents the different social fields or “social geometries” associated with variations in predatory, moralistic, and ritualistic rape. The paper also explains the social conditions most likely to ensure a relativeabsenceof rape. The paper thus offers an innovative strategy for re-thinking the sociological nature of rape, including implications for new approaches to measure and evaluate the likelihood of rape occurring.