Banu, Ayesha. “Human development, disparity and vulnerability: Women in South Asia.” New York: United Nations Development Programme (2016).
The author writes about many issues concerning the disparities between men and women in South Asia, with a specific focus on India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Through analysis of secondary sources, the author discusses maternity, education, violence, and labor. The author argues that patriarchal norms are the main cause for gender inequality within households and that action taken to expand policies towards women’s autonomy would be necessary to stop the spread of gender inequality to future generations.
Boyce, S. C., Minnis, A. M., DeardorƯ, J., McCoy, S. I., Challa, S., Johns, N., Aliou, S., Brooks, M., Nouhou, A.-M., Gochyyev, P., Wilson, M., Baker, H., & Silverman, J. G. “Measuring Social Norms of Intimate Partner Violence to Exert Control over Wife Agency, Sexuality, and Reproductive Autonomy: An Item Response Modelling of the IPV-ASRA Scale.” Reproductive Health, vol. 20, no. 90, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-023-01632-w.
This study addresses the gap in measurement tools for assessing social norms related to intimate partner violence (IPV) and reproductive coercion. Using an item response modeling approach, the researchers developed and validated the IPV-ASRA scale, a five item instrument measuring social norms surrounding IPV in rural Niger. Data were collected from 559 husband-wife dyads, showing that higher scores on the “challenging husband authority” dimension correlated with higher IPV perpetration. The scale provides a practical and reliable tool for identifying communities in need of social norms-focused IPV prevention strategies.
Brackett, Melody G., and Kim S. Downing. “Criminalization of Violence against Women and Laws against Domestic Violence: A Comparative Study of the United States and South Asia (Pakistan and Bangladesh).” SpringerLink, Palgrave Macmillan UK, 1 Jan. 1970, link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/978-1-137-50750-1_11#citeas
This article explores how South Asia and the United States define and punish domestic violence. It was found that both use the same international domestic violence definition, which is that it’s not just physical but also emotional, psychological, and economical. The article specifically focused on Pakistan,Bangladesh, and the U.S. and found that all three countries criminalized domestic violence, though there were differences in the degree of punishment. Bangladesh had one of the strictest punishments for DV in the world, which included the death penalty. This source helps answer research question 9, which asked how varying social norms amongst different cultures form different views on domestic violence. This also helps address research question 13, which asks how DV is criminalized in different regions. Some interesting data to address could be different punishments for IPV and how they relate to culture and rates of IPV.
Brown, J. “Factors Related to Domestic Violence in Asia: The Conflict between Culture and Patriarchy.” Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, vol. 24, no. 7, 2014, pp. 828–837. Taylor & Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2014.884962.
This article explores the relationship between domestic violence and its ties to culture and patriarchal structures in Asia. Despite societal expectations and systems that contribute to the prevalence of domestic violence against women, more efforts are being made to create pathways for change. Brown argues, however, that these factors must be taken into account and specifically addressed by culturally sensitive policy interventions in order to enact real change in this issue.
Chen, Jingyi. “The Interplay of Social Norms and Legal Systems: Unraveling the Complexity of Domestic Violence in China and Paving the Path for Change.” Challenger Research Journal, 23 Sept. 2024, escholarship.org/uc/item/8bx9r39s.
This article explores how China’s cultural norms of not interfering with daily affairs hinders DV punishment as police dismiss complaints as a “lover’s quarrel”. This reluctance for interference also hindered neighbors and witnesses from appearing in court to support the victim’s case. The article goes into depth on how this dissonance introduces limitations in DV legislation that reduce protections for the victim. This source helps address research question 9, which asked how varying social norms amongst different cultures form different views on domestic violence. This shows that in East Asian cultures, IPV could be seen more as a family issue and reduce reported IPV rates.
Clark, C. J., Ferguson, G., Shrestha, B., Shrestha, P. N., Oakes, J. M., Gupta, J., McGhee, S., Cheong, Y. F., & Yount, K. M. “Social Norms and Women’s Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in Nepal.” Social Science & Medicine, vol. 202, 2018, pp. 162–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.02.017.
This study explores how social norms contribute to women’s risk of experiencing IPV in Nepal using the Partner Violence Norms Scale (PVNS). Based on data from 1,435 married women in 72 wards, results from multilevel logistic regression indicate that both individual and community-level PVNS scores were significantly associated with higher odds of experiencing physical and sexual IPV. Findings highlight the importance of addressing social norms at both individual and community levels in IPV prevention efforts. The study emphasizes the need for further validation of the PVNS as a tool for measuring IPV-related social norms.
Eldred, Janine, et al. “Women’s right to learning and literacy: Women learning literacy and empowerment.” Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 44.4 (2014): 655-675.
The author discusses why women’s lack of literacy is detrimental to the wellbeing of women and children. They suggest that literacy is not just good for employment, but for personal fulfillment. They explain that literacy is discouraged for women by patriarchal beliefs and that it is also not necessarily feasible or attractive to women due to having to prioritize familial responsibilities. The main argument is that female literacy is a more complex issue than it is believed to be and that more care should be used when finding solutions.
“2021 Impact Report.” Equality Now, 11 Aug. 2022, equalitynow.org/annual_reports/2021-impact-report/.
This is a report of descriptive statistics that describes new occurrences in steps towards improving the treatment of women worldwide.
Heise, Lori L. “Violence Against Women: An Integrated, Ecological Framework.” Violence Against Women, vol. 4, no. 3, 1998.
