Why the victims of Intimate partner violence is increasing in Bangladesh: Understanding the Connection Between Hegemonic Masculinity and Intimate Partner Violence’

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.sidebar##

Published Mar 30, 2023
https://doi.org/10.54945/gavps.v1i2.18
Download
PDF
Statistic

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...
Volume 1, Issue 2, December 2022

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##

Zerrin Akter Anni
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of History and Sociology, The University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus)

Abstract

In Bangladeshi society, the notion of hegemonic masculinity has been existing for a long time and it has contributed to serious forms of violence against women in recent years. However, most of the empirical research that investigates the theoretical aspects of aggressive manhood, hegemonic masculinity, or gender performativity is centred on western societies. The historical and cultural contexts of intimate partner violence in South Asia have not been adequately explored in attempts to contextualize these gender norms and masculine characteristics. Although significant effort has been made in this field of interest, there is a dearth of literature concerning the conceptions of hegemonic masculinity, aggressive manhood, and gender performance to emerging and a typical patterns of violence against women. Thus, the primary objective of this research is to narrow the gap by demonstrating how the development of hegemonic masculinity and violent manhood is related to contemporary intimate partner violence in Bangladesh, specifically by examining the influence of violent manhood in intimate relationships. To conduct this research, a qualitative study has been used based on secondary data analysis that includes the theoretical analysis of Buttler, Connell, Sumerau, and other scholars. The findings of this research indicate that physical violence perpetrated by men against their spouses reinforces a gender system and culture that justifies husbands’ power over their wives. Therefore, masculinity is not a fixed entity embedded just in the body or personality traits of individuals. Rather, hegemonic masculinities are configurations of practice that are accomplished in social activities due to structural, cultural, and other forces which might differ according to the gender relations in a particular social setting.

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##

How to Cite
Akter Anni, Z. (2023). Why the victims of Intimate partner violence is increasing in Bangladesh: Understanding the Connection Between Hegemonic Masculinity and Intimate Partner Violence’. Global Advances in Victimology and Psychological Studies, 1(2), 71–80. https://doi.org/10.54945/gavps.v1i2.18
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

