NCJ Number
130045
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1990) Pages: 257-273
Date Published
1990
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Patriarchy is a social structure and legitimating ideology in which men have more power and privilege than women; according to feminist ideology, patriarchy is the main source of violence such as rape, battering, and murder against women in contemporary society. A telephone survey of 600 women in Toronto, who were asked about their husbands' attitudes and actions, examined the hypothesis that wife battering results from adherence by abusing husbands to the notion of familial patriarchy.
Abstract
In this study, wife beating was defined as any severe physical assault on a woman by her current or former husband, or live-in male partner. The themes defining patriarchy included obedience, respect, dependency, and sexual fidelity. The study also included an analysis of the correlation between wife beating and certain socioeconomic variables including income, educational attainment, occupational status, and employment. The results indicate that husbands, who according to their wives adhered to a patriarchal ideology, were more likely to batter their wives than men who did not espouse those beliefs. Those husbands who ascribed to patriarchy tended to have lower incomes, less education, and low-status jobs. 6 tables, 9 notes, and 66 references (Author abstract modified)