Catcalling
What’s behind it?
© J Walters / Shutterstock
Sociologist Paula-Irene Villa Braslavsky explains what is behind the catcalling phenomenon and why the street is needed.
Verbal sexual harassment has been around forever, it just hasn’t been questioned like that for a long time. Why now?
The current protest against catcalling is certainly a consequence of the #Me-Too movement. It is the reference point for inappropriate, misplaced and more or less violent sexualization that is directed against women, but also other people. In addition, through social media, such topics are now much faster and visible to a broad audience. Protests against catcalling have been around for a long time, for example in Latin America or the USA.
What exactly is the term catcalling?
It is a practice that mostly emanates from men who shout something clearly obscene and sexual after women and girls in passing, with the aim of embarrassing and belittling them. It’s not about telling a person how pretty you think they are because it’s overwhelming.
Then what is it about?
About the conscious violation of norms that apply in public: polite distance from one another, especially when one does not know each other, to meet as a “facade”, so to speak. It is a phenomenon that many would describe as uneducated, bad, primitive behavior, even if it occurs in all milieus, from young people in front of school to managers.
Catcalling says a lot about the status of women in our society …
Absolutely. Despite #MeToo and numerous protests, it is still possible today to be embarrassed in public at any time. I venture the thesis that dubious looks and dubious compliments, certain gestures and honking afterwards are unfortunately still part of every woman’s experience. Likewise, from people who do not meet certain expectations of gender – gay, lesbian, queer, non-binary and trans people.
Is that an urban problem?
Catcalling needs the street, the public space as a form. It is designed to be fleeting and happen in passing. From the historical classification that “women belong in the house” – that is, they are protected – girls and women in particular are vulnerable in public to this day and are trained to take care of themselves.
Why is it especially men who piss on others on the street?
It is important to me that catcalling is not so much related to individual, concrete men, but rather understands it as part of a certain conception of masculinity. It’s a kind of test of courage, an exercise of power. The catcallers determine at the moment how a stranger is addressed in public, they try to make themselves big and strong by shaming another person: “Look how strong, potent and brave I am!” But there are also women who catcall men, albeit rarely.
And is that what it means?
The more appropriate term would be a certain form of “doing (female) masculinity”, a practice that women also use. This is known, for example, from films and series in which female characters are portrayed as particularly “potent”, ambitious, career-oriented, about the fact that they look after boys, shout at them or hit them on the buttocks.
PROF. DR. VILLA BRASLAVSKY is professor for general sociology and gender studies at the LMU Munich.