The relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africa

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorDe la Rey, Cherylen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBoonzaier, Florettaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-30T13:41:07Z
dc.date.available2014-09-30T13:41:07Z
dc.date.issued2005en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 204-226).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study examined how women and men in intimate heterosexual relationships attribute meaning to the man's perpetration of violence against a woman partner. Narrative interviews were conducted with women and men who constituted 15 heterosexual couples (30 individual women and men). Narrative analytical methods, informed by feminist poststructuralism, revealed that participants located themselves within multiple and ambiguous gendered subject positions. In their talk about violence and relationships, women and men 'performed' gender and enacted diverse culturally available constructions of femininity and masculinity. The analysis also showed that participants' talk about violence was embedded in broader sociocultural mechanisms that construct woman abuse as a serious social problem in South Africa. Within-case and across-case narrative analytical methods revealed that couples' narratives were either constructed collaboratively or incongruently across partners. In collaborative narratives, couples' stories were congruent in terms of their content, structure and aims, for example, explaining the ending of the marriage. Incongruent narratives, on the other hand, were characterised by major disconnections in the content and function. It was concluded that, although presumptions about homogeneity prevail, greater sensitivity to heterogeneity amongst victims, perpetrators and couples is appropriate. This study provides insight into the dynamics of abusive relationships as well as a basis for suggestions about interventions for perpetrators and victims of woman abuse.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBoonzaier, F. (2005). <i>The relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7794en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBoonzaier, Floretta. <i>"The relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7794en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBoonzaier, F. 2005. The relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Boonzaier, Floretta AB - This study examined how women and men in intimate heterosexual relationships attribute meaning to the man's perpetration of violence against a woman partner. Narrative interviews were conducted with women and men who constituted 15 heterosexual couples (30 individual women and men). Narrative analytical methods, informed by feminist poststructuralism, revealed that participants located themselves within multiple and ambiguous gendered subject positions. In their talk about violence and relationships, women and men 'performed' gender and enacted diverse culturally available constructions of femininity and masculinity. The analysis also showed that participants' talk about violence was embedded in broader sociocultural mechanisms that construct woman abuse as a serious social problem in South Africa. Within-case and across-case narrative analytical methods revealed that couples' narratives were either constructed collaboratively or incongruently across partners. In collaborative narratives, couples' stories were congruent in terms of their content, structure and aims, for example, explaining the ending of the marriage. Incongruent narratives, on the other hand, were characterised by major disconnections in the content and function. It was concluded that, although presumptions about homogeneity prevail, greater sensitivity to heterogeneity amongst victims, perpetrators and couples is appropriate. This study provides insight into the dynamics of abusive relationships as well as a basis for suggestions about interventions for perpetrators and victims of woman abuse. DA - 2005 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2005 T1 - The relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africa TI - The relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7794 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/7794
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBoonzaier F. The relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2005 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7794en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPsychologyen_ZA
dc.titleThe relational construction of woman abuse : narratives of gender, subjectivity and violence in South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hum_2005_boonzaier_f.pdf
Size:
9.82 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral