Feminist Perspectives in Domestic Violence - Term Paper Example

Feminist Perspectives in Domestic Violence Name Institution Course Tutor Date The problem of domestic violence is not unique to a specific continent, region, country, state, community or tribe. It is a universal problem that threatens to disrupt the foundation of human and family lives. Domestic violence has always been present in all the societies around the world. However, the prevalence of domestic violence has since changed (Burril, Roberts, & Thornberry 2010, p. 22). Moreover, this problem has substantially changed. Domestic violence has been refined as a problem for states, communities, families and human rights activists. As this is happening, the methods used in perpetuating domestic violence continue to evolve as more people are being violated in a very cruel manner. In an attempt to stop and reduce this vice, several stakeholders including government and non-governmental organisations need to work together in a more coordinated manner. Regardless of the methods used in fighting domestic violence, the problem of violence within the domestic circle continues to affect women, children, men and the entire society. This essay explores feminist perspective in domestic violence. Domestic violence does not only affect the victims but it affects the whole society and the fabric of the human social life. The history of domestic violence shows that the victims are the most vulnerable individuals in the society. On the other hand, the perpetrators reveal intimate, embodied experiences of power (Burril, Roberts, & Thornberry 2010). Domestic violence refers to vices such as physical or sexual assault, battery, intimidating another person wilfully and any other abusive behaviour. In this case, abusive behaviour is part of systematic pattern regarding control and power by a partner towards another. This can occur in a frequent manner and its consequences and severity also vary. However, what remain constant in domestic violence is the consistent efforts of the abusive partner to control and uphold power over his or her partner. A partner who is historically disadvantaged by the organisation and prejudice of the society is often the victim of domestic violence. In this case, women are usually the victims of domestic violence. However, men are also battered by their partners. Domestic violence affects individuals in all communities regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion, age or economic status. It is therefore not surprising that are many diverse perspectives on domestic violence. This essay focuses on domestic violence against women which is consistent with the feminist perspectives on domestic violence. The feminist view on domestic violence acknowledges that women experience higher rate of severe domestic violence as compared to men (Sokoloff & Dupont 2005, p. 01-02). Furthermore, they are socially structured gender inequality which is the basic reason for high rate of violence against women. The choice of women in this discussion is a reflection of the contributions and problems of feminist perspective on domestic violence. Feminist perspective on violence has contributed significantly on how we can understand domestic violence. It has challenged earlier sociological and psychological models of domestic violence that depict it as a problem of the family or a conflict that results from psychopathology of either one party or both. The feminist perspective on domestic violence departs from earlier theories by taking a social-political perspective. The main organising principle in this perspective is gender inequality. The male dominates and controls the family and the entire society hence perpetuating violence against women in the family. The majority of the pioneering work on domestic violence regarded intimate partner violence as a phenomenon that is monolithic and affects all women equally. However, this approach has been regarded as both inadequate and inappropriate to explain the women experiences from diverse backgrounds. It also fails to address the needs of women who have been domestically abused. On the other hand, multicultural scholars want us to reject the idea that abused women lack agency and are helpless. Furthermore, it urges people to recognise the real obstacles that women who have been domestically abused faces while attempting to escape the abusive relationship. In the society, victimisation and agency is often understood as existing when the other one is absent (Sokoloff & Dupont 2005, p. 03). It is therefore difficult to simultaneously draw attention and evokes sympathy for victimisation of women and at the same time underscores the strengths and resilience of women who have been abused. These seemingly contradictory objectives led activists and scholars to refer to battered women as survivors or victims/survivors as oppose to victims. Domestic violence is an area of public policy. It is therefore expected that gender analysis is ubiquitous (Vincent & Eveline 2014, p. 323). However, gender and institutional racism are not given priority in policymaking. Domestic violence was once considered a taboo subject. It has now become a subject that receives attention from public and political circles. Additionally, the research on domestic violence gathered tremendous pace in the last decade. Nonetheless, most of this research neglected or ignored indigenous experience. This is part of the structural and social factors that perpetuate discrimination against women. There is no much