Rape culture is a concept used to describe a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone sexual violence.

The feminist concept of "rape culture" is generally rejected by the men's rights movement. However, many of the objections are based on very different assumptions about the nature of the world, and hence are ineffective because they don't address the underlying assumptions of feminism. By examining the underlying assumptions we may be able to more effectively counter the feminist "rape culture" arguments.

(I have references for many of the claims below, but I need to do some real work today. I hope to update this later with references.)

  • The Blank-Slate Assumption: The dominant factor determining human behavior is culture. Humans either have no intrinsic human nature or this intrinsic human nature is completely dominated by the shaping force of culture.

Under this assumption, "rape culture" is a tautology. If culture is the dominant force governing human behavior, and rape exists, then there are cultural forces encouraging rape - i.e. rape culture.

An objection to this assumption is that humans are an evolved species with behavioral patterns based in biology. Scientists studying rape theorize that forcible copulation is one of several male reproductive strategies formed through evolution, not only in humans, but in many other species. [Edit: Postulating that rape is an evolved behavior only implies that some men are capable of this behavior. It does not imply that all men are rapists.]

  • The Education Assumption: Education is an effective means to change culture (and hence behavior).

The education assumption is evident in the sexual violence indoctrination classes that most college students are required to take, as well as the "teach men not to rape" posters and flyers that are often linked to here. These anti-rape educational efforts are derided here as unrealistic, ineffective, or misandrist, but these objections generally do not directly target the assumptions that rape is culturally determined and can be changed by education.

An objection to the educational assumption is that rehabilitation programs for sexual predators have a low rate of success. The urge to rape may not be something one can educate out of a rapist. [Edit: This implies that some sexual predators may be unreformable. It does not imply that all men can not be educated about sexual behavior.]

  • The Autonomy Assumption: The highest good in society is personal autonomy and self actualization.

The autonomy assumption is the motivating concept behind the slut walks. If personal autonomy is the highest good, then any infringement on personal autonomy cannot be tolerated, regardless of whether it has some other benefit. Hence suggesting to women to modify their dress or behavior to reduce their chance of rape victimization must not be allowed, because this infringes on women's autonomy. And, by the previous assumption, it is also completely unnecessary. One can solve the rape problem instead by teaching men not to rape.

An objection to the autonomy assumption is to deny that personal autonomy is always the highest good. In fact, we accept innumerable limitations on our autonomy every day. Some of these limitations are for the good of society (e.g. crime laws) and some are for our own safety (e.g. guard rails on the edge of the Grand Canyon). Anti-rape precautions are examples of the latter.

  • The Utopian Assumption: That which ought to be, can be.

The Utopian assumption is that if a more perfect world according to some value system can be imagined, it can be brought into existence.

The feminist Utopia is where every woman is free to do what ever she pleases and can pursue any life path based entirely on her own choices without constraint or limitation from society. Any threat of sexual violence as well as any personal responsibility for sexual safety ought to be eliminated in this Utopia. And because it ought to be eliminated, some feminists believe that with enough protests and activism, it can be eliminated

(Feminism shares this Utopian characteristic with other leftist ideologies such as progressivism and Marxism. It is the natural consequence of believing that humans are molded by culture and that education is effective in changing culture.)

An objection to the Utopian assumption is that actual Utopian communities based on secular liberal values are almost always short-lived. (The longest lasting Utopian communities are actually those based on conservative religious principles.) This suggests that liberal Utopian ideals rarely survive when confronted with the realities of human communal life.

tl;dr: The "rape culture" concept is based on the beliefs that human behavior is entirely determined by culture; that culture can be effectively changed through education; that personal autonomy is the highest good; and that if a more perfect world can be imagined, it can be created. Effective rebuttals to the "rape culture" concept will both acknowledge and attack these assumptions.

Edit: Typos, added rape culture definition