Social Construction of Domestic Violence, Personality and Social Psychology - Report Example

Social Construction of Domestic Violence, Personality and Social Psychology Name Institution Date Social construction of domestic violence, personality and social psychology Introduction In the worlds today, numerous relationships are being held by a number of problems that affects the daily activities being performed. Through the information of social constructionist, there is an examination of the domestic violence that is attributed in the family relationships (Muehelenhard, 1999). In the understanding of the social constructionists there is need to examine words and that people use to communicate and the ways in which the people understands the world (Muehelenhard, 1999). The three areas that have continued to be a controversy includes the decision of whether the sexual or domestic violence has occurred, the gender and role of the defining of the domestic violence and the final controversial is what to count in the domestic violence (Muehelenhard, 1999). Therefore this paper seeks to critically examine the contemporary social issue from the social construction of domestic violence, personality and social psychology. Contrast and comparison on the major analytical concepts of the domestic violence, personality and social psychology is also a subject of this paper (Muehelenhard, 1999). Social construction Social construction is the process that eludes people to explain, describe or in another option provide an account for the world in which they are living in (Arie, 1996). The examination of words normally influences how people define their events and the definition or the implications may benefit or get lost on the people in a way that they will understand the world (Arie, 1996). Social construction is an alternative way that provides a perspective in exploring social problems such as violence. Many people has their own way of interest in defining violence’s that they encounter in their lives which it excludes their behaviours (Arie, 1996). This process has therefore enhanced in offering of solutions to the social problems that people encounter in their lives. Domestic violence Violence has been conceptualized as something that was only occurring among strangers rather than families and any other close relationships that one may hold (Sheridan, 2007). Domestic violence therefore refers to the pattern of behaviour that involves abuse or any violence by one character or a person against another which occurs in a domestic context which includes relationship, marriages or cohabitation (Sheridan, 2007). Domestic violence often occurs in families where the perpetrator believes in justifiable and acceptability of the abuse and this may produce intergenerational cycles of abuse that will lead to eruption of violence. In the process of documenting, awareness and perception of domestic violence in the worlds today differs widely from country to another country (Sheridan, 2007). Victims may be trapped in domestic violence through isolation, insufficient financial resources, power and control and the ability to protect children. Personality Personality refers to the individual differences in patterns and characteristics of feeling, thinking the way of behaving (Funder, 2001). The study of personality focuses mainly on two major broad branches that includes the understanding of individual differences in a particular characteristic personality that involves the characteristics such as irritability or any sociable character (Funder, 2001). The other category is in the understanding of the various applicable parts of an individual to come together as a whole. Personality disorders as suggested by research show that genetics and abuse are the contributing factors to the development of compulsive and obsessive personality in individuals (Funder, 2001). Social psychology In this phase to the regard of social construction of domestic violence, personality and social psychology, social psychology refers to the scientific study of how individuals thoughts, behaviours and feelings can be influenced by imagined, actual or any implied presence of human beings in any field (Crocker, 2010). Social psychologists therefore deals with the factors that will lead us to behave in a given way that will show the presence of other and look at the conditions under which the behaviour, feelings or actions have been occurring (Crocker, 2010). This process is normally concerned with the way people construct feelings, beliefs, thoughts, goals and intensions in order to influence our interactions with others (Crocker, 2010). Controversies applicable in domestic violence, personality and social psychology The paradox that is associated in the domestic violence is that, in defining someone as an unacknowledged victim of domestic violence there is high risk of feminist researchers to value women letting them to define their own experiences while advocating for a broader definition of stereotypes that they will tend to portray (Wolfe, 2009). The results of these classifications exclude some of the classification the researcher obtained due to feminism. In the definition of words too in the social construction of social psychology, personality and domestic violence are normally met with powerful effect which this effect can be so subtle that it often do not apparent even to those who use the words (Wolfe, 2009). Contemporary social issues Domestic violence One of the contemporary issues that are attributed by the domestic violence is that it brings harm and suffering to individuals especially children in homes where domestic violence is taking place (Thompson, 2006). Children become victims since they are a witness the abuse that is carried on. This incidental harm of the domestic abuse will have a negative effect on the children where understanding the effect of the domestic violence and particularly the correlation between the child abuse and spouse will be a critical feature in an effective community in the response to the domestic abuse (Thompson, 2006). Therefore effective programs should be introduced to curb this social issue harming children by ensuring them they deal and recover from experiencing and witnessing domestic violence abuse. Domestic violence increases the rate of trauma that victims will acquire. In addition to the injuries that