Rape : a feminist analysis of recent public service provisions with particular reference to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre

Foley, M

Abstract

The starting point of this thesis is an examination of recent changes
in public service provision of services for women who have
experienced rape. I focus on the Sexual Assault Referral Centre
(SARC) in Manchester, using this case to open up discussion about the
'treatment and 'management' of rape. The SARC is a joint
initiative between police and Health Authority and I look at their
respective interests in the centre.
My central argument in the thesis is that the recent British interest
in services for those who have been raped/sexually assaulted, and the
consequent growth of these services, reflect a particular medical
ideology of rape which in general is not helpful to women, while
recognizing that individual women may benefit. I develop this
thinking to argue that service provision of this kind seeks to
pathologize women by treating their reactions to rape as an 'illness'
which needs medical intervention to be 'cured'. Drawing upon
analogous work in medical sociology I show that women who fail to fit
this model are further pathologized within the medical system.
I locate my argument in an examination of the national and local
contexts which I seek to demonstrate provided the catalyst for
changes in police handling of rape investigations. I argue that
arising out of these circumstances the police have sought to
establish their 'professionalism', using this as an ideological
support for their practices. I look at the concept of
professionalism and how it is used by police and medical personnel in
their dealings with other associations which work in the field of
sexual assault and victim support. This analysis covers the areas of
professional attempts to incorporate the work of feminist groups but without the political analysis informed by feminism; the pressure on
feminist groups to 'professionalize'; the relation between voluntary
associations working in the field of crime and assault, in particular
the relationship between Victim Support Schemes and Rape Crisis
Centres; the policies used by Government for funding work in the
field of sexual assault and other crimes. The thesis concludes with
an assessment of the workings of the SARC and the irrlicat ion that I
see for women's issues.

Citation

Foley, M. Rape : a feminist analysis of recent public service provisions with particular reference to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Sep 22, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 22, 2011
• Award Date: Jan 1, 1990