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Panel 5: Sexuality, Violence, and the State: Norms and Regulations

Modern states meticulously regulated not only gender relations but also norms of sexual conduct and the acceptability of sexual violence. However, while deeply embedded in a patriarchal society, various groups of actors sought to claim agency in the complicated negotiation processes of gendered power structures and sexual norms that considerably evolved over time. This panel proposes to shed new light on debates on sexuality, gender norms and the acceptable limits of sexual violence in early modern France, the German colony of “Deutsch-Südwest Afrika” and 20th century Germany. Applying a trans-epochal and interdisciplinary perspective, the three papers provide ample food for a lively discussion of contested gender norms and regulations, the role of the state and women’s claims for agency.