Many critics of pornography express particular concern with the violence depicted in sexual imagery. Numerous reports of abused women reveal that their partners used violent pornography and forced them to enact scenes from films. The majority of research on the effects of pornography, however, relies on experimental methodology that critics question for credibility and accuracy. Scholars point out that the inherent problems with this research include discrepancies in definitions of pornography, extrapolating laboratory research to "real-world" experiences, the use of undergraduates as subjects, linking erotic stimuli with anger and provocation, and questionable amounts of exposure to pornography in such research. Some suggest that violence, whether sexual or not, leads to desensitization toward violence directed at women and acceptance of rape myths. As a whole, experimental research findings are inconclusive regarding the relationships between sexually explicit materials and subsequent attitudes and behaviors toward women.

Researchers also analyzed rates of pornographic consumption and effects. The 1970 President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography reported that as pornography became more widely available in the late 1960s, sex-related crimes decreased. Following the repeal of laws banning pornography in Denmark in the late 1960s, sex offenses decreased. Other research looked at circulation rates of soft-core pornography and the relationship to beliefs about women's status. Beliefs about gender equality are higher in U.S. states that have higher circulation rates of soft-core pornography. Thus, some surmise that consumption of some types of pornography can coexist with egalitarian beliefs about gender. Research does show a correlation between higher circulation of pornography and rates of rape, but scholars suggest that hypermasculinity and proclivity to violence may be the key variable in the relationship.

References:

1) Davis, Murray S. 1985. Smut: Erotic Reality/Obscene Ideology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

2) Donnerstein, Edward I., Daniel Linz, and Steven Penrod. 1987. The Question of Pornography: Research Findings and Policy Implications. New York: Free Press.

3) Linz, Daniel and Neal M. Malamuth. 1993. Pornography. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

4) Osanka, Franklin Mark and Sara Lee Johann. 1990. Sourcebook on Pornography. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

5) Zillmann, Dolf and Bryant Jennings. 1989. Pornography: Research Advances and Policy Considerations. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Argumentative Topics at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Argumentative Topics and other relevant topics.