Scott Anderson’s work raises issues for the discussion related to forcing one person by another to have sex. There are many gradations of this problem, the most extreme of which is rape. However, Andreson focuses his reasoning on more subtle activities, such as coercion, seduction, and gender oppression. Moreover, seduction in the context of the author’s work is considered not as a process of natural flirting, but something more reminiscent and close to the concept of sexual assault (Anderson, 2005). This approach stems from the fact that seducers often use a wide variety of methods, including far from romantic ones, to persuade their victims to have sexual intercourse.
Throughout the article, Anderson draws parallels between his work and that of Sarah Conly. In fact, the author defends his position, disputing Conly’s essay. Anderson tries to prove that the pressure exerted on a person to induce him to have sex is different from other types of social influence, such as pressure in business (Anderson, 2005). Drawing a comparison with another work by Alan Wertheimer, the author urges to consider this problem in a complex.
According to Anderson, for a full analysis, it is also necessary to take into account the background circumstances that make up the overall picture, such as the male-oriented dominant social hierarchy (Anderson, 2005). The approaches of colleagues, according to the author, leave many unanswered questions, for example, why the violence of men against women is a more significant problem than the abuse of women against men.
Throughout the article, the author touches on several main topics, which are issues of consent to sex, given under pressure from outside, as well as consent to sex in the context of the situation. The last question deserves special attention since it reveals precisely background factors, such as influence from the outside, not only men but also female society, which inclines a girl to enter into a relationship. Anderson also addresses the issue of sexual pressure in the context of sexual inequality, implying the bias of men and women in society. Ultimately, Anderson agrees with Conly on the subject of equalizing sexual pressure with rape and notes that standards are needed to address at least some of the pressure factors associated with forced sex.
References
Anderson, S. A. (2005). Sex under pressure: Jerks, boorish behavior, and gender hierarchy. Res Publica, 11(4), 349-369.