Recognition and the Harms of “Cheer Up”

Abstract

A philosophical frame for violence against women and girls creates unique opportunities to deepen our understanding of the embodied consequences of men's violence.Using the seemingly innocuous example of being told to "cheer up" or "smile", we draw on Simone de Beauvoir and Franz Fanon's work on recognition to suggest that a phenomenological approach to sexual violence may help to voice previously inarticulable harms.The dual frame of Beauvoir and Fanon also highlights the need for philosophical work on sexual violence to take account of the insights of intersectionality.

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