This book analyzes the numerous factors that lead to violence against women, attempting to understand the causes and effects of violence against women. Author Heise argues that there is no individual cause for gender-based violence; rather, it is the result of cultural norms, structural inequalities, and certain dynamics of time periods and relationships. For example, the book divides the problems into individual/ontogenic factors(witnessing abuse as a child, absent father, etc), Microsystem(situational factors), such as marital conflict or use of alcohol, exosystem factors(socioeconomic status, isolation between woman and family), and more. Through analyzing these factors and their impact on violence against women, Heise is able to help readers understand the structural problems that initiate partner violence and potential methods and things to be aware of to help combat it.
Johnson, M. P. “Domestic Violence: It’s Not about Gender: Or Is It?” Journal of Marriage and Family, vol. 67, no. 5, 2005, pp. 1126–1130. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3600300.
This article criticizes the ideas that intimate partner violence (IPV) is not a gendered issue and that the prevalence of IPV perpetration is equal for men and women. It suggests that intimate terrorism (IT) is what is commonly seen as domestic violence, not situational couple violence (SCV), yet SCV is being misrepresented as IT. SCV perpetration is just as common in men as in women, but IT perpetration is heavily male-dominated. Furthermore, women are more at risk of bodily harm than men with either IT or SCV. Thus, studies such as one put out by Ferguson, Horwood, and Ridder are disingenuous when they try to claim that domestic violence is a non-gendered issue.
Khan, Sarah, and Stephan Klasen. Female employment and spousal abuse: a parallel cross-country analysis of developing countries. No. 249. Discussion Papers, 2018.
This study creates linear regression models attempting to predict types of spousal abuse from multiple variables concerning wealth, household characteristics, childhood experiences with domestic violence, and wife and husband characteristics. There are models for many regions like South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and more. The study concludes that women’s increased employment has a negative impact on domestic violence prevalence. In general, women’s access to wealth generating opportunities is important in determining the likelihood of domestic violence.
Love, H. A., Spencer, C. M., May, S. A., Mendez, M., & Stith, S. M. “Perpetrator Risk Markers
for Intimate Terrorism and Situational Couple Violence: A Meta-Analysis.” Trauma,
Violence & Abuse, vol. 21, no. 5, 2020, pp. 922–931.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/27011075.
This article reviews the risk markers for committing intimate partner violence (IPV).
Intimate partner violence is separated into two categories, intimate terrorism (IT) and
situational couple violence (SCV). The article describes the distinction between the two
categories (dominance over a single partner vs. mutual dominance) and emphasizes that
the differences are important. IT is often derived from a desire to control another whereas
SCV is a result of a situational conflict. The article criticizes data concerning IPV as it’s
hypothesized that clinical data and nonclinical data do not show distinctions in IT and SCV
at the same rate. A statistical analysis examines this.
Pettitt, L. A., Biswas, R. K., & Bhowmik, J. “Women’s Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries of Southern Asia.” American Journal of Health Promotion, vol. 38, no. 1, 2023, pp. 12. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171231198451.
The article argues that education level is the strongest factor in determining whether women in South Asian countries accept intimate partner violence (IPV). For evidence, the researchers analyzed survey data from over 100,000 women across Bangladesh, Laos, and Nepal, examining factors like education, wealth, age, marital status and location. This research is important because it identifies which women are most vulnerable to accepting domestic violence, which helps inform prevention efforts in South Asia. For a thesis examining violence prevention in South Asia, this study provides concrete evidence that improving women’s access to education should be the top priority, since higher education levels consistently reduced IPV acceptance across all countries studied.
Ragavan, M. I., Thomas, K. A., Fulambarker, A., Zaricor, J., Goodman, L. A., & Bair-Merritt, M. H. “Exploring the Needs and Lived Experiences of Racial and Ethnic Minority Domestic Violence Survivors Through Community-Based Participatory Research: A Systematic Review.” Trauma, Violence & Abuse, vol. 21, no. 5, 2020, pp. 946–963. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27011077.
This article explains the potential benefits of community-based participatory research (CBPR) when researching domestic violence (DV) amongst racial and ethnic minorities. CBPR is the steady communication between researchers and community members. Minorities may see DV differently and may be less likely to seek help for it, thus CBPR can accommodate for different definitions of DV and foster trust and change in minority communities. The study was a literature review of minority DV studies using CBPR. It discussed the specific content of the studies and the depth of CBPR implementation.
Rapp, Daniel, et al. “Association between gap in spousal education and domestic violence in India and Bangladesh.” BMC public health 12 (2012): 1-9.
This study creates logistic regression models to determine whether gaps in education levels between spouses and whether level of education affects the probability of whether women experience no violence, less severe violence, and severe violence in India and Bangladesh. The study found that high educational attainment in one spouse leads to less domestic violence and high educational attainment in both spouses leads to the least domestic violence. Also, educational attainment regardless of whichever sex achieves it leads to less domestic violence. Thus, increasing education for both spouses is highly encouraged for domestic violence reduction.
Scott-Storey, K., O’Donnell, S., Ford-Gilboe, M., Varcoe, C., Wathen, N., Malcolm, J., & Vincent, C. “What about the Men? A Critical Review of Men’s Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence.” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, vol. 24, no. 2, 2023, pp. 858– 872. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211043827.
This critical review examines how men conceptualize and experience IPV, highlighting gaps in research and challenges in measurement. The study critiques existing IPV research for focusing primarily on women, leading to a limited understanding of male victimization. The review discusses gender norms, social expectations, and barriers to seeking help, emphasizing that IPV against men is often minimized or overlooked. The authors call for more inclusive research methodologies and IPV measures that better capture men’s experiences.
Weinberg, Irit. “Suzuki Izumi’s escape from the world of women.” Japan Forum. Vol. 35. No. 4. Routledge, 2023.
This article discusses the perception of Japanese women and society through literature. The essay claims that a certain story, “A World of Women and Women”, should be seen as a tale of women’s discomfort and argues why it’s not a call for idealism. Through the argument, the article elaborates on Japanese culture.
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