Feminism in Battling Domestic Violence - Dissertation Example

Radical Feminism, Liberal Feminism and Third Wave Feminism in Battling Domestic Violence: A Tool For Social Workers The aim of social work is to improve the quality of life within a region that the country overall may function at a higher level. A great amount of violence in any region can be a detriment to every citizen that abides therein. Domestic violence makes up a larger percentage of the crimes reported in every country. As it has been reported, “On average two women are killed every week in the UK by their partner or ex” (Farmer & Callan 2012).This not only leads to an unsafe environment for the population, but it inhibits the success of the nation as crimes result in increased poverty, and greater government spending. The duty of a social worker is to address these issues by victim prevention and recovery. In order to do this effectively, the causes of domestic violence must be understood. As it has been observed,” Since the beginnings of the battered women’s movement, the social work profession has been criticized for its inability to respond to victims of domestic abuse” (Danis 2003). It has been discovered that such ability cannot be obtained without a look into how women are treated and viewed in society. There is no doubt that women have been widely oppressed throughout history. And feminism has emerged as a response to the unfair treatment of women. Its aim has historically been do create justice and an increased level of freedom for women. Therefore, studying domestic violence through the perspective of feminism has proven to be very valuable. As it has been reported, “Feminism Is now being proposed by some social work educators and practitioners as an appropriate theoretical framework for the study of womens experiences In society and for the development of intervention strategies to positively alter those experiences” (Freeman 1990). Such discourses enable social workers to deal with domestic violence situations more appropriately and effectively work to lessen the chances of such an incident. The worker must possess the ability to look at the underlying issues at hand and relate to their clients on their level. Otherwise, the social worker would ever be lurking on the edges of the problem without the ability to offer neither a solution nor relief. As it has been said, “This is not simply saying that good social work is about establishing a ‘relationship’, important though this is, but that the way we understand and come to terms with difficult and painful experiences is through talk” (Parton 2003). Exploration of Radical Feminism The origins of domestic violence have first been seen as extending from society’s structure. Since antiquity, the predominate structure of pan-cultural society has been that of male dominance, or a patriarchal hierarchy. Radical feminism seeks to pinpoint the cause of female oppression among mankind as the patriarchal system. As it has been reported, “From this perspective, the societal structure is designed to condone, perhaps encourage, and perpetuate the subordination of men over women” (Cleary 2002). It is the view of radical feminism that the dominance of man over women assumes the right to mental and physical abuses; that man has the right to that necessary for keeping women ‘in line’. The patriarchal system infuses every level of society when present. It exists not only on a family level, but nation-wide. For example, it has been observed of a nation under the rule of a king that, “No one was born free; everyone was born in subjection to some patriarchal superior. Each individual human being could find his or her proper place by consulting patriarchal theory” (Butler 1978). For this reason radical feminism is one of the earliest perspectives, but as society responded to the activism of radical feminists and views subsequently evolved, a new system began to emerge. This new system was majorly installed upon governments than upon households. As it was reported, “The rise of capitalism surely did lead to the development of a new form of patriarchy. However it did not lead to an alteration in its basic structures since this historical shift did not have great effects upon gender relations” (Johannsdottir 2009). Liberal Feminism and Roles in Society Many feminists rejoiced in the progress made within government systems. Having found victory in the structure of government systems, some turned from radical feminism to liberal. Liberal feminism focuses on how women are treated in the legal system. It deals with issues such as divorce law, the right to vote, employment regulation, and property ownership on behalf of women. Not all who are of the school of liberal feminism came first through radical feminism. There has ever been the widowed, divorced, or unmarried women who needed to stand up for their human rights in the legal and political arena. There are those who hold to the perspectives of liberal feminism which do not agree with radical feminism; believing that it is man’s right to rule. For example, it may be the view of one feminist that a women should have to right to own property and that government should not be allowed to dictate such matters but hold that women must still be subjected to the rule of her husband. When it comes to matters of domestic violence, liberal