are acquired in domestic violence assault, battering of woman in the family wars may cause them to obtain and suffer from chronic pain, psychosomatic symptoms, eating problems and gastrointestinal disorders which are a hindrance in their daily social life activities (Thompson, 2006). According to the worlds healthcare, domestic violence abuse have recognized devastated mental health problems as a result of the abuse being met in domestic violence’s. As a trauma results, they are also increased risks of substance abuse which will affect the social life of the individual (Thompson, 2006). Mostly in domestic violence’s, women are vulnerable to attacks when they are pregnant hence they can experience severe medical difficulties in their pregnancies (Thompson, 2006). Due to the perspective of power and control model in domestic violence, there a certain issues which bring up physical problems (Tolan, 2006). Power and control is an abusive relationship in the way that the abusers will exert physical, sexual and any other form of abuse in order to gain control within the relationships. This attitude will sideline the other party hence they will not be able to have any power to offer a decision in the family (Tolan, 2006). Because of the power and control model, one part will be subjected to torture hence leading to a domestic violence in them (Tolan, 2006). Control and power therefore in another controversial social issue that is being encountered in domestic violence. Personality One of the social issues that affect social construction on personality is obsessive and compulsive personality disorder where one is preoccupied with rules, details, lists, order, organization and schedules in order to prevent a task that is to be completed (Hilton, 2007). Individual who happen to have this kind of disorder which is one of the personality characters happens to be cautious and doubtful, humourless, rigid, and controlling and misery (Hilton, 2007). According to Hilton (2007) obsessive-compulsive disorder is also known as anankastic personality disorder. With this personality disorder an individual will tend to be strained by the unreasonable and inflexible demands that are made upon them in their relationships among friends, colleagues and the family members with regard to personality character (Hilton, 2007). Personality character has an effect on the general social nature of an individual’s life. Therefore among the classification of the disorders that brings about the social issue is the availability of mood swings, depression, suicidal thoughts, increased withdrawal from socialization and decline in physical health due to lack of care (Hilton, 2007). The personality of an individual can be influenced and be affected by mood swings. Mood swings can generate the adoption of activity that can lead either to generation of a positive or negative impact in one’s life (Hilton, 2007). Social construction of personality will therefore be at a test since the personality character will be affected by the mood swing which is part of the emotions to be experienced (Hilton, 2007). Another factor that renders personality character being affected social is the increased rate of withdrawal from socialization (Funder, 2001). When one has opted to withdraw from all sources of socialization nature the one thing that will subdue him or her is the loneliness. This attitude is fatal since it depreciates the attitude of the individual to associate with other members hence suicidal thoughts will be experienced in times of hardships (Funder, 2001). Therefore the art of social construction will be affected negatively once an individual does not receive guidance from companionship (Funder, 2001). Personality should be looked upon closely and be nurtured appropriately as it influences the possibility of communicating and socialization in any environment (Funder, 2001). Social psychology The social issue that follows in social psychology is the study to show attitude formation, attitude change, the structure of attitude, functions of the attitudes and the relationships between behaviour and attitudes (Bem, 2008). The social construction in this phase of social psychology in regard to the attitude formation it enables individual to gain the knowledge on how to control their behaviour attitudes in their lives (Bem, 2008). Attitude formation provides a way in assisting and controlling an individual to follow a certain procedure in order to meet the sociable elements required as a way of enhancing a constructive societal procedure (Bem, 2008). The societal issue that comes up with social psychology is that it influences the behaviour and attitude of an individual either towards positive or negative societal concerns (Bem, 2008). The relationship between behaviour and attitude is also among the factors to be considered in the study of social psychology in order to determine the correct societal practice that is needed for an enhanced society (Parsons, 2009). This relationship tend to provide a sustainable option in regard to the following up of social psychology which is one of the social constructive way to ensure the relationship between attitude and behaviour is enabled and still continue to exist (Parsons, 2009). The relationship between behaviour and attitude will define the role of social psychology in the process of constructing an effective and efficient society. Attitude change, structure of attitude and the functions of attitudes depicts another factor to consider in the learning and understanding of social psychology while in the process of social construction (Bem, 2008). The structure of the attitude will reflect on the flow of how an individual needs to participate on as a form of societal procedure. The change in attitude will assign that social construction is taking on place in the environment where the change needs to be positively (Bem, 2008). Lastly the functions of the attitudes will reassign and reflect on the conditions that are needed so as the social psychology process to completely come into an end effectively. Therefore social construction of social psychology will be faced up with contemporary issue so as to be effected positively to enhance social characters such as behaviour and attitudes (Bem, 2008). Comparison of domestic violence, personality and social psychology Both the domestic violence, personality and