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Making Sociological Sense Out of Trends in Intimate Partnera Violence

The Social Structure of Violence Against Women

King’s University College at The University of Western Ontario

Despite evidence of a cultural shift in orientations toward violence, the problem of violence against women persists across a range of different societies. The preoccupation with the psychology of violence and the focus on cultural orientations obscure the more salient features of social life that promote violence: the structure of interpersonal relationships. The exploration of sociodemographic correlates and the search for "risk factors" of intimate partner violence have overshadowed the inclusion of a distinct set of social structural characteristics that are conducive to domestic violence. The current article draws on comparative research and Donald Black’s theoretical approach to argue that key factors include (a) the degree of social isolation, (b) interdependence of support networks, (c) inequality, (d) relational distance, (e) centralization of authority, and (f) exposure to violent networks. The weak explanatory power of previous research can be improved by developing measures to evaluate an integrated structural model of violence against women.

Key Words: intimate partner violence • social structure

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