feminism offers restitution for a women from a financial standpoint upon the separation from her husband. It holds that women, being workers in the home, should have right to compensation by law upon a divorces decree. Feminine as Defined by Third Wave Feminism Third wave feminism can be viewed as the all-encompassing theory. The key characteristic of this school of thought is that it allows the inclusion of concerns for women’s’ rights in representation of all races, and sexual origins. This new version of feminism redefines what it means to be female. It challenges stereotypes in law, education, mainstream media, and society at large. Third wave feminism has made a call for all women to be granted the maximum amount of freedom; letting go of tradition. It includes views from both radical and liberal feminism and carries them abroad to women of all backgrounds. Issues concerning culture, sex roles, race, economic status, and more are all addressed within the definitions of third wave feminism. The views of this type of feminism has had a tremendous effect on matters of domestic violence and cannot be ignored by social workers. Feminist and Domestic Violence Feminist stand up for the rights of women within the confines of the theory they ascribe to. Domestic violence is one of the main issues that the majority of feminists seek to address. The motivation to fight against domestic violence is inherent in feminism and social work naturally takes up the cause. Of domestic violence it has been stated, “It is one of the most pervasive of human rights violations, denying women and girls equality, security, dignity, self-worth, and their right to enjoy fundamental freedom.”(Khan 2000). It was once thought and still held by many that domestic violence was of no concern to the government. Yet, as freedoms are being fought for and won in the political arena, the freedoms of the individual within the household must also be addressed. Clearly while the structure of the family once dictated the structure of the government, the structure of the government is now infusing into the family. Rights are being fought for on an international level, a national level, and now in the home. In the home the denial of rights and the abuses that stem from it is deemed domestic violence. Domestic Violence as Addressed By Various Feminists Each school of feminism as sought to address the issue of domestic violence in its own way. While it could be assumed that liberal feminism works only on a governmental level and is impotent in fighting for the right of women within the home, the fact is that liberal feminism goes a long way in assisting in the fight against domestic violence at the family level. As one liberal feminist described their views of the fight against domestic violence, “This appalling toll will not be eased until families, governments, institutions and civil society organizations address the issue directly. Women and children have a right to State protection even within the confines of the family home”(Khan 2000).Without the need to change the structure of society nor the family away from one that is male dominant, liberal feminism has a mighty sword to flash which is effective in cutting down instances of domestic violence. With the power of liberal feminism, men can still be allowed to remain at the head, provided they are held accountable for their actions in such a position. The male head of household, although leader, would be called to answer for his crimes should he be guilty of inflicting domestic violence upon his female subordinate. Still, this is not to assume that all liberal feminist are for men remaining in greater power within the household. As it has been reported, “’Liberal feminists’ believe that women’s domestic responsibilities will inevitably place them at a disadvantage and favor policies that encourage men to assume a proportionate share of family responsibilities”(Carbone 1994). Man as head takes on a role that is not supreme ruler of the house governing the female slaves, but his position would be more as a manager who pitches in and helps out the employees with the labor. The ideal picture in the mind of many liberal feminist is not one of man as the head at all, but one in which men and women are exact equals, working side-by-side as co-workers in the household. Third Wave Feminism and Domestic Violence Clearly, liberal feminist is not utterly important when it comes to addressing the issue of domestic violence within the home, but it is also not the ultimate solution. There are other theories that offer a solution to domestic violence. Third wave has to be one of the most powerful proponents for granting a solution. It addresses the problem of domestic violence, not by force, but by addressing the problem at its root. As it has been reported, “Violence against women is present in every country, cutting across boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and age” (Khan 2000). Other schools of thought in feminism have traditionally ignored this truth by being geared more towards addressing the needs of certain sections of the female population while ignoring others. Traditionally, ethnicity, class, and other characteristics caused many women to be left out of the feminist movement. Now, third wave feminism includes these otherwise neglected, though large, percentages