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All the required readings in this course so far have been pertinent in the realm of gender-based violence. I believe it is safe to say a consensus of all the readings suggest IPV is a complex phenomenon encompassing a plethora of different cultural aspects, individual life experiences and socioeconomic influences. There is much discussion over what specific factors make an individual abusive, reasons why victims stay, potential resources for survivors, developmental factors for children exposed to IPV and best treatment for both victims and survivors.
We have come a long way from the battered women’s movement of the 60’s and 70’s but what real progress have we made?
Our society has become desensitized to, has normalized and even romanticized the dynamics of abuse among intimate partners. Even in more progressive areas where rigid gender roles and underlying historical aspects of inequality appear to have diminished, I’m not convinced this is the case. Intimate partner violence remains prevalent in our popular culture, which is a huge influence on today’s youth.
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The book, and later movie, Fifty Shades of Grey suggests to women, girls, men, and boys that females like to be dominated, controlled and treated like a slave. The behavior depicted in this story not only normalizes abuse but has been portrayed as a love story in such a way which male abuse toward women is seen as desirable.
Another example of domestic abuse found in our popular culture is the relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn portrayed in the 2016 movie Suicide Squad.
Both love stories, having become a cultural phenomenon, embody aspects deeply rooted in manipulation, psychological and physical violence and serve as examples of toxic behaviors within relationships. Some can argue these are merely fictitious stories, but the reality is our media is one of the most influential aspects of our society and these are the types of relationships that our youth see as role models. Exposure to domestic violence reinforces the behavior as acceptable for both male and female children. Boys often adopt these ideals and ways of thinking from these role models causing them to grow into men with a sense of entitlement.
Through these influences, girls are taught this is an acceptable way to be treated. It teaches boys that using abusive behavior is how you treat girls and is an effective way to get what you want which becomes how they treat women as adults. It teaches girls that abuse is an acceptable way to be treated and reinforces the notion that when a boy likes you he is mean to you. Whose job is it to challenge these notions? The question of effective interventions to address the battle for power and control among abusers remains. This is not a new struggle; it has remained a cultural issue for decades and only small strides have been made. Change is an intentional and almost inevitable process. In that respect, cultures do not vanish on their own, but they do so in effect of particular policies and influences. We as a society give meaning to words and objects and these meanings haven’t always been there. The process of instilling gender roles and male privilege has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
This echoes Derrida’s theory of deconstruction, where a center is picked and everything else is excluded or marginalized and can help explain the underlying causes of domestic violence. Underlying principles create dualistic oppositions and install hierarchies where one term is viewed superior over the other. For example, if man is considered center, then woman is marginalized. A Saussurean ideology states these two opposites define each other and each has value because its opposite exists. The dominant group is rarely challenged in its power and often has the ability to go unexamined. It is only when these notions are challenged, and society actively works toward a paradigm shift in which these hierarchies are erased that a real change will be seen (Scott).
Artists and organizations alike have taken it upon themselves to promote awareness of domestic violence and help reduce the negative stigma. An example includes the work of singer and songwriter Elliot Moss’ song “Without the Lights,” paired with interpretive dance choreographed by Phillip Chbeeb. This work depicts the effects of trauma and self-depreciation experienced by someone who has fallen victim by a controlling and abusive partner. The Unconventional Apology Project consists of survivors who had their photograph taken, were interviewed and ultimately were empowered by being able to tell their unique story. Another example is the Clothes Line Project, which serves as a visual representation of survivors and victims of domestic violence by publicly displaying an item of clothing for each survivor or victim participating in the project. Each clothing item is often representative of individual’s unique stories and different versions can be seen all over the country.
It is certainly a positive and empowering gesture, however, projects such as these are often only seen during the month of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness month and they do not reach the masses on as large of a scale as the influences mentioned above. More recently scholars such as Jackson Katz have shared their perspective on a solution to gender violence. Katz suggests IPV is more of a men’s issue than women’s issue and questions why so many men engage in violent and destructive behavior in this day and age.
He suggests we need more men who are already seen as leaders and who are in powerful roles to speak up against abusive behaviors. It is the same societal construct that produces men who abuse females which produces men who abuse other men or boys. Abuse thrives in silence and we need more men who are willing to consistently take a stand against this abuse. Hopefully taking this into consideration, we can implement more programs which lead to an overall change in perception of apparent entitlement and provides an opportunity for individuals to breakdown hierarchal stereotypes. I believe treating the underlying issue and root cause will be helpful in preventing future generations of abuse.
About The Area Of Gender-Based Violence. (2022, May 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/about-the-area-of-gender-based-violence-essay
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