Masculinity and medicalization: Gender and vocabularies of motive in the narrative of a sex offender

Abstract

This paper explores the tension between vocabularies of motive provided by a serial sex offender in his narrative construction of his nonconsensual sexual activity. Current discourses on the topic emphasize the efficacy of social control measures and behavioral and pharmacological interventions. There is a dearth of sociological literature exploring the social meanings of sexual offense. Employing a symbolic interactionist approach to a sex offender’s account of self provides an opportunity for making visible the discursive construction of social processes. Deploying broad gender stereotypes in depictions of the women against whom he offended, the case presented here also relied on three dominant therapeutic constructions of the sexual deviant, the psychosocial, the addiction/compulsion model, and the bio-psychiatric—all of which neglect the gendered aspect of his offenses. Positing himself as a “true sex offender” and voluntarily taking hormonal suppressants that rendered him impotent, he was the ideal subject of bio-psychiatric discourse. The paper analyses his narrative in terms of contrasting notions of gender and deviance, masculinity and medicalization, and explores the ways language of institutionally supported interventions are used to make meaningful both normal and deviant identities, while disengaging from gender discourses.

Rape in the Nordic Countries

“…In doing so, he drew on medicalised language, such as having an 'alcohol psychosis' and the description 'delirium'. David's explanation resembles findings from research amongst criminal sex offenders using medicalised language as a means to understand their own actions and, consequently, themselves (Rickard, 2015). In the interview, David described the following: DAVID: 'That was sort of the first time I realised that I had rape-like behaviour when I was very drunk.…”

Women’s Experiences of Medical Miss-Diagnosis: How does gender matter in healthcare settings?

“…We drew on a narrative methodology for the project, because we understand that experiences, such as accessing healthcare, act as mirrors for social realities (Rickard, 2015;Squire et al, 2013). Narratives enable sense-making by providing spaces for sharing stories, along with a sense of closure and validation, particularly when narratives represent troubling experiences (Akman et al, 2001;Latz, 1994;Rickard, 2015).…”

“…We drew on a narrative methodology for the project, because we understand that experiences, such as accessing healthcare, act as mirrors for social realities (Rickard, 2015;Squire et al, 2013). Narratives enable sense-making by providing spaces for sharing stories, along with a sense of closure and validation, particularly when narratives represent troubling experiences (Akman et al, 2001;Latz, 1994;Rickard, 2015). Sense-making can be seen as the interplay between inner dialogue and social contexts, where sense emerges over time through multiple interactions and recounting of experiences, either alone or with others, enabling insight into an experience (Dowding et al, 2016;Harrington, 2017;Wright et al, 2004).…”

“…Narratives can be analysed in many ways, however we focused on meaning and social structure, rather than plot or language (Kim, 2016;Rickard, 2015;Squire et al, 2013). As we interpreted the narratives, no specific theoretical underpinning was adhered to (Smythe, 2012).…”