Feminist explanations of DV

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Millet (1970) and Firestone (1970) - interpretation of DV as evidence of patriarchy

• All societies have been founded on patriarchy

• Key division in society: male | female

• Men: enemy, oppressors and exploiters of women

Other rad. fem ideas about DV

• Family & marriage key institutions in a patriarchal society and main source of women’s oppression as men dominate women through (the threat of) DV

  • Patterns of DV link to social norms about marriage

• DV is inevitable because the patriarchy preserves all the power men have over women

• Reluctance of police and courts to deal with DV is explained by the male domination of state institutions

  • All men benefit from violence against women

CRITICISM of rad. fem. explanation

Elliot (1996)

• Not all men are aggressive and most are opposed to DV

CRITICISMS of rad. fem. explanation

Failures and assumptions

ONS (2014), CSFEAW (2020)

• Wrongly assumes all women are at equal risk of patriarchal violence

  • Fails to explain which women are most likely to be victims

    • Office for National Statistics (2014)

      • Women and men from some social groups face a higher risk of DV

        • Young

        • Low social class

        • Living in a deprived area

        • Low income

        • Financial difficulties

        • Shared and/or rented accommodation

        • Alcoholics

        • Drug addicts

        • Long-term illness

        • Disabled

• Fails to explain female violence

  • Child abuse by women

  • Violence against male partners

    • Crime Survey for England & Wales (2020)

      • 13.8% of men (2.9 million) experienced DV since the age of 16

  • Violence in lesbian relationships

Marxist feminist explanation of DV

Ansley (1972)

• Inequality causes DV

• Wives are ‘takers of shit’ - DV is product of capitalism

  • Male workers exploited at work and take frustration out on their wives

CRITICISM of Marxist fem. explanation of DV

Male workers rate of DV, female DV

• Fails to explain why not all male workers violent towards partners

• Doesn’t account for female DV