Re-Theorizing Intimate Partner Violence through Post-Structural Feminism, Queer Theory, and the Sociology of Gender

Abstract

In this article, we apply three theoretical frameworks, poststructural feminism, queer, and sociology of gender to the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) in order to better account for heterosexual female perpetration and same-sex IPV. Although the traditional feminist paradigm-that assumes men use violence as an extension of patriarchy against their female victims-has been useful in explaining some instances of IPV, it does not adequately frame instances of heterosexual female perpetration and IPV in same-sex relationships. Therefore, in this article we seek to add to existing literature by re-theorizing IPV using poststructural feminism, queer, and sociology of gender perspectives, and their attendant understanding of power as dynamic, fluid, and relational and gender as both interactional and structural, in order to open up new ways of framing IPV and encourage new lines of empirical research resulting in better policy proscriptions and treatment interventions.

Using an African American Lens to Explore the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Intimate Partner Violence

“…However, in recent years, the landscape of IPV research has begun to evolve to account for non-white, non-heteronormative relationships (Dutton, Hamel, & Aaronson, 2010;Cannon, Lauve-Moon, & Buttell, 2015). It is imperative to fully acknowledge the scope of IPV in various communities, due to the regularity of its occurrence and its impact on these communities.…”

Workplace Romances: “Going to Work Is Amazing and Really Fun”

“…For most women, these good girl scripts are rooted in childhood. According to Cannon, Lauve-Moon and Buttell (2015), gender is a construction of society that is not based in biological female-male natures. Our identities, according to Risman (2004) are "constructed through early childhood development, explicit socialization, modeling, and adult experiences" (p. 436).…”

Scripting Sexual Consent: Internalized Traditional Sexual Scripts and Sexual Consent Expectancies Among College Students

“…Sexual scripts reflect the gendered power differentials in traditional gender roles (Bay‐Cheng & Eliseo‐Arras, ; Cannon et al, ; Katz & Schneider, ; Ryan, ). In the United States, “the dynamics of the traditional sexual script create a situation in which men are expected to ask women for consent, women are expected to refuse sex, at least initially, and men are expected to ignore such refusals and continue to pursue a sexual encounter” (Jozkowski et al, , p. 905).…”

“…Within an interactional frame, a complementary relationship between masculinity and femininity is socially constructed in favor of dominant, sexually aggressive men and subordinate, sexually pleasing women (Anderson, ; Cannon et al, ). These masculine and feminine interactions are then reproduced and disseminated through institutions such as the media and through gendered interactions in society (Hust & Brown, ; West & Zimmerman, ).…”

“…Importantly, too, men and women often report using different cues to communicate consent (e.g., Jozkowski et al, 2014), and some scholars believe the negotiation of sexual consent is informed by culturally determined sexual scripts (Bay-Cheng & Eliseo-Arras, 2008;Conroy, Krishnakumar, & Leone, 2015;Ryan, 2011). The interactional feminist perspective provides a theoretical framework for explaining how gender differences have an impact on negotiation of sexual consent by emphasizing the important role of power within social interactions wherein masculinity and femininity Family Relations 66 (February 2017): 197-210 are enacted and reinforced (Anderson, 2005;Cannon, Lauve-Moon, & Buttell, 2015). In short, the interactional feminist perspective posits that gender is constructed through power dynamics and acts of violence between partners (Anderson, 2005;Cannon et al, 2015;Conroy et al, 2015).…”