The Success of the Battered Woman Syndrome: An Analysis of How Cultural Arguments Succeed

This paper examines how certain cultural arguments gain the authority necessary to explain the social problem of domestic violence. I begin by demonstrating the existence of competing explanations for the question of why abusive relationships continue. I find that a certain kind of explanation, mult...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociological forum (Randolph, N.J.) N.J.), 2002-03, Vol.17 (1), p.81-103
Main Author: Rothenberg, Bess
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Battered Women
Battered womens syndrome
Domestic violence
Family Violence
Feminism
Interpersonal relations
Knowledge
Men
Patriarchies
Social issues
Social Problems
Social psychology
Social science research
Sociology
Student retention
Victimization
Victims
Violence against women
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Summary:This paper examines how certain cultural arguments gain the authority necessary to explain the social problem of domestic violence. I begin by demonstrating the existence of competing explanations for the question of why abusive relationships continue. I find that a certain kind of explanation, multiple victimization arguments that emphasize the numerous ways battered women are victimized, are most common. Through an analysis of social science citations, news papers, and legislative and judicial decisions, I conclude that one multiple victimization argument in particular, Lenore Walker's battered woman syndrome (Walker, 1979, The Battered Woman. New York: Harper & Row; Walker, 1984, The Battered Woman Syndrome. New York: Springer), has become the most recognized explanation for why abusive relationships continue. The syndrome was best able to meet the criteria necessary for gaining cultural authority put forth by Schudson (1989, Theory and Society 18:153-180): retrievability, rhetorical force, resonance, resolution, and institutional retention. In recent years, however, this authority has been threatened as social and cultural conditions have changed, leaving competing understandings of the domestic violence issue to challenge Walker's claims.
ISSN:0884-8971
1573-7861
DOI:10.1023/A:1014593523666