Peggy Sanday event addresses rape culture

Last night, fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu hosted Anthropology professor Peggy Sanday in a discussion about the prevalence of rape in the United States and specifically on college campuses.

Sanday spoke to a group of SAM brothers about her book, Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood, and Privilege on Campus. She described how her work on rape began in 1983, when one of her students reported being raped by six fraternity brothers on Penn’s campus.

According to Sanday, the general attitude towards rape at the time was that if the victim was incapacitated at a party, she “deserved what happened to her.” Sanday said this stereotype and the reactions of the University community to that incident spawned her search for justice for rape victims.

Her book focuses on the social distinctions between “rape-free” and “rape-prone” societies. Sanday’s definition of a “rape-prone” society is one in which there is male social and sexual dominance and a premium placed on male bonding — for example, in college fraternities. Sanday emphasized that she considers the United States among these “rape-prone” societies

According to SAM President and College junior Jordan Lurie, the fraternity prides itself on its members’ genuine interest in raising awareness about the danger of rape in on-campus and off-campus houses.

SAM brother and Engineering junior Deepak Prabhakar said the brotherhood believes that raising awareness is crucial to the safety of Penn’s campus and stressed that the most effective way to do so is to host events that students can relate to. He added that “the people who really have a genuine interest in the issue are the only ones who can really get the message out there.”

In response to the recent incidents of rape on campus, one of which took place at a fraternity party on the 3500 block of Locust Walk, Lurie said, “I personally know the people in that frat and I know that they too pride themselves on being a safe place for women to socialize … it is really shocking that an event like that would occur at their house.”

However, he added that at the beginning of the year, it is difficult to know who belongs at a party and who doesn’t, because there are so many unfamiliar faces.

Lurie said it is important to increase security within on- and off-campus fraternity parties — for instance, having brothers check PennCards to prevent unwanted attendees.

“We really take pride in having a comfortable environment for both men and women,” Lurie said. “Our aim is to show our reputation as a house that people can trust.”

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