Theories of domestic violence Gender

Theories of domestic violence Gender Socialization Theory Gender socialization is linked to the fact that either of the two genders is required to stick to their roles in terms of masculinity and femininity for male and female, respectively (Carter, 2014). Relatively, they learn masculinity and femininity through family or group interactions. The theory also stipulates how the genders are socialized into dichotomous roles of gender. This is the reason why either of the two genders behaves differently. Males behave differently as regards some social, economic, or political affiliations compared to their female counterparts. The most important factor in the gender socialization theory is ethnomethodology, which postulates that gender is understood as created (Carter, 2014). Actors should play the role of maintaining and adhering to the set ethnomethodology rules. Therefore, in this perspective, numerous tasks and roles in the society are highly gendered in such a way that the female gender have a role to play that matches their femininity while males play their roles from the perspective of masculinity (Stets & Carter, 2011). The concepts in Carter (2014) regarding the role of either of the two genders to practice their gendered roles are applicable in Anne and John’s scenario. Anne is the victim of domestic violence but she fails to take stringent actions to quell the abuse directed against her. Her gender socialization demonstrates that she has the role of nurturing and holding integral positions to ensure appropriate functioning of her family. This makes her decide to keep the family intact at all costs including accepting violence against her for the sake of nurturing her family. Therefore, she is more likely to stay put in the marriage and be abused by John as she might be unwilling to report the physical abuse she is facing from her spouse. Her social interest is capped by her uncertainty of what may happen and her fear of her family stumbling if she becomes rebellious against the domestic violence. Stress and Coping Stress and coping are psychological factors that can contribute to the situations observed in domestic violence. The effects of stress and directly related to coping. For instance, individuals are likely to be stressed if they are unable to cope with the situations facing them in terms of emotional or economic challenges (Neufeld, 1990). Stress impacts on the emotional wellbeing of an individual to greater extents in such a way that the individual is likely to be unable to make sober judgments. Stress, in a sociological context, arises from situational factors – situational stressors. Such stressors may include demands that are ambiguous, difficult, or not achievable as required within the desired period. These stressors are likely to impact negatively on the social construct of an individual. Similarly, coping is necessary to mitigate the effects of stress on an individual and on the environment as a whole. Avoidance-coping has been observed to be the most effective form of coping in the sense of alleviating depressive symptoms (Renner, 2009). However, an individual requires psychological help to facilitate the process of coping; otherwise, the likelihood of the situation worsening is high. The combination of stress and coping is a highly applicable psychological factor that can be illustrated in the case of domestic violence directed against Anne by John. Visibly, Anne suffers from the impacts of domestic violence as she is the main victim. On the other hand, John, who is stressful and fails to cope with the stress, relieves himself from the emotional confines of stress by physically abusing Anne. Uniquely, alcohol abuse is a factor that arises in this case. Alcohol abuse may be the other cause of John’s failure to cope with and control his stress. Due to alcohol intoxication, he is unable to manage his anger; thus, the main option of relieving his intrinsic stress is through violence against his spouse. Contrarily, Anne is able to manage and cope with the stress of violence against her; therefore, she maintains her presence in the abusive relationship. Culture of Violence Theory This theory is of sociological significance in the domestic contexts where various sub-groups in the society believe that they should practice some norms that justify the use of force that exceeds the past thresholds. This theory is applicable to the domestic violence situation where the male gender thinks that it should apply their masculinity in a way that oppresses the weaker gender in the society (Bent-Goodley, 2005). Relatively, males engage in behaviors that they think are justified to be associated with their masculinity. The theory also encompasses various aspects of cultural violence, which can be used to support a certain trend of structural violence against the other members of the society. This arises from the idea that certain forms of violence are allowed and are culturally correct. Therefore, such people continue feeling that their violent actions are legitimate and should be practiced as a cultural norm. In the case scenario of John and Anne, the culture of violence theory plays a very significant role. Culturally, John believes that he is the head of the family and he has encountered situations whereby domestic violence against women was justified. In such scenarios, he also thought that most of the people that engage in acts of domestic violence are embraced as none of them or only a few of them have been previously grilled over their involvement in such heinous acts. On the contrary, Anne believes that domestic violence is a norm in the society and that she might be castigated if she reports. Therefore, she remains silent as the victim, which implies that she would continue to be at risk of abuse. Social Learning Theory The social learning theory exhaustively adduces to the idea that learning is a cognitive process (Akers & Jensen, 2007). The cognitive process has the potency to be governed by reinforcements, which emphasizes important functions of internal processes within an individual. Gender role development is an important aspect of social learning theory in which an individual learns gender roles from the reinforcements put into perspective by the parents. In relation to the ideas postulated by Akers & Jensen (2007), social learning theory attributes to the assertion that violence is a learned behavior, which can be exacerbated by alcohol abuse, stress, relationships, and money. Therefore, in most instances where domestic violence occurs, the preceding controlling factors are predetermined through cognition. Ultimately, violence can be augmented by the factors exhibited in the environment. For instance, alcohol abuse can create a scenario whereby an individual acts in a manner that is not consistent with the social norms. Relatively, relationship issues and stress are the other contributing factors that impact on the character of an individual in tandem with the social learning theory. The social learning theory applies in the case of John and Anne as a typical case of domestic violence in the society. Anne is the victim of domestic violence as stipulated in the case. From a social learning theory point of view, John acts in this manner as a result of the environmental factors such as stress, alcohol abuse, and money matters. Regarding money matters, John is threatened by his sense of masculinity as he is currently unemployed. Therefore, he feels the urge of maintaining is gender role within the family context by directing the energy toward Anne. Additionally, alcohol abuse creates a cognitive phase that directs him to resort to domestic violence. He might not act violently under normal circumstances but when intoxicated and stressed. Patriarchal Theory Patriarchal theory supports the action of violence against women and children as a justification for dominance and control (KUCERA, 2010). This is the most important sociological theory as it creates room for discussion on male dominance and violence against the female gender. Relatively, Women’s Movement has been created around the world to deal with the gigantic monster of sexism and women oppression by their male counterparts. The theory support patriarchy in such a way that the cultural foundations of familial relationship are stablished. For instance, patriarch fathers are more likely to have dominant control over their wives and children in a familial context. Unfortunately, the domination and control might be misused to the extent of the father, as the head of the family, resorts to violence for the sake of remaining at par with his masculinity, dominance, and control. Therefore, it is intuitive to firmly assert that domestic violence is a product of patriarchy. John is a patriarch as his intentions are to have complete dominance and control over his spouse, Anne. He uses all forms of physical contact to create parity as far as the dominance of the male gender is concerned. Unfortunately, to take control over his wife, he physically abuses her. She becomes the victim of the beliefs and principles of patriarchy. She requires motivation and support from feminist movements to reclaim her normal emotional status, which would also develop her social significance in the society. Therefore, she should not just sit down and watch as the patriarch continues to oppress her through violence.