On blogging and research projects

Sorry that the blog has been silent as of late. I’m on the last stretch of finishing up a big research project on rape and sexual assault in Christian dating/relationship books. 

I’ve got a title: “‘You Are Not Your Own:’ Rape, Sexual Assault, and Consent in Evangelical Christian Dating Books.”

I’ve also got FINDINGS: 

1. Benevolent Sexism, Traditional Gender Roles, and Dehumanization (of men AND women) create an environment ripe for rape myth acceptance. 

2. Bodily Autonomy is denied to women, as someone always “owns” you and you are at least partially responsible for the actions of men.

3. Consent/choice are discussed, but they are basically an illusion. Before marriage, the only “choice” that is not a sin against God is to say “no” to sex. After marriage, the only “choice” that is not a sin against God is to say “yes.” 

4. Though some healthy discussion of rape and sexual assault exists, it is marred by the fact that these discussions also blur the lines between rape and consensual premarital sex. 

Now to write about my findings. Once I’m done with my paper, I hope to be able to discuss these findings in more detail here on the blog. Until then, thanks for reading!