Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women in Men of South Asian Ancestry: Are Acculturation and Gender Role Attitudes Important Factors?

• NCJ Number: 217771
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2007 Pages: 25-31
• Author(s): Surbhi Bhanot; Charlene Y. Senn
• Date Published: January 2007
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This Canadian study examined attitudes toward violence against women among 100 male South-Asian university students.

Abstract

Study findings suggest that South-Asian men's attitudes toward wife beating are primarily related to their gender-role attitudes. A higher level of acculturation to a less patriarchal culture (Canada) was associated with more egalitarian views of gender roles and less support for the belief that wives gain from being physically beaten. Peer influences may be responsible for changes in gender-role attitudes among men. Future research should focus on the process of change in gender-role attitudes that accompany acculturation. Participants were recruited through the University of Windsor's student center or through the psychology department participant pool. The mean age of the sample was 21.68. The Acculturation Scale (Ghuman, 2000) was used as an attitude-based measure of acculturation. Gender-role attitudes were measured with the Attitudes Toward Women Scale Simplified Version. The Inventory of Beliefs about Wife Beating measured attitudes toward wife beating, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale-Short Form was used to assess social-desirability response bias. 2 tables and 34 references