of the population. It has emerged as a response to the evolution of society. As it has been stated,”… the conceptual leverage of a "third wave" helps young women articulate a feminism that responds to the political, economic, technological, and cultural circumstances that are unique to the current era” (Kinser2004). Third wave feminism deals with domestic violence simply by redefining the roles of women and the definition of femininity. It represents the ultimate freedom for women. As it has been reported, “Third-wave feminists proclaim their difference from second-wave feminists and celebrate "girl power," the joys of make-up and femininity, the complexity of human desire and the importance of fun. “(Crawford 2007). Limitations of Radical and Liberal Feminism Radical and liberal feminism both address the issue of domestic violence and are, as such, important perspectives for the social worker to understand and consider during their duties. However, there are limitations of both radical and liberal feminism. While radical feminism addresses the issue of domestic violence, which has more popularly been committed by men against women, by changing the structure of the family and society at large from a male dominate one to one of equality. It does not seek to open its gates to all women, however. It does not address the needs of the female by giving her the identity that she chooses. It does not uphold her right to ultimate freedom. Instead, radical feminism keeps the identity of women as it has been traditionally known and simply states that man as the dominate is the problem. When following a radical feminist perspective, there is still room for discrimination. As it has been reported, “In the 1970s feminist theory was criticized for ignoring racism and treating gender as a universal and a historical category that encompassed the experiences of all women” (Agnew 1996). With this line of thought, there was still the underserved in the female population that was subject to discriminations and, as a result no remedy from domestic violence. The issue with fighting domestic violence under these perspectives of feminism emerges greatly when it comes to providing services; a task which social workers are often involved in. For under perspectives that do not specifically address the needs of the underserved, the complete eradication of domestic violence is impossible to carry out. As Emi Koyama, (n.d.) points out, racism affects the treatment of victims in systems. Emergency services that are designed to offer a means of escape to women who find themselves in domestic violence situations are often withheld from those who do not meet the criteria. Instead, even under liberal feminism where abuse of a woman is subject to penalty by law, women of certain races or classes or various definitions of feminine, are denied rescue. The fact is that domestic violence can be found greater as a problem among the populations that radical and liberal feminism would ignore. As it has been reported, Specific groups of women are more vulnerable, including minority groups, indigenous and migrant women, refugee women and those in situations of armed conflict, women in institutions and detention, women with disabilities, female children, and elderly women”(Khan 2000). Yet these have long suffered from a lack of representation, being unrecognized as having special needs with in other schools of feminism. This is a problem so infamous that, while going largely unrecognized by some, have earned feminism a bad name among many populations of women. As it has been reported, …working-class women have been known to dismiss feminism because they felt their oppression was brought about by more than the structure of gender and they have blamed feminist thinking for leaving class inequality out of the framework of power and subordination. On the other hand, some working-class women considered feminism to be only for rich middle class women and often gave rebellious responses when asked if they considered themselves feminists, (Bridgeman 2011). The Effectiveness of Third Wave Feminism Third wave feminism is the school of thought which welcomes those of the population that other types of feminism would leave out. It does not suffer from a dismissal by these women, because it openly includes them and allows them to set their own definition of female identity. Therefore, it is first more powerful than other models of feminism because more women would ascribe to it, being motivated to participate in speaking out. In this way, third wave feminism transcends the limitations of radical and liberal feminism, especially when it comes to domestic violence. For as society accepts the new definitions of femininity, less men are inspired to perform acts of domestic abuse. These men feel no longer that they must keep the women in subjection because they realize the openness of what it is to be feminine. They also are released from the pressure and responsibility of having to make all submit to their will. Third wave feminism changes the gender roles. As it has been reported, “When men participate more fully in childrearing, breaking out of some of the rigid restrictions of masculine gender roles that equate manliness with domination and toughness, some authors have argued that tension between the sexes diminishes” (McCloskey & Eisler 