Respectability, Chivalry and ‘Fixing’ Women: Men’s Narratives of Intimate Partner Violence in Cape Town

Autores/as

  • Taryn Jill van Niekerk University of Cape Town
  • Floretta Boonzaier University of Cape Town

Palabras clave:

Gender, Intimate partner violence, Narratives, Perpetrators of violence, Social representations, Violencia dentro de la pareja, relatos, acusados, representaciones sociales, Género

Resumen

In this paper we argue that social representations are a key mechanism through which knowledge about intimate partner violence is shared and understood. We draw on in-depth interviews with 11 men who had perpetrated violence against an intimate woman partner and analyse the social representations of masculinities, femininities and violence that emerge from men’s narratives about their lives and relationships. We analyse men’s social representations of violence primarily through the lens of respectability involving both masculine and feminine forms of respectability, which contribute to the maintenance of patriarchy. We show how the narrative of respectability is held together by representations of masculine heroism and feminine masochism and the findings cast light on how acts of violence are shaped by a range of intersections and structural oppressions. Social representations of gender and intimate partner violence also show how individual men’s narratives about violence are largely influenced by their peers, kin and wider community norms that make violence against women acceptable.

Este artículo defiende que las representaciones sociales son un mecanismo clave a través del que se comparte y entiende el conocimiento sobre la violencia dentro de la pareja. Basándose en entrevistas en profundidad con 11 hombres que habían cometido actos de violencia contra su compañera íntima, se analizan las representaciones sociales de la masculinidad, la feminidad y la violencia que emergen de los relatos de hombres sobre sus vidas y relaciones. Se analizan las representaciones sociales de la violencia que realizan los hombres, principalmente a través de la lente de la respetabilidad, involucrando tanto formas de respetabilidad masculinas como femeninas, lo que contribuye al mantenimiento del patriarcado. Se muestra cómo la narración de la respetabilidad se integra por representaciones de heroísmo masculino y masoquismo femenino, y los hallazgos arrojan luz sobre cómo una serie de intersecciones y opresiones estructurales dan forma a actos violentos. Las representaciones sociales de género y violencia dentro de la pareja también muestran cómo los relatos de hombres individuales sobre la violencia están muy influenciados por sus compañeros, familiares y normas comunitarias más amplias que convierten en aceptable la violencia contra las mujeres.

DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2700202

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Biografía del autor/a

Taryn Jill van Niekerk, University of Cape Town

Taryn van Niekerk is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town. Her doctoral work explores the social representations of intimate partner violence against women, amongst men, their social networks and within the media in the South African context. Her research interests include feminist post-structuralist theories of gender, the social construction of masculinities particularly within the South African context, and intimate partner violence against women, recognized as occurring within specific historical, social contexts, and social networks. Department of Psychology. University of Cape Town Private Bag X3. Rondebosch, 7701. South Africa taryn.vanniekerk@uct.ac.za

Floretta Boonzaier, University of Cape Town

Floretta Boonzaier is an Associate Professor in psychology at the University of Cape Town. Her primary research areas include work on the social psychological aspects of gender-based violence, the intersections of raced, classed and gendered subjectivities, and a focus on the social construction of femininities and masculinities. She has published on intimate partner violence against women locally and internationally, and is co-editor of The Gender of Psychology (2006), published by UCT Press and co-author of South African Women Living with HIV: Global Lessons from Local Voices, published by Indiana University Press. Department of Psychology. University of Cape Town Private Bag X3. Rondebosch, 7701. South Africa. +27 (0)21 712 7866. floretta.boonzaier@uct.ac.za

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Publicado

2014-07-17

Cómo citar

van Niekerk, T. J. y Boonzaier, F. (2014) «Respectability, Chivalry and ‘Fixing’ Women: Men’s Narratives of Intimate Partner Violence in Cape Town», Oñati Socio-Legal Series, 5(6), pp. 1471–1489. Disponible en: https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/456 (Accedido: 22 noviembre 2024).

Número

Sección

Narrating the Intersectionalities of Gender Violence

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