One Feminist Perspective

Brown talks about how the picture of "normal" traumatic events are judged by "human experiences" which is referred to in the diagnostic manuals. She then goes on to talk about "the range of human experiences becomes the range of what is normal and usual in the lives of men in the dominant class; white, young, able-bodied, educated, middle-class, christian men. Trauma is thus that which disrupts these particular human lives, but no other." After reading this whole article and seeing the way she approaches the topics of how most trauma is labeled in the way that I quoted above i find it very compelling how she talks about the "secret trauma"and how it does not go by the "rules" of the text book guide lines when evaluating trauma. Brown talks about how "secret trauma"is happing in the every day lives of girls, women, men of color, gay and lesbian people, and so many others. girls being sextually abused by their fathers, big brothers, uncles, women being sextually harassed in the work place and in the end having it turn around on them and them being a willing victim. She shows that in order for all of the insect trauma you would have to go against the "handbook" that is used to diagnose and treat people. you would have to expose all of the oppression that is happing in our society. How if the mentality if you are silent it won't happen to you. I feel that what she says has some truth to it we as a society has made it the victim's fault when a rape happens or they get sextually harassed where ever they are by what they are wearing or what they are doing. because of that we are stating that you will be safe if you know something happened or IF something happens and you don't say anything it won't happen to you or it won't happen again. how ever that is not the case and many of the females in our society are coming to realize this so then they become hyper aware if the situation and make a point not to allow something to happen or just simply go out of their way if it feels like something will that they won't be around for it so it won't happen to them. I think that we need to take a look into what are society is doing to these people who have this "secret trauma" and not cast them aside for being victims but help them get what they need.