Blog Post 3

Blog Post 3

One of the six persuasive functions found in chapter 3 is perception of victimage.  This movement addresses its members as “innocent, blameless victims of oppression.”  Commonly, these victims are often thought of as ones who cannot escape oppression because they are innocent victims of powers beyond their control.  Targeted oppressors often include men, women, whites, Anglos, straits, the system, corporations, and industrialists.   Ones can be oppressed based on age, sex, race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and labor class or student group.  These victims hope to end what oppresses them.  This can be because of cheap labor, sex objects, and servants.  These functions are necessary for a social movements goal to occur because they make to movement stronger.  No institution would attack a weak protest group so victims rise up and sacrifice their security, dignity, and social status for the aid of others.  This is to hopefully stop what they are protesting for the future. 

            This video of the young teenager, Briana, is a primary example of the perception of victimage in the social movement of sex trafficking.  The video tells the story of a young girl who grew up in a completely ordinary family, and lived the typical life of a young teenager.  One day she met a young man only a couple years older than her.  She claims she fell in love with him and they left town together.  Over night the man convinced her to become a stripper for the night to help him get money.  She feared losing him so she gave in to help him.  The way he manipulated her into this act is commonly what happens in teen sex trafficking in the United States today.  This story is told from Briana herself.  While it sacrifices her image as the “perfect all-American teenager”, Briana speaks out in hopes of making other young women aware of the tragedies that occur everyday around the world.  This origination, Shared Hope, works to raise awareness of sex trafficking.  Through this story or portraying Briana as a victim, it effectively engages the reader and raises awareness for the cause. 

https://sharedhope.org/2012/10/19/briannas-story-of-hope/

Jordan Dobrow