Gender-Based Violence in Arts and Culture: Perspectives on Education and Work

Abstract

This book offers a groundbreaking exploration of the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV) within the realms of art and cultural production. This collection of essays delves into both the overt and subtle forms of GBV. It spans sexual harassment, assault, and the everyday sexism ingrained in creative workplaces and art schools, in both professional and private dimensions. The book covers a wide array of artistic sectors—opera, visual arts, music, and theatre—across diverse global contexts, from Europe to Asia and North America. By incorporating feminist and sociological theories, the essays not only examine the structural power dynamics that perpetuate GBV but also highlight efforts to challenge and dismantle these systems. The book addresses both criminal acts of violence and the "ordinary" forms of sexism that pervade artistic spaces, making visible the normalized patterns of behavior that maintain gender inequality. The volume is divided into three parts: the production of GBV, its representations in cultural work, and the initiatives to counteract it. A crucial contribution to ongoing discussions of workplace and educational inequality, this timely volume fills a notable gap in research on gender-based violence within the arts. Its methodological rigor and international perspective ensure that it will serve as a key resource for scholars, practitioners, and advocates alike.