Domestic Violence: Research Shedding Light on People of Color - Essay Sample

Introduction

With the recent rise of feminist groups, research and literature have shed light on the different forms of domestic violence, especially on intimate partners. For instance, research by Hines et al. (2012) focused on women-based violence in totality, thereby limiting research that focuses on individual communities. More interesting is that there is a minimal amount of research discussing domestic violence while focusing on the population of people of color. Of the studies carried out, a similar trend is that there is an increase in intimate personal violence. An estimate of all the research investigated and determined that a quarter of all marriages experience domestic-based violence. Immigrant populations are not left out in domestic and intimate personal violence. Immigrant women also experience domestic-based violence in a lot of forms. Patriarchal racist structures create the social conditions for male violence against women in Black families.

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An assessment of private person violence targeted at women estimates that 40% of immigrant women experience violence in their relationships (Hardesty & Ogolsky, 2020). The statistics and data dearth analyzed above expounds that domestic violence is not a specific group's problem. It is a problem experienced in all the communities. Even though previous sociologists have established various theories that explain sources of intimate person violence targeted at women, there is a need for further investigation. Previous researches mainly focus on general methods that focus on all communities. As a concerned society, to reduce the number of violence towards women, it is only fair that further research is carried out that will help identify contributing factors. Contributing factors are factors that enhance the occurrence of violence within families. Feminist and non-feminist in equal measures have pointed fingers to patriarchal structures as being a significant contributor to family-based violence targeted to women.

Male-dominated power structures are assumed to limit women's power, thereby exposing them as victims of family-based violence (Hardesty & Ogolsky, 2020). To establish more truth on patriarchal structures and its contribution, this study narrows down to patriarchal, racist structures. Patriarchal, racist structures are male-dominated structures, but with the additional assumption that apart from gender as a primary locus of discrimination, there is a further recognition that women of color experience other fundamental premises of limitations that come with color skin. Even though there are many immigrant and racial communities, this study only focuses on black families. The point administered below seeks to critically analyze and find facts regarding the statement that: Patriarchal, racist structures contribute to the social conditions that ultimately lead to male violence against women in black families. The importance of this study is that it sets a platform for informing policies on sociological issues that address family-based violence targeted on women.

Racial Profiling

West (2004) asserted that patriarchal ideologies that were used to dominate women and those that control social conditions for FBV (family-based violence) are universal. However, expressions of these ideologies vary according to particular indicators which, might include immigration and other social specificities. Women, who are the victims, bargain with specific sociocultural issues that support the violence mitigated upon them. The black race-specific patriarchal factors that enhance social conditions for family-based violence include motherhood and racist beliefs, among others discussed below.

The first patriarchal racist belief, which is rather political, assumes that violence among blacks is a way of life. According to research by Collins (2012), the government and correctional institutions, which are mandated to solve such social issues fail to do so with the simple reason that it is part of the black culture. Host male-dominated governments use this mentioned racist assumption to substantiate their failure to take action. Most of them would reason that they do nothing about it because black import the culture and the behavior with them while coming to the host countries. The racist assumption that violence is part of the black culture can be related to the male peer support theory by Walter DeKeseredy (West, 2004). Male peer support theory identifies that men learn to abuse their family women not only from familial relationships but also, from a male peer support network system. A male peer network support system is a male comprised system that uses various analogies to support fellow men that abuse women. The assumption that violence among black is a way of life is posited as one of the arguments within the male peer support theory. Black Americans who grow up and adopt this narrative, which is proposed by an organized male social group, will believe the same pave the way for further family violence on black women (Collins, 2012). The racist belief that black men are violent is one illustration of how male-dominated racists society pave the way for family-based violence with a particular focus on people of color.

Implementation of Stressors

Another illustration of how male-dominated racial societies contribute to social conditions that lead to the abuse of family women is through stressors (Menjívar, & Salcido, 2002). White racists that exist in the same places as the black subject the people of the black race to a lot of stressful situations. Many scholars observe stressors encapsulate from the environment, school, work, and financial conditions that black people are subjects. Stressors, many of the time, act as triggers to family-based violence. People of color are exposed to a lot of stressors than the rest of the races. They are directly exposed to police violence. The blacks are also exposed to prejudice, limitation to job opportunities, and other cultural variables. To eliminate the mentioned stress factors, black men transfer their abuse to the women in the family.

