If words could kill: The social construction of domestic violence

Jenie Marie Stokes, Purdue University

Abstract

The study of domestic violence as a social problem rather than as an individual or family issue has begun to gain greater acceptance in the social science research community. However, recognition of this problem as a product of a sexist culture in which men still expect to maintain control over women's lives is limited, as is the definition of domestic abuse as a health care crisis. To understand how family violence policy recommendations are presented to the public, it should be useful to analyze the rhetoric used to construct this issue. First, through the use of a model developed from three approaches—psychological, sociological, and feminist—the language used in a selection of academic journals will be analyzed to determine which aspects of family violence are being given significant attention by the authors of these articles. Second, news stories on domestic abuse taken over a ten-year period from two prominent publications, the New York Times and Ms. magazine, will be critiqued for the same purpose. Third, transcripts from a series of Congressional committee hearings on violence against women will be used to establish the level of support and credibility experts on and survivors of abuse are given by legislators chairing these committees, in addition to the amount of input different witnesses have on various subjects pertaining to family violence. Collectively, these data will serve as guidelines to develop a picture of how the rhetorical construction of domestic violence may have circumscribed recent policy recommendations.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Kathlene, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Political science|Womens studies|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology

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