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.