“So Women Have to Submit to That…” Discourses of Power and Violence in Student's Talk on Heterosexual Negotiation

Abstract

Heterosexual sexuality (heterosex) has been criticised for its central role in the reproduction of gender inequality and violence against women. This paper explores the way in which students draw on discourses of power and violence in their discussion of heterosexual relationships. The paper is based on a larger discourse analytic study of 17 focus groups and a free-association exercise carried out with psychology students at the University of the Western Cape. The paper highlights students' constructions of heterosexual relationships as bound up with power and violence. Significantly, resistance and challenge to such a status quo, particularly by women, are also evident.