Explanations of Domestic Violence Flashcards
(30 cards)
What are the 2 types of domestic violence?
The radical feminist explanation
The materialist explanation
What is a brief overview of radical feminist explanation?
It emphasises the role of patriarchal ideas, cultural values and institutions
What is a brief overview of materialist explanation?
It emphasises economic factors like the lack of resources
What do radical feminists interpret?
Findings of Dobash and Dobash as evidence of patriarchy
What do Millett and Firestone argue?
That all societies have been founded on patriarchy
What do radical feminists see as being the clear division of society?
Men and women
Men = Enemy that oppress and exploit women
What do radical feminists see family and marriage as?
The key institutions in patriarchal society and the main source of women’s oppression
Who rejects the radical feminist claim?
Faith Robertson Elliot
What does Faith Robertson Elliot reject?
Not all men benefit from violence against women
Radical feminists ignore that not all men are aggressive
What do radical feminists fail to explain?
Female violence
How do radical feminists fail to explain female violence?
They ignore child abuse, violence against male partners and lesbian relationships
What is a support that Radical feminists fail to explain female violence?
The Crime Survey for England and Wales
- Estimate that 2.9M men have experienced domestic violence since the age of 16
What do radical feminists use the concept of?
Patriarchy
What is a critique of the Patriarchial concept?
RF why it is only women that are victims
They don’t explain which women are most likely to be the victims
Who are the sociologists for Material explanation?
Wilkinson and Pickett
What do Wilkinson and Pickett identify?
Domestic violence is a result of stress on family members for survival in society
How is inequality portrayed in Material explanation?
Some may have fewer resources
- low income, overcrowded housing
What does fewer resources lead to?
High levels of stress and instability in their relationships
What does this stress eventually cause?
Conflict, potentially domestic abuse
What are men worried about?
Money, jobs and housing
Lack of money and time
What is the result of the lack of money and time?
Prevents a development of a social circle
= Reduces support for those under stress
Who does Wilkinson and Pickett say are at the greatest risk?
Those with less power, status, wealth and income
What is the critique of Material explanation?
Major focus on working class with lower resources
Fails to explain why there may be domestic violence in M/C couples
What do Marxists Feminists see?
That inequality causes domestic violence
