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In Pursuit of Carnal Knowledge: Rape Culture at the Birth of Gynecological Discourse and Practice

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Abstract

This project seeks to situate the field of gynecology within its sociopolitical, cultural, and economic contexts to address the institutionalized violences that are rendered invisible via rape culture. Through a feminist critical discourse analysis of James Marion Sims’ Clinical Notes (1886), I contextualize the emergent themes of non/force and non/consent within the larger medical and cultural discourse by foregrounding rape culture as a factor in their obfuscation. In doing so, I elucidate that gynecology becomes an agent and perpetrator of sexual violence. The field of gynecology serves as a critical space for intervention, foisting treatment and care, though often re/traumatizing survivors of sexual violence. Previous scholars have explored the nefarious history of the field and its systemic violence, while others have made attempts to alter it into a more progressive, trauma-informed space. However, research has not explicitly addressed the violence inherent in the routinized gynecological practices and treatments themselves.

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Date
2026-06-05
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Research Projects
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Keywords
Rape culture, Gynecology, Trauma, Violence, Black feminisms, Survivor-centered analysis
Citation
Monson, G. E. (2026). In Pursuit of Carnal Knowledge: Rape Culture at the Birth of Gynecological Discourse and Practice. Thesis, Georgia State University. https://doi.org/10.57709/306
Embargo Lift Date
2028-06-05
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