Nevertheless, scholars have argued that stressors are not part of the male-dominated factors that contribute to violence in black families (Menjívar, & Salcido, 2002). The dissenters say that even when the stress factors are taken away, men still display violence to the women. The argument of stressors being a male-dominated racial factor that breeds social conditions for violence supports Donald Dutton's psychological approach of explaining relationship-based violence (Menjívar, & Salcido, 2002). Dutton argues that male violence against women is a result of rejection and shame that abusers experience from their father and anger from their mother (Hines et al., 2012). Concerning the context under discussion, fathers are native whites who continue to reject and shame people of color. Shame and hatred of people of the black race manifest through family-based violence. Dutton's theory explains that anger management therapy is a possible solution to limiting stressors as a patriarchal, racist element that leads to abuse by men against women.

Isolation of Women

Another patriarchal ideology used to dominate women that acts as a source of female-based violence are isolation. Isolation is a patriarchal belief that women should be separated from their family and friends when they get into relationships. Several relationships become a foreign environment with a new culture and very few familiar faces. Once women get to the new environment, it takes off power from them. In such a situation, it is easier for men to control women. Men control the woman's lives both physically and emotionally. The isolation menace is even worse in people of color. Isolation in people of color become a source of family violence that victimizes women (Gatwiri, & Mumbi, 2016). The victimization of women comes out because men, apart from gaining emotional and physical control over the women, are better placed to gain control over resources. When men gain control over resources, it limits the women's ability to receive legal, financial, and emotional support. A woman who suffers from isolation is likely to fight for his freedom, which in itself will be a condition for family-based violence. The isolation element is part of a theory referred to as the feminist theory.

The feminist theory emphasizes that all patriarchal societies that people of the black race are part of having social institutions that are male-dominated. The family, the economy, and religious institutions are embedded in masculine dominance. The theory goes further to illustrate that women's subordination is not natural but as a result of gender inequality (Gatwiri, & Mumbi, 2016). Women, for the longest time, did not have the voice. The above analysis present dependency as a social condition culprit that works against women. It works against women through putting power and momentum to their abusers, who happen to be male. However, in recent years women have learned to resist, something most men of color is not comfortable with, thereby it becomes a source of family-based violence. Women become victims. The above explanation presents an illustration of how a patriarchal, racist society breeds family-based violence with a particular view to the blacks in the community.

The Value of Motherhood

Another element that stands as a source of violence influenced by patriarchal, racial society is the value placed on motherhood. With patriarchy, maternity is perceived as compulsory. Society is structured to put pressure on women to become mothers. Motherhood becomes a significant social role among women (Momirov, & Duffy, 2011). The extent to which a patriarchal, racist society establishes motherhood is a source of violence. Motherhood among the black race defines what constitutes a good mother and a bad mother. A mother is only valued the moment they are attached to a legal father. In light of the potential of a legal father, women are denied their possibility of serving as humans.

The factor of a legal father facilitates male control over women. Women who do not meet the masculine description of ideal motherhood are stigmatized for violating a dominant norm. In a black, racist, patriarchal society, motherhood is further defined in a manner that serves the interest of men. Ideal mothers are women who serve their husbands well and, at the same time, balance their time with the children. Strong women within the black community are not those that have divorced their husbands even when children are involved. However, those women who struggle through the pain of keeping both the husband and the children together are considered the strongest (Davis, 2008).

Black women are not supposed to divorce, no matter how the situation might be hard. Motherhood becomes a source of violence in most black families when a woman struggles to balance between satisfying the husband and the children. Most husbands threaten overwhelmed women with infidelity and divorce. Even worse, most women have suffered physical abuse from their male counterparts for failing to deliver to their husbands and children as expected by society. The feminist theory explains the element of motherhood as an agent used to promote violence (Davis, 2008). Motherhood is one of the natural institutions ever. However, in a patriarchal society, motherhood is service to men and children. A failed mother is likely to be a victim of abuse to their husbands.

Conclusion

Partner abuse meted on women by their male partners among people of color is not by accident. It is indeed true that patriarchal, racist structures create social conditions for...