research done on domestic violence on certain groups of women especially the marginalised ones. This makes it difficult to create universal solutions to deal with this problem by having a broader view on the cause of domestic violence. The policy-making does not help either. Institutional racism infuses domestic violence policy (Vincent & Eveline 2014, p. 324). The treatment of perpetrators is imposed by social institutions in ways that are epistemic. Simplistic conventional solutions used to address domestic violence treat violence as a symptom of general community deficiency. Moreover, it focuses on parallel factors such as drug and alcohol abuse. In every society, there is a culture. In most cases, traditional cultures have perpetuated domestic violence for a very long time. Men are highly prized members of the society. They are given proprietary control over their wives as well as daughters if they are there. Women feel like they are second class human beings and certain cultures infuse this kind of thinking. Many women are unable or unwilling to report domestic violence as they feel trapped by various traditions hence hesitant to seek help. It includes the belief that wives should be submissive to their husbands and the fear to bring shame to the family by reporting incidence of domestic violence (McCue 2008, p.101). Moreover, community elders also misled them by giving misguided advice that abuse is normal part of marriage and life in general and therefore should be endured. The more traditional attitudes are deeply ingrained, the bigger the extent in which domestic violence is a problem. Poverty is another issue that perpetuates domestic violence. Extreme poverty has been specifically correlated with higher rates of brutal and severe domestic violence (Sokoloff & Pratt 2005, p. 04). Women who depend on their husbands for their livelihood find it difficult to leave an abusive relationship especially in cases where they have nowhere to go. They therefore stay and condone the abusive husband hoping that he will change and live the life they expected when they get married. Different interventions are necessary to deal with problems of battered women from different backgrounds. For example, the main concern and priority for a poor battered woman is to have a secure housing while religious women may require special food as well as living arrangements. Furthermore, lesbian women need services that are very open and lesbians are being accepted. It is important to provide services and institute interventions to help battered women by taking cultural differences and structural conditions as well as particular needs that different communities need. Domestic violence causes various effects to women. It diminishes physical and psychological well-being of women (Tolman & Rosen 2001, p. 142). It can also increase material hardship risks such as food insufficiency and homelessness. Battered women experience higher levels of depression and psychological distress (Levendosky & Graham-Bermann 2001, p. 171). They also tend to have low self-esteem. Women who are abused are often faced with hard decisions. For example, they have to decide whether to stay with an abusive partner and leave sufficient food and shelter. Women who are poor and with children may have to rely on government assistance programs in order to get shelter and food when they decide flee from their violent partners. The feminist perspective in domestic violence attempts to raise public awareness regarding serious problem of violence against women. It distinguishes itself from other perspectives by carrying out social action research aims at achieving social change. It emphasizes unequal power struggles and it re-examines family institution and contestation. Domestic violence is a serious issue that should be handled in a collective manner by all the stakeholders involved in the issue. The social services sector plays an important role in helping battered women and addressing the entire issue of domestic violence. However, structural, social, and traditional factors that perpetuate domestic violence make it difficult for social services sector to achieve its objectives. For example, the issue of prizing men as important members of the society than women and children may hamper quality of services given to abused women. Traditional cultures that view battering as part of general life means that reporting of domestic violence is low hence social services sector cannot adequately plan and administer their help since they do not have all the data. References Burrill, E., Roberts, R. L., & Thornberry, E. (2010). Domestic violence and the law in colonial and postcolonial Africa. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. Levendosky, A. A., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2001). Parenting in battered women: The effects of domestic violence on women and their children. Journal of Family Violence, 16(2), 171-192. McCue, M. L. (2008). Domestic violence: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. Sokoloff, N. J. (2005). Domestic violence at the margins: readings on race, class, gender, and culture. Piscataway, N.J., Rutgers University Press. Tolman, R. M., & Rosen, D. (2001). Domestic violence in the lives of women receiving welfare mental health, substance dependence, and economic well-being. Violence against women, 7(2), 141-158. Vincent, K. M., & Eveline, J. (2008). The invisibility of gendered power relations in domestic violence policy. Journal of family studies, 14(2-3), 322-333. Read More