Gender Oppression Definition of Terms

The second one is from Bilyarta‘s study. In his study, he finds that there is an abnormality of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele‘s sexual behavior. Using the Psychological Approach, he reveals that the characteristics of both Grey and Steele contribute to the sexual abnormality. Grey is described as a person who is dominating, sex-addicted, and cruel. He likes to have sex based on BDSM relationship, which guarantees him to play dominant-submissive role. By doing so, he is able to take control over his submissive and inflict pain to her to gain his sexual pleasure. His characteristics contribute to support his sadism. Meanwhile, Steele is described as a person with characteristics of self-defeating, self- sacrificing, and insecure. She often feels that she does not deserve good things, therefore it is acceptable for her to receive the pain. She also would like to sacrifice herself for others and do whatever others want her to do. Her self- sacrificing characteristics contribute well for her to be a masochist. Further, Bilyarta explains that having a BDSM relationship reflects that both of the characters are sadomasochism. Grey, as the dominant, likes to give pain to Steele to gain sexual pleasure. Steele, as the submissive, enjoys receiving the pain given by Grey, in order to maintain their relationship. From this point, it can be seen that the writer‘s study is different from Bilyarta‘s. Bilyarta focuses on the characteristics of both main characters which contribute to their sexual abnormality, called sadomasochism. The writer‘s, instead, focuses on how sexual assault is viewed as gender and class oppression, experienced by Anastasia Steele and conducted by Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey . The third one is an article by Lara Gerassi, titled ―A Heated Debate: Theoretical Perspectives of Sexual Exploitation and Sex Work‖. In her writing, Gerassi reviews and discusses some theories which provide the explanation of how sexual exploitation and sex work likely happen to women on macro perspective and structural level, related to economic condition and status. One of the theories she mentions is Marxist feminist, to help explain how the sexual exploitation and sex work likely happen to women. The political system and economic system in a male-dominated society does not support women fully to gain their equality. In a male-dominated society, it is men who take control of the political and economic system. ―The patriarchal organization of both government and society has provided a social context for the widespread sexist acceptance of hierarchy, thereby excluding women from the public sector, higher education, structural labor forces, and religious institutions.‖ Gerassi, 2015: 2 In this context, it is clear that women‘s proper place is designated to be at home, while the men‘s proper place is outside the home. Women are subordinated to men and this factor continues to support the dependency of women on men in the economic context. This dependency gives men such a more power to control women sexually or non- sexually because to be dependent needs women‘s subordination. ―Thus, assaults occur primarily because of institutionalized male privilege, as men believe it is their right to enact violence against women‖ Gerassi, 2015: 2. In addition, the act of exploiting or assaulting women has possibility to happen since men are seen more independent and powerful in patriarchal society.