Leaving Jekyll and Hyde: Emotion work in the context of intimate partner violence

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate battered women's emotion work in the context of male-to-female intimate partner violence and, more specifically, in the context of leaving violent men. A total of 22 informants were interviewed and the material consists of 47 interviews. The results suggest a process in which victims initially conceptualize abusers as good, but subjection to violence leads to a cognitive-emotive dissonance that is responded to by emotion work. Over time, conceptualizations of the abuser shift from good to bad and efforts are made to change emotions from warm to cold. Connections between this process and previously described leaving processes are discussed.

Towards understanding the Nordic paradox: A review of qualitative interview studies on intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden

“…Qualitative interview studies on IPVAW in Nordic countries have explored a range of issues. These include women's experiences of violence (Almqvist & Broberg, ; Bergman, ; Bruno, ; Enander, , , , ; Eriksson & Ulmestig, ; Flinck, Paavilainen, & Astedt‐Kurki, ; Häggblom & Möller, ; Hydén, , , ; Jarnkvist & Brännström, ; Römpötti, ; Scheffer Lindgren & Renck, ), of violence during pregnancy (Edin, Dahlgren, Lalos, & Högberg, ; Edin & Högberg, ; Edin & Nilsson, ; Engnes & Lundgren, ; Finnbogadóttir, Dykes, & Wann‐Hansson, ) and motherhood (Almqvist & Broberg, ; Georgsson et al, ), and of leaving violent relationships (Enander, ; Enander & Holmberg, ; Häggblom & Möller, ; Holmberg & Enander, ; Hydén, , ; Hydén, ; Jarnkvist, ; Münger, ; Scheffer Lindgren & Renck, ). Studies have investigated women's experiences with the judicial (Agevall, ; BRÅ, ; Brännvall, ; Bruno, ; Ekström, ; Green, ; Jarnkvist, ; Jarnkvist & Brännström, ), social service (Eriksson & Ulmestig, ; Jarnkvist & Brännström, ; Nikupeteri, ; Ulmestig & Panican, ) and health care systems (Garnweidner‐Holme, Lukasse, Solheim, & Henriksen, ; Gillå et al, ; Häggblom & Möller, ; Leppakoski, Paavilainen, & Astedt‐Kurki, ; Mørk, Andersen, & Taket, ; Örmon & Hörberg, ; Örmon, Torstensson Levander, Sunnqvist, & Bahtsevani, ; Pratt‐Eriksson, Bergbom, & Lyckhage, ).…”

“…Qualitative interview studies on IPVAW in Nordic countries have explored a range of issues. These include women's experiences of violence (Almqvist & Broberg, 2004;Bergman, 1989;Bruno, 2018;Enander, 2010aEnander, , 2010bEnander, , 2011aEnander, , 2011bFlinck, Paavilainen, & Astedt-Kurki, 2005;Häggblom & Möller, 2007;Hydén, 1992Hydén, , 1995aHydén, , 1995bJarnkvist & Brännström, 2016a;Römpötti, 2009;Scheffer Lindgren & Renck, 2008b), of violence during pregnancy (Edin, Dahlgren, Lalos, & Högberg, 2010;Edin & Högberg, 2002;Edin & Nilsson, 2013;Engnes & Lundgren, 2013;Finnbogadóttir, Dykes, & Wann-Hansson, 2014) and motherhood (Almqvist & Broberg, 2004;Georgsson et al, 2007), and of leaving violent relationships (Enander, 2011a;Enander & Holmberg, 2008;Häggblom & Möller, 2007;Holmberg & Enander, 2005;Hydén, 2000Hydén, , 2005Hydén, 2001;Jarnkvist, 2015;Münger, 2009;Scheffer Lindgren & Renck, 2008a). Studies have investigated women's experiences with the judicial (Agevall, 2012;BRÅ, 2010;Brännvall, 2016;Bruno, 2018;Ekström, 2015;Green, 2002;Jarnkvist, 2015;…”

Textual transformations of subjectivity in men’s talk of gender-based violence

“…In this manner, the duality of selves was akin to a Jekyll-Hyde transformation (see Enander, 2011), not internally derived but brought upon by a force beyond personal control. Associating the 'violent self' with reduced competence and the disinhibiting effects of alcohol deflected both personal responsibility and potential negative judgements.…”

Blood, lust and love

“…But human girls, in these tales, are natural and easy victims of male-perpetrated violence-and in most cases, they come to accept and even enjoy it. The adaptation of Twilight's girls to battering situations theoretically aligns with scholarly analyses of sociocultural factors that impede women from fleeing intimate partner violence; the cultural emphasis is frequently on preserving the relationship or naturalizing the situation, so that breaking the cycle of violence becomes difficult, if not impossible (Barnett, 2000;Enander, 2011). "The hardest part is feeling . .…”