Culture, religion and domestic violence. Cover Image

Cultură, religie și violență domestică.
Culture, religion and domestic violence.

Contemporary Cultural-Religious Models and their Influence on Domestic Violence. A Romania-France Comparison.

Author(s): Andreea Chiș
Subject(s): Family and social welfare
Published by: Editura Universității de Vest
Keywords: Culture; Domestic violence; France; Religion; Romania;

Summary/Abstract: This study focuses on demonstrating how culture and religion, two important agents of gender socialization, can influence domestic violence. The research methodology used was the participatory observation, through which we followed the practices of two religious worship: the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic; and the content analysis - through which we made a comparison between the legislative frameworks, the institutional framework for managing domestic violence and we analyzed the testimonies of victims who went through such an experience. The results of the research indicated the way in which conservative cultural models influence the victim’s way of thinking, depriving her of the freedom to live a life without violence, resorting to the cult of “shame”. Also, the religious dimension is addressed in the paper, analyzing the way in which religious communities but also clerical staff relate to the issue of domestic violence and the guidance they provide to the victim. The research covers the analysis of a number of seven denominations of victims of domestic violence, through which we observe the chaining of the three elements: culture, religion and domestic violence. The cult of banning or stigmatizing the act of divorce by religious communities has pushed victims to stay with the aggressor or even to blame the aggression. Following the research study, we concluded that since culture and religion are two important agents of socialization, their involvement in the practice of eliminating domestic violence can propel the results that the authorities have been trying to achieve for many years.

  • Issue Year: 1/2020
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 40-57
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Romanian