مطالعات اجتماعی روانشناختی زنان (Sep 2023)
"Elastic Band Strategy": Women's Lived Experience Of Dealing With Domestic Violence
Abstract
The present study aimed to qualitatively explore the contexts of domestic violence in the experiences of women in Khuzestan province. The interpretive phenomenology method was employed among various qualitative research methods to investigate the women's experiences of violence. Eighteen participants were selected using purposive sampling and a criterion sampling strategy. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, and the Claizian method was applied to analyze the data obtained from the phenomenological interviews. The findings related to violence encompassed 230 primary concepts and 13 core themes.The main themes identified are "weak social support, power dynamics as a builder of romantic relationships, allocation of unaccounted credit to men, masculinity's zeal and honor, use of ineffective strategies, traditional femininity as a cultural-social structure, giving identity to male violence-causing behavior, feelings of desperation and helplessness, resilience and adaptive strategy, lack of strict laws, female poverty, and power imbalance," which can be categorized into three overarching contexts: "structural, intellectual, and interactive."The study results indicate that violence arises from two main reasons: hermeneutic injustice and the lack of collective interpretation resources. It is created under the influence of the societal structure and ideology, the individual's social ties with people around them, and the rewards and punishments they receive during their actions. This tension eventually leads to the elastic band strategy, implying a long-term process of oscillating between actively resisting violence and succumbing to it, enduring the situation for an extended period before potentially leaving the relationship.Keywords Violence, Women, Lived Experience, Jealousy, Desperation and Helplessnes IntroductionA brief examination of the situation of women in Khuzestan reveals that, according to the latest population statistics from the 2014 census, women constitute about half of the 4.7 million population in this province, with 49% residing in urban areas. Khuzestan ranks 17th in the country in terms of female population. Conversely, although violence against women occurs globally, it is more prevalent in Khuzestan due to distinct social characteristics and lifestyle compared to other parts of the country. One notable indicator of increased violence in Khuzestan is honor killings, which, while occurring worldwide, are more frequent in this region. Lifestyle has been identified as a contributing factor in these investigated cases.Given the stakeholders associated with violence against women in Khuzestan and a focus on the experience of violence as a reality shaped by all stakeholders, the present research sought to employ an interpretative approach and qualitative methodology. The phenomenological research, while analyzing women's experiences, aims to reveal the understanding and interpretation these individuals have regarding violence and how the pathways traveled contribute to the formation of these experiences. MethodologyThis research is of the phenomenological type with a descriptive approach. The statistical population for this study comprised women in Khuzestan province. The purposive sampling method was employed, and 18 women participated in the research, meeting the entry conditions and expressing personal satisfaction. The purpose of this sampling was to gain a profound understanding of the subject under study through the selected individuals.Data collection techniques for this research primarily involved in-depth interviews. Following Kleizer's perspective, which underscores the conversational nature of this type of research, the interview technique was employed. In this study, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. After reviewing the questions, some were edited and deleted. The entire interview was recorded and transcribed verbatim immediately. The data analysis method used was the Claysey analysis method.During the interview stage, the text was initially written word by word, and the extracted texts were carefully reread multiple times to gain a general understanding of the participants' experiences. In the second stage, reports from the interviewees were divided into meaningful units, and units related to the topic were selected. In the third step, the meaning of each important phrase was elucidated, attempting to describe the data within these semantic units derived from the text itself. After complete coding, duplicate codes were eliminated, and common meanings were extracted, forming new categories.In the fourth step, common meanings and themes were classified into different categories. Regarding the research's reliability, several methods such as the observation method, individual interviews, and similar research were utilized. Regarding reliability, the interview text was categorized after being written, and this categorization was conducted under the supervision of professors. FindingsThe findings in the context of violence encompassed 230 primary concepts and 13 central themes. The main themes include weak social support, power dynamics as a builder of romantic relationships, allocation of unaccounted credit to men, masculinity's zeal and honor, use of ineffective strategies, construction of the concept of femininity, identification of violent male behavior, feelings of desperation and helplessness, resilience, adaptive strategy, lack of strict laws, women's poverty, and power imbalance. These themes can ultimately be attributed to three contexts: structural, intellectual, and interactive.The results of this study indicate that violence occurs for two reasons: hermeneutic injustice and a lack of collective interpretation resources. In essence, the attitude towards violence against women is not inevitable and is created under the influence of the structure and ideology governing society, the individual's social ties with people around them, and the rewards and punishments received during their actions.Ultimately, this strong tension leads to the elastic band strategy, implying a long-term process of oscillating between actively resisting violence, succumbing to it, and enduring the situation for an extended period before potentially leaving the relationship. ResultThe storyline of this research, as per the participants' interpretations, depicts a long-term process of oscillating between actively opposing violence and surrendering or tolerating the situation. It's akin to an elastic band that stretches in and out. Three crucial pairs of coping strategies are outlined in the research literature:First, there are problem-oriented and emotion-focused coping strategies. Second, there is the approach and confrontation versus avoidance. Third, there is dealing with conflict and separation. Avoidance as a coping response is characterized by cognitive avoidance, resignation/acceptance, seeking alternative rewards, and emotional drain. The response coping approach is characterized by logical analysis, positive reappraisal, seeking guidance/support, and problem-solving (Tobin et al., as cited in Hayati et al., 2013: 6). The concept of interaction/confrontation with non-participation is a combination of confrontation.According to the findings, women face a lack of institutional support, and, on the other hand, traditional beliefs hinder their potential to stop abuse. Although the women in this study were educated and economically independent, they still had difficulty mobilizing internal and external support to end harassment, partly due to internalized gender norms.
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