Work of Rape

Rana M. Jaleel's book, The Work of Rape, argues that the redefinition of sexual violence as a war crime, crime against humanity, and genocide owes a debt to power and knowledge gained from racial, imperial, and settler colonial domination. She prioritizes critiques of racial capitalism from women of color, Indigenous, queer, trans, and Global South perspectives, reorienting how violence is socially defined and distributed through legal definitions of rape. Jaleel examines how post-Cold War orders of global security and governance transform the meaning of sexualized violence, extend the US empire, and disavow legacies of enslavement, Indigenous dispossession, and racialized violence within the United States.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 280 pages
\n Publication date: 25 October 2021
\n Publisher: Duke University Press
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Rana M. Jaleel's groundbreaking work, "The Work of Rape," delves into the intricate relationship between power, knowledge, and the redefinition of sexual violence within international law. Jaleel argues that the criminalization of sexual violence as a war crime, crime against humanity, and genocide is deeply rooted in the historical legacies of racial, imperial, and settler colonial domination. By prioritizing critiques of racial capitalism from women of color, Indigenous, queer, trans, and Global South perspectives, Jaleel challenges the conventional understanding of violence and its social definitions.

Through a comprehensive analysis of various historical contexts, including Cold War conflicts in Latin America, the 1990s ethnic wars in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, and the War on Terror, Jaleel demonstrates how legal definitions of rape and the terms associated with it, such as consent, force, and coercion, serve as unstable indexes and abstractions of social difference. These constructs mediate racial and colonial positionalities, perpetuating cycles of violence and oppression.

Jaleel's work is particularly insightful in its exploration of how post-Cold War orders of global security and governance simultaneously transform the meaning of sexualized violence. These orders extend the reach of the US empire and disavow legacies of enslavement, Indigenous dispossession, and racialized violence within the United States. By examining the ways in which legal and social iterations of rape and the terms that define it are intertwined, Jaleel offers a critical lens through which to understand the ongoing struggles for justice and equality.

"The Work of Rape" is a groundbreaking contribution to the field of law and society, challenging the dominant narratives and exposing the underlying power structures that perpetuate sexual violence. Jaleel's scholarship is a testament to the importance of intersectional analysis and the need to center the voices and experiences of marginalized communities in the pursuit of justice and social change.

In conclusion, Rana M. Jaleel's "The Work of Rape" is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex relationship between power, knowledge, and the criminalization of sexual violence. Through a rigorous analysis of historical contexts and a commitment to intersectional scholarship, Jaleel offers a powerful critique of the legal and social frameworks that perpetuate racial and colonial inequalities. This book is a valuable resource for scholars, activists, and policymakers seeking to address the ongoing challenges of sexualized violence and promote a more just and equitable world.

\n Weight: 414g\n
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 19 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781478014508\n \n