SOCIETAL MORPHOGENESIS AND INTRAFAMILY VIOLENCE IN CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

• NCJ Number: 35580
• Author(s): M A STRAUS
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 30 pages
• Corporate Author: New York Acad of Sciences
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE ON 'ISSUES IN CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH', NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, 1-3 OCTOBER 1975.

Annotation

THIS PAPER INVESTIGATES WHETHER INTRAFAMILY VIOLENCE CAN BE CONSIDERED A NEAR UNIVERSAL AND SUMMARIZES SOME OF THE CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH ON THE FACTORS WHICH MAKE INTRAFAMILY AGGRRESSION TYPICAL OF MOST SOCIETIES.

Abstract

CONSIDERED ARE RESEARCH STUDIES WHICH EXPLORED HUSBAND/ WIFE AGGRESSION AS A CULTURAL AND STRUCTURAL PATTERN, AS A FAMILY PATTERN, AS A RESULT OF 'PROTEST MASCULINITY' OR 'MACHISMO,' AND AS A RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR GROUP SURVIVAL (ESPECIALLY IN PRIMITIVE TRIBES). THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES BY EXAMINING THE WIDER THEORETICAL IMPORT OF VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY, AND SPECIFICALL THE VIEW THAT THE LEVEL OF INTRAFAMILY VIOLENCE IS RELATED TO THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN WHICH A SOCIETY IS OPERATING, THE SOCIETY'S 'TECHNICO-ECONOMIC' ADAPTATION TO THESE ECOLOGICAL REALITIES, AND TO CHANGES IN THE SUBSISTENCE BASIS OF THE SOCIETY. HE SUGGESTS THAT THESE RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BEST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY SINCE IT FOCUSES ON MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN SOCIETY AS A MODE OF SYSTEM MAINTENANCE. A 71-ITEM REFERENCE LIST IS PROVIDED ALONG WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE AUTHOR'S VIEWS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)