Diana E.H. Russell

Diana E.H. Russell is a sociologist specializing in the study of sexual violence against women and girls. In the following excerpt, taken from her book Against Pornography: The Evidence of Harm, she argues that pornography causes rape and other violence against women. The more pornography becomes available and accepted, Russell contends, the more desensitized people become to the violence and degradation portrayed in it. As a result, she claims that men grow more willing to commit acts of real violence against women.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What percentage of women in the Canadian experiment on pornography reported having been upset by requests to enact pornography, according to Russell?
2. According to the author, how much money does the pornography industry earn per year?
3. What analogy does Van White use to illustrate the degradation of women as...