Cultures of Harm: Sexual Violence in Local and Global Contexts. A Dialogue with Mithu Sanyal and Joanna Bourke

Joining her will be Dr. Mithu Sanyal, who will challenge conventional binaries—not only the victim/perpetrator dichotomy but also the gendered assumptions about who can be a victim and who commits rape. Drawing on her extensive work, Sanyal will focus on cultural representations of sexual violence and the potential for shifting narratives to foster resilience and societal change.

The session will conclude with an engaging discussion between Professors Bourke and Sanyal, who will bring their distinct but complementary perspectives to bear on these critical issues. Together, they aim to deepen our under­stand­ing of sexual violence and highlight pathways for cultural and societal transformation.

Panelists

• Prof. Joanna Bourke is Professor Emerita of History at Birkbeck, University of London, Professor Emerita of Rhetoric at Gresham College, and a Fellow of the British Academy, and an internationally recognised expert in the history of violence. She has published extensively on issues of war, gender, emotions, and pain, with one of her most renowned books being Disgrace: Global Reflections on Sexual Violence. Her work critically examines cultural and societal aspects of violence from a historical perspective and has had a profound impact on debates around violence, crime, gender and sexuality.
• Dr. Mithu Sanyal is a cultural theorist, author, and journalist whose work critically examines issues of gender, “race”, and sexual violence. She is the author of Rape: From Lucretia to #MeToo, an acclaimed exploration of the cultural and historical narratives surrounding rape and their impact on society today. Her writing challenges binary frameworks such as victim/perpetrator and the gendered assumptions of who can be a victim or perpetrator of sexual violence. Sanyal’s interdisciplinary approach blends cultural analysis with historical and social perspectives, making her a leading voice in reshaping public and academic conversations around gender, power, and resilience.
  

Anmeldung

Externe Gäste – Bitte melden Sie Ihre Teilnahme an bei Cristina Valega Chipoco: c.valega@csl.mpg.de.
Wenn Sie online teilnehmen möchten, erhalten Sie den Zoom-Link nach Anmeldung bei Cristina Valega Chipoco: c.valega@csl.mpg.de.