By Emma Atkinson and Rachel Drake
Hello dear readers, and welcome back to our special Corner. It’s the Corner that asks you to think carefully about what consent means to you. We’ve described autonomy. We’ve considered capacity. We’ll be back to them, don’t worry.
Today, let’s consider how information affects consent. Here’s a hint: it affects it a lot!
Often, in an encounter with another human, there’s a difference in the level of power one person has when compared with the other. This difference is often referred to as a power dynamic. There are many reasons for a power dynamic: differences in economics, experience, age, gender, race, religion, or even politics.
Differences, per se, are neither good nor bad – they’re just differences. What we think is most important is that you’re aware of these differences and that you notice how they affect your communication with your partner(s). These differences can affect how you speak to each other and how you think of each other. Remember too that we’re considering sensual/sexual exploration, so by definition we’re describing high-intensity situations. A high-intensity encounter magnifies the impact of your differences in ways you may not have even considered.
Have you had an encounter with this partner(s) before? Good! You already know a few things about them and vice versa. You’ve built or started to build a strong foundation for what we call a consent framework.
Have you never encountered your partner(s) before? Good! You’re starting fresh and have the opportunity to start out on a solid foundation for your shared consent framework.
Homework: Ponder how power dynamics show up for you in your current relationships. Have you noticed anything that made you say “what the…?” or “that’s interesting”? How do you think differences between participants in an encounter affect their ability to give good consent? Think about an encounter you’ve had or an encounter that pops up as a fantasy (yum, right?). Do we give the best homework, or what?
Want more information? The Corner can be reached at: info@thecspc.org.