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Accuser discourse

One of the most fascinating transformations that occurred between Three Weeks In May and Three Weeks In January centered around the dichotomized discourses. 1970s Feminist activists in areas of violence against women, including battering and incest as well as rape, created discourses that moved women from powerless victim to empowered survivor.  

In 2012 however the discursive signifier that carried the greatest weight was the notion of the "accuser" and the consequences of describing people who have experienced violence in the media as the accuser rather than the victim or the survivor.  Project organizer, Meredith Hudson, for example tweeted " Panel discusses linguistic convention of positioning the victim (survivor) as the accuser. #rapeendshere @3WeeksInJan"

 
A second discourse to emerge from Three Weeks in January Centered on the role of men in "rape culture."  Unlike the 1977 version, men were significant participants in 2012, including noted scholar Dr. Jackson Katz.