The following pyramid clearly summarizes and demonstrates the relationship between casual sexism (at the bottom of the pyramid) and explicit violence — rape culture (at the top).
In the highly stratified, patriarchal Brahmanic Nepali society, knowledge and understanding about the relationship between casual sexism and rape culture is severely limited. The understanding is more acutely lacking in the male members of the society, not surprisingly.
Of course, patriarchal societies endow males with male privileges and normalizes patriarchy, among other things. Most males in such societies grow up blind to their gender privileges. In closed, conservative, and inward-looking societies the blindness is even more widespread and lack of understanding of patriarchy even more acute. One reason is that neither formal nor informal education ever address the issues associated with patriarchy. Knowledge and understanding of something as basic as the fact that gender is a social construct is not taught and therefore missing in most, for example!
Here, however, is an explanation of the above pyramid using an analogy that everyone who has been to secondary school and has attended grade 7 or 8 biology classes should be able to understand.
The relationship between casual sexism and rape culture/explicit violence is like that between the producers and tertiary consumers in an ecosystem shown above.
The more producers at the bottom — the more energy there is at the bottom of the energy pyramid— the more energy available for primary consumers. The more energy available to the primary consumers, the more they thrive and the more of their population the producers support.
The higher the population of primary consumers, the higher the population of secondary consumers they support. And finally, the higher the population of secondary consumers, the more tertiary consumers — apex predators — they support!
That is, the foundation, as it were, for the population of apex predators in an ecosystem is the producers. If one wants to limit the population of apex predators in an ecosystem, one would go to the producers — the root of the problem as it were (excuse the pun)! Manipulate the number of producers, that will have a knock-on effect which reaches the top of the pyramid — the number of apex predators. Playing around with or manipulating the population of the secondary consumers, for example, will address the problem for only the short term!
Similarly, in a rape culture, the higher the level of normalization, acceptance, and prevalence of casual sexism, the higher the number of predators, sexual predators, they end up supporting! To root out rape culture, we must destroy its foundational support — casual sexism!
We must change our culture. Both formal and informal education MUST impart knowledge and understanding about patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and curve the kind of mentality, attitude, and behaviors they foster, support, and perpetuate. Of course, they all lead to the furthering and sustenance of a rape culture in a society.
What do you think?
PS. Of course, it goes without saying but if you stretch the analogy farther, it’ll break down, like pretty much every analogy! (No ecosystem can support a constantly growing population of ALL life forms found within!) Regardless, I make a point of mentioning that because I have encountered folks, especially fellow Nepalis, who, firstly, struggle to understand analogies, and, secondly, stretch an analogy to “demonstrate” that it’s off or doesn’t work.