1999). Men come to cease participating in domestic violence against women, neither by force nor displacement, but through a change in perception and the generation of intrinsic motivation for peace. In this way, third wave feminism has won out where radical and liberal feminism had failed. It was said after much activity in the form of collaborative efforts from radical and liberal feminists, “These gains were not easily won but despite their best intentions they have failed to deliver the much hoped for deterrence in crimes being committed or significant changes in the behavior of those who continue to perpetuate violence against women” (Carmody 2003). Both radical and liberal feminism has its limits where third wave does not. They were unintentionally designed to fail when it comes to wiping out domestic violence. The power that third wave feminism has over the others was put simply when it was stated that, “Substantively third-wave feminism is neo-legal in the sense that it does not imagine a full role for law in achieving equality between men and women” (Crawford 2007). Holding Older Feminist Views All this is not to say that radical and liberal feminism are no longer useful. In general, they are perspective that can assist social workers in making some wise, informed decisions when it comes to handling a variety of cases. As it has been reported, “any one feminist may incorporate ideas from several perspectives, and many feminists have shifted their perspectives over the years.’ (Lorber 1998) Social workers must work with a well-rounded view to address and combat domestic violence. The various types of feminism can assist them in the development of such a view. Correcting Domestic Violence Domestic violence is, in part, responsible for the emergence of third wave feminism as women hungered for freedom and were motivated to take a stance for freedom. While the issues of domestic violence are addressed within the various modes of feminism, many perspectives neglected to take into consideration many factors that hindered women’s progression to equality and freedom. Third wave feminism is an outlet which more effectively addresses the problem of domestic violence as it opens the way for all women to find refuge and protection. As it has been stated, Women are not a homogenous group and our Western understanding of women’s oppression cannot begin to describe other people’s lives in the world” (Red 2002). There can be no rigid way to address domestic violence, but the solution must be administered on a case by case basis. Only third wave feminism allows for such an occurrence. However, it is not without its limitations. The ideal of third wave feminism has to be accepted as truth by men who would otherwise be aggressors. The fact that abusers can be commonly found as holding on to traditional values is well noted. It is the place where other feminist perspectives also had their downfall. Third wave feminism does seek to address the issue by letting go of tradition and clinging to social evolution, but its only true power lies in broad acceptance. As it has been reported, “…we still live in a climate characterized by vitriolic attacks on feminist scholarship, practice, and activism intended to secure” (DeKeseredy & Dragiewicz 2007). Even in a time when third wave feminism exists and is spread by many activists, it has yet to bring domestic violence to complete extinction. Women still have many battles that must be fought if they are to truly be free from domestic violence. Conclusion Social workers can assist in enhancing the effectiveness of third wave feminism as a solution for domestic violence through employing and spreading it when working on their various assignments. They can use this perspective to educate the public and reduce the incidents of domestic violence by extinguishing it at its origin. However, social workers have long been given a bad reputation when it comes to effectiveness in the handling of some cases. This is because they are often the only ones with the ability to make a difference in domestic violence situations and failed due to failure to work from the view of this new school of thought. As it was reported, “…while many social workers were in positions frequently to interact with and serve women, they were neither sensitive to, nor adequately trained on the problem of intimate violence” (Kamuha 1998). Taking up the third wave feminism perspective would do a great deal to enhance the effectiveness of the social workers and reduce domestic violence in the world. Actively promoting the new roles and definitions of feminism has by the social worker has a positive impact on the reduction of domestic violence incidents. Not only does it cause a switch in perception for male aggressors, but it opens up the way for the underserved in the female population to take better advantage of the services available for recovery from domestic violence situations. Once more women realize that the solutions available are now also extended freely unto them, it is likely that an increasing number of long-term domestic violence cases will finally come to a resolution. As third wave feminism proves to be a powerful tool in the fight against domestic violence, it is necessary school of thought for social workers to become familiar with. 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