Abstract: »This paper focuses on the issue of contemporary art forms, affective content and sexual harassment as a human rights issue of complex dimensionality. An examination of products of popular culture in Japanese society helps to answer the question: "What is the role of affect, particularly of empathy, in the phenomenon of unwanted sexual attention?" More particularly, "How does engagement with popular art forms either exacerbate or mitigate relevant problems?" On the level of the psyche, women in Japan are often constructed as subjects of "contradictive femininity." A negative social effect of this construct is the pressure to refrain from reporting sexual violence. In contrast to the negative role of news and mass-media representations, analysis shows that the role of storytelling in popular culture often plays a positive role in raising awareness, eliciting empathy, and in increasing the likelihood of favorable responses to the needs of victims of sexual abuse. The negative influence of ideological extremism can be transformed through empathetic engagement with works of artistic expression that enhance the dignity of women as human beings.« (Source: Ritsumeikan Annual Review of International Studies)

Contents:

	Abstract (p. 1)
	Introduction (p. 2)
	Objectives (p. 2)
	"Contradictive femininity" (p. 3)
	The role of news media (p. 7)
	With or without Empathy: The value of storytelling (p. 9)
	Conclusion (p. 12)
	References (p. 14)

Wikipedia: History of Asia: History of Japan | Sex and the law: Sexual violence / Sex crimes in Japan