The price of being ‘Friends of Harvey’: men, power and sexual violence

Professor Jordan discusses the socially embedded nature of patriarchal legacies.

Inaugural lecture—Professor Jan Jordan

October 2020

When women began speaking out against sexual predator Harvey Weinstein, two questions frequently asked were: why did he do it, and how did he get away with it for so long? This talk explores these questions in considering the tenacity of rape culture in the 21st century.

In this lecture Professor Jan Jordan will examine the socially embedded nature of patriarchal legacies, arguing that our high rates of sexual violence will continue while we persist in objectifying women’s bodies and silencing their voices.

Dismantling rape culture is essential not only for the ‘liberation’ of women but to liberate all of humanity, as well as the planet we call home.

Trigger warning: this video contains discussions of rape and sexual violence.

This is Professor Jordan’s inaugural lecture as Professor in Criminology at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Our public lecture series gives you the opportunity to engage with the latest thinking on the world’s major issues.

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