ABSTRACT
This chapter connects concepts of social identities, socialization, and cultural elements of roles, statuses, and norms to rape myths and rape culture. It develops social identities of university life through group participation in athletics and Greek fraternities and sororities as well as other campus organization. It uses binary sex and gender roles to create a framework for why rape myths and rape culture still are prominent in a society post-women’s rights, #metoo, and feminism movements. Symbolic interactionism including theories of situated identity and expectation states provide a foundation to the argument that social identities perpetuate rape myths. This includes victim blame and the rape culture, including shame and stigma felt by victims instead of accusers. Data from surveys, including Illinois Rape Myth (IRMA) scale and a perceived victim blameworthiness survey of vignettes using the factorial survey approach, support that identities do matter in personal connections to the rape culture and rape myths especially gender and athletics. Masculinity as measured by higher social aggression and lower empathy was connected to lower rape myth means. Interviews of victims/survivors provided context for victim blame, shame, stigma, and the troubling impact of rape culture.
