Complex relationship between dependency and domestic violence

This article looks at the dependency financially on women or men and how that plays a valid role in domestic partnership abuse. This article also notices that dependency is only one factor of domestic abuse, and that there are many more. However, dependency is a strong factor and for that reason learning and studying this topic can help construct some necessities for these types of depending relationships, and also change some social policies. Also the need for dependency help in victimization, and letting the abuser get abuse because of the lack of “help” they are bringing to the family. I think this is interesting train of thought that women can have in staying in these relationships. If you are living off the spouse who is aggressive and violent towards you, how can you complain when your basic necessities come from him? Not true, if we think many of these women who are stay at home mothers have a bigger work than many people think. Maintaining a household is a critical and complex job, and also the idea that while you are maintaining your home you also have to make sure you look the part. Another interesting note is the fact that these women feel powerless in searching for help, and looking for authority because they feel that their financial background is not going to help them in the long run. Which I can understand this mind set especially because as the saying goes money can talk, especially if these women go for divorce and want custody of their children but there partner has a solid job and is financially stable. Although I think the way society should respond to this, is showing the stories of women who have succeed in receiving help, and separation from their domestic abuser. Overall I think my goal in understanding why women stay in domestic relationship is coming close to the end. I can see how society has constructed factors in making women think they have no choice but to stay in these unhealthy relationships.

Gender, Status, and domestic violence: an integration of feminist and family violence approaches

This article searches for which side is right when looking at domestic violence/ family violence, whether family researchers or feminist. Family researchers believe that structural inequality has an important role in creating tensions between the families, while feminist believe that the struggle of power and imbalance of men and women are to blame. The conclusion of this research is both sides have valid points and in order to fine an underlying answer of which one is more correct would require more research. There are many elements that play in structure of inequality such as lack of education, low income, age, race, and resources. Gender however, plays with the way they view society, creating the power struggle of income, race, and social status. Based on this article I think that both sides are correct in looking at Domestic Violence. I think that the structural inequality (violence) that certain families have create tensions between the partners, and can cause other problems such as power struggle. I believe that before society blames one thing, they should look at the interconnection. Overall I think that culture has a lot to do with Domestic Violence, how we view it and how we understand it. Culture can create a family structure that is unequal or gives one sex a bigger importance or roles based on the cultural structure. Then this family structure can have male’s roles to have a bigger, dominant play, or make the men seem like they are victims, to society’s inequalities. What I am trying to get at is Domestic Violence is a complex issue, and instead of looking for one answer to why it occurs we should look for the cultural affects. In doing so we can all get a better understanding of why women stay in these types of relationships.