the social psychology are concerned with the major study of individual characteristic (Livelesly, 2010). In domestic violence it reveals the characters on individuals in a social construction that will likely to cause violence in their relationships, marriage or cohabitation lives. In the other hand, personality looks upon the same characters of the individuals that will influence the sociability process of an individual (Livelesly, 2010). Social psychology too on the other hand has also sought to identify the individual character that will influence the relationship between attitudes and behaviour. Therefore personality, social psychology and domestic violence tend to study individual characteristics (Livelesly, 2010). The three social constructions of domestic violence, personality and social psychology tend to show the evil behind human beings once they are not into consideration of individual characteristics (William, 2012). Failure to observe on an individualistic, there are various negative impacts that are likely to be achieved which will bring about factors that will hinder the social construction process (William, 2012). Domestic violence cause some of the evils that s include accidents and harms to children while personality and social psychology brings suicidal thoughts where all affects the sociability nature of individuals as a form of attitude and behaviour (William, 2012). Domestic violence, personality and social psychology have both an effect in the lives of individuals since they cause indirect costs in the society (William, 2012). This is due to ceasing of activities after undergoing a major crackdown in the abuse of these three social construction phases (William, 2012). In domestic violence there is abolition of certain activities where individual will no longer have interest in them. In social psychology and personality character, individual will also tend to acquire other behaviours and attitudes that will truly reveal they have abandoned certain ways that are a correct procedure in arriving at an efficient social constructive process (William, 2012). Contrasting of domestic violence, personality and social psychology There are differences that are encountered in analysing the social processes of domestic violence, personality and social psychology (Livelesly, 2010). Personality characters largely emphasizes on the role of intrapersonal factors in which it discusses the characters and behaviours on individuals that are within whereas in social psychology it emphasizes on the role of individual characters that are in interpersonal factors that is are found outside or between peoples (Parsons, 2009). In the study of the domestic violence it emphasizes on both roles of the personality and the social psychology where it show on the character behaviour of in consideration to both intrapersonal and interpersonal factors (Livelesly, 2010). Therefore this contrast in social construction of domestic violence, personality and social psychology reveals different roles associated with each study. Personality and social psychology tends to reveal one’s mind as a way of showing off the attitudes and behaviour associated to individuals where as in domestic violence it refers to the act that is likely to happen among the lives of relationships, marriages and cohabitation (Parsons, 2009). In most instances domestic violence normally has physical damages in one’s life and it engages many partners including husbands, wives and children as well all the family members while in both personality and social psychology the damages that are likely to be caused are gained and can be felt through emotions (Livelesly, 2010) whereby the can affect a least number of persons compared to domestic violence (Parsons, 2009). In this social construction of domestic violence it is therefore wise to consider it as more dangerous in the social grounds of individuals. Conclusion The social construction of domestic violence, personality and social psychology has defined all of them with important implications. In the definitions of these terms they have been considered unacceptable worthy of legislative action, research and what the behaviours have been considered normal and acceptable (Muehelenhard, 1999). The research of this paper has been done to offer an avenue in revealing the applicable forms of criticism that had been generated from the study of social construction of domestic violence, personality and social psychology. It is therefore clearly that social scientists should think clearly about these concepts and the way they affect the character of individuals in the way they will behave. References Arie, W. K., Norman, M., and Russell, G. G. (1996). Self and social identity, journal of personality and social psychology, 71(6), 1062-1083. Bem, D. J., (2008). Self perception theory, journal of experimental social psychology, 4(2), 45-67. Crocker, J., and Major, B. (2010). Social stigma and self esteem: the self protective properties of stigma, journal of psychological review, 96(6), 608-678. Funder, D. C. (2001). Personality, Annual review of Psychology, 52, 197-221. Hilton, N. Z., and Harris, G. T. (2007). Assessing risk of intimate partner violence, New York: N.Y. Springer. Livelesly, J., W., Ark, L. A., and Money, L. (2010). Personality disorder assessment: the challenge of construct validity, journal of personality disorders, 11, 205-231. Muehelenhard, C. L., and Kimes, L. A. (1999). The social construction of domestic violence, personality and social psychology, personality and social psychology review, 3(3), 234-245. Parsons, J., Bowers, L., and Walker, P. (2009). Attitudes towards personality disorder, legal and criminology psychology, 9, 265-277. Sheridan, D. J. (2007). Prediction of interpersonal violence: violence by barterers and child abusers, New York: N.Y. Springer. Thompson, R. S. (2006). Intimate partner violence: prevalence, types and chronicity in women, journal of preventive medicine, 30, 447-457. Tolan, P. (2006). Family violence, annual review of psychology, 5(7), 557-587. William, C. D., Marilynn, B.B., and Andrew, L. (2012). Principles and methods of social research, 3rd edition, New York: Paragon House, Psychology press. Wolfe, D., and Jaffe, P. (2009). Emerging strategies in the prevention of domestic violence, the future of children. Journal of domestic violence, 9, 133-144. Read More