Subjection, Subjectivity, and Agency: The Power, Meaning, and Practice of Mothering Among Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Abuse

    Authors

    I. Semaan; J. L. Jasinski;A. Bubriski-McKenzie

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Violence Against Women

    Keywords

    agency; intimate partner abuse; mothering; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; FAMILY; CHILD; Women's Studies

    Abstract

    Drawing on in-depth interviews with mothers who were abused by intimate partners, we argue that mothering can be a source of empowerment that helps battered women both care for their children and survive and assert themselves. Women in the study sample described a violation of some aspect of their mothering as the reason they left their partners. However, narrative analysis exposed contradictions in participants' stories, revealing multiple factors that shaped their decisions to leave. Although motherhood was significant for the women who participated in the study, it was not their only motivation for ending their relationships with abusive partners.

    Journal Title

    Violence against Women

    Volume

    19

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    69

    Last Page

    88

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000315337400005

    ISSN

    1077-8012

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