OVERVIEW
DOBASH AND DOBASH
DOBASH AND DOBASH (RAD FEM INTERPRETATION)
EVALUATION
EVALUATION (WILKINSON)
OFFICIAL STATS PROBLEM
RADICAL FEMINISTS
- Common view that domestic violence is behaviour of sick or disturbed individuals and causes are psychological rather than social
- Challenged because Domestic violence is far too widespread
- BRITISH CRIME SURVEY - almost sixth of all violent crime
- MIRLEES-BLACK survey of 16000 people estimates about 6.6. million domestic assaults a year
DOBASH AND DOBASH
- argue patriarchal society still cultural support for view that men have the right to discipline wives
- found one of the major motifs for assault was husband's perception that wife was not performing domestic duties to his satisfaction
- Societies acceptance of division of labour leaves women vulnerable to this
- study showed that many women are economically dependent on men since they are in poorly paid employment
DOBASH AND DOBASH (RAD FEM INTERPRETATION)
- Findings interpreted by radical feminists to suggest widespread dom violence is negative feature of patriarchal society - preserves power all men have over women
- violence can often be due to man feeling like authority is challenged
- marriage legitimates dom violence by giving men power
EVALUATION
- ELLIOT - rejects feminist claim that all men benefit from dom violence - not all men are aggressive and most are opposed to it
- Rad fem fail to explain female violence to children and male partners
- Vanessa George systematically sexually abused children in nursery
- Sees domestic violence as the result of stress on family members caused by social inequality
- Argues that families on low incomes or living into over crowded housing are likely to experience higher levels of stress
- Stress reduces chances of maintaining stable and caring relationships and risk of violence
EVALUATION (WILKINSON)
- Findings show that not all people are equally in danger of dom violence
- People with less power, status wealth often at greatest - useful in showing how social inequality has produced conflict in fam
- fails to explain why women are commonly victims
OFFICIAL STATS PROBLEM
- Women unwilling to report to police
- Yearnshire - women are likely to suffer 35 assaults before reporting
- Police reluctant to act due to views on family life being private and individuals have freedom to leave violent relationships
RADICAL FEMINISTS
- MILLET AND FIRESTONE - society patriarchal and men are the enemy. Domestic violence preserves power men have over women and police force is male dominated
- ROBERSTON ELLIOT
- MIRLEES BLACK