When Sexuality is Violence

Abstract

Violence and sexuality share a circular relationship: violence not only sets the parameters of individuals sexuality, it also affects their sexual persona and makes sexuality a space of fear and shame.

Our notions of sexuality are moulded by the many influences in our lives. In the realm of poetry and literature - from Rumi to Byron to Margaret Mitchell - it is a spell of love and passion that mere language is poverty stricken to capture. Evolutionary biology sees sex as the most basic form of survival, from a smoking, lonely planet four billion years ago to the present day. Modem-day advertising negotiates sexuality within the parameters of economics. Medicine defines sexuality as an exquisitely orchestrated dance of hormones and organs. And art still hasn't worked out its connection with life, leave alone sexuality. So its understandable why defining sexuality is such a difficult task.