Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse

Why do men batter their wives? How do women define their experiences of violence? Is wife abuse related to child abuse? How do medical authorities react to wife abuse?This unique volume brings together a well-known group of academics activists and clinicians from a variety of disciplines all of whom approach these questions from a feminist perspective. Their research is based on the premise that gender inequality is the source of violence against women and that the social institutions of marriage and family are special contexts that may promote maintain and even support men''s use of physical force against women. The contributors critically analyse lay and academic theories of wife abuse in order to develop theories that more accurately reflect the experiences of women.Timely and authoritative Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse is ideally suited for courses in women''s studies gender studies family studies sociology and psychology courses.