TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender norms and retaliatory violence against spouses and acquaintances
AU - Feld, Scott L.
AU - Felson, Richard B.
PY - 2008/5
Y1 - 2008/5
N2 - This article examines an experiment embedded within a nationally representative survey of adult Americans to investigate gender norms regarding retaliatory violence between spouses and acquaintances. Contrary to claims that societal norms permit violence within marriage, respondents disapproved of retaliatory violence against spouses more than they did against acquaintances. Contrary to claims that gender roles encourage violence by males more than females, respondents were just as likely to approve of female retaliation against males as they were male retaliation against males, and they were more approving of females' retaliating against females than of males' retaliating against females. Male and female respondents had similar, strongly disapproving attitudes toward men's retaliating against women, even though male respondents were more accepting of retaliation in all other conditions. Evidence clearly shows that societal norms discourage retaliation between spouses and men's retaliating against women. Consequently, violent wife abuse continues despite (not because of) societal norms.
AB - This article examines an experiment embedded within a nationally representative survey of adult Americans to investigate gender norms regarding retaliatory violence between spouses and acquaintances. Contrary to claims that societal norms permit violence within marriage, respondents disapproved of retaliatory violence against spouses more than they did against acquaintances. Contrary to claims that gender roles encourage violence by males more than females, respondents were just as likely to approve of female retaliation against males as they were male retaliation against males, and they were more approving of females' retaliating against females than of males' retaliating against females. Male and female respondents had similar, strongly disapproving attitudes toward men's retaliating against women, even though male respondents were more accepting of retaliation in all other conditions. Evidence clearly shows that societal norms discourage retaliation between spouses and men's retaliating against women. Consequently, violent wife abuse continues despite (not because of) societal norms.
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U2 - 10.1177/0192513X07312093
DO - 10.1177/0192513X07312093
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:41549102088
SN - 0192-513X
VL - 29
SP - 692
EP - 703
JO - Journal of Family Issues
JF - Journal of Family Issues
IS - 5
ER -