References

  1. Ali, P.A. & Gavino, M.I.B. (2008). Violence against women in Pakistan: A framework for analysis. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 58(4), 198-203.
  2. Anwary, A. (2015). Construction of hegemonic masculinity: Violence against wives in Bangladesh. Women’s Studies International Forum, 50, 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. wsif.2015.02.011
  3. Boyshakhi News. (2011, June 15). Rumana Manzur’s Husband. YouTube video. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TYz0tDClXGY
  4. BRAC & UNDP. (2013) ‘Study on National Online Database on Violence Against Women’. Dhaka: Bangladesh.
  5. Butler, J. (1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. New York: Routledge.
  6. Butler, J. (1997). The psychic life of power. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503616295
  7. Choudhury, T. & Clisby, S. (2018). Masculinity in transition or patriarchy reasserted? A study of construction workers in sylhet, Bangladesh. Studies on Home and Community Science, 11(2), 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/09737189. 2017.1420406
  8. Connell, R. (1987). Gender and power: Society, the person and sexual politics. Stanford, CA: University of Stanford Press.
  9. Connell, R. (1995). Masculinities. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  10. Connell, R. (2000). The men and the boys. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  11. Connell, R., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept. Gender and Society, 19(6), 829-859. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243205278639
  12. Dobash, R., & Dobash, R. (1998). Violent men and violent contexts. In R. E. Dobash, & R. P. Dobash (Eds.), Rethinking violence against women (pp. 141-168). Thousand Oaks. C.A.: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452243306.n6
  13. Doneys et al. (2013). The male entity of the self never dies, it just leaps like a tiger: Masculinity and gender-based violence in Bangladesh. (Working Paper No. 7). Bangkok: Partners for Prevention.
  14. Fattah, K. N., & Camellia, S. (2020). Gender norms and beliefs, and men’s violence against women in rural Bangladesh. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35(3-4), 771-793. https:// doi.org/10.1177/0886260517690875 PMid:29294643
  15. Haque, M. & Kusakabe, K. (2005). Retrenched men workers in Bangladesh: A crisis of mas- culinities. Gender, Technology and Development, 9(2), 185-208. https://doi. org/10.1177/097185240500900202
  16. Hasan, M. K., Aggleton, P., & Persson, A. (2018). The makings of a man: Social gener- ational masculinities in Bangladesh. Journal of Gender Studies, 27(3), 347-361. https://doi.org/1 0.1080/09589236.2017.1388773
  17. Hearn, J. (1998). Violence of men: How men talk about and how agencies respond to men’s violence against women. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446279069
  18. Hearn, J. (2017). Two challenges for critical studies on men and masculinities: The hegem- ony of men, and trans (national) patriarchies. Casopis za Kritiko Znanosti: domisljijo in novo antropologijo, 267, 23-34.
  19. Hearn, J., Ratele, K., Shefer, T., & Khan, A. R. (2021). Men, masculinities, peace, and vio- lence: A multi-level overview on justice and conflict. In T. V€ayrynen, S. Parashar, Feron, E., & C. C. Confortini (Eds.), Routledge handbook of feminist peach research (pp. 313-323). Routledge. https:// doi.org/10.4324/9780429024160-34
  20. Heise, L. (1998). Violence against women. An integrated ecological framework. Violence Against Women, 4, 262- 290. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801298004003002 PMid:12296014
  21. Imtiaz, S. S. (2013). Ordinary men’s constructions of masculinity: Exploration of construc- tions of masculinity in extreme poor household in Northeast Bangladesh. Retrieved from: http://www.care.org/sites/default/files/ documents/Bangladesh%20EMI% 20report.pdf
  22. Jang, D., Lee, D., & Morello-Frosch, R. (1998). Domestic violence in the immigrant and refugee community: Responding to the needs of immigrant women. In S. J. Ferguson (Ed.), Shifting the Center: Understanding Contempo- rary Families. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.
  23. Khan, A. R., Ratele, K., Helman, R., Dlamini, S., & Makama, R. (2020b). Masculinity and Suicide in Bangladesh. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 0030222820966239
  24. Khan, A. R., Arendse, N., & Ratele, K. (2021). Intimate relationships and suicidal behavior of men in Bangladesh. Mortality. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2021.1879755
  25. Khan. M.E. & Townsend, J.W. (2014). Representation of the masculine identity in Bangladesh. In M.E., Khan, J.W., Townsend and P. J., Pelto (eds) Sexuality, Gender Roles, and Domestic Violence in South Asia (pp. 113-132). New York: Population Council.
  26. Khan, S. I., Hudson-Rodd, N., Saggers, S., Bhuiyan, M. I., Bhuiya, A., Karim, S. A., & Rauyajin, O. (2008). Phallus, performance and power: Crisis of masculinity. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 23(1), 37-49. https://doi. org/10.1080/14681990701790635
  27. Karim, R., Lindberg, L., Wamala, S., & Emmelin, M. (2018). Men’s perceptions of women’s participation in development initiatives in rural Bangladesh. American Journal of Men’s Health, 12(2), 398-410. https://doi. org/10.1177/1557988317735394 PMid:29025358 PMCid:PMC5818116
  28. Karim, R., Habib, T. Z., Arefin, S., Rahman, H., Rahman, S., & Swahnberg, K. (2020). Differences in the acceptance of wife abuse among ethnic minority Garo and Santal and mainstream Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh. PLoS One, 15(7), e0236733. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0236733 PMid:32722707 PMCid:PMC7386579
  29. Maniruzzaman, A. (2003). Nari o shishu nirjatan daman ain. Dhaka: Shams Publication.
  30. Mensch, B. S., Singh, S., & Casterline, J. B. (2005). Trends in the timing of first marriage among men and women in the developing world. The Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Countries: Selected Studies, 118-71.https:// doi.org/10.31899/pgy6.1096
  31. Narayan, U. (1993). Paying the price of change: Women, modernization, and arranged marriages in India. In M. Turshen, & B. Holcomb (Eds.), Women’s lives and public policy: The international experience (pp. 159-170). Westport, CT: Greenwood.
  32. Nasreen, S. (2011). Crime or custom? Motivation behind dowry practice in rural Bangladesh. Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 18(1), 27-50. https://doi. org/10.1177/097152151001800102
  33. Naved, R. T., & Persson, L. A. (2005). Factors associated with spousal physical abuse against women in Bangladesh. Studies in Family Planning, 36(4), 289-300. https://doi. org/10.1111/j.1728-4465.2005.00071.x PMid:16395946
  34. Naved, R. T., & Persson, L. A. (2010). Dowry and physical violence against women in Bangladesh. Journal of Family Issues, 31(6), 830-856. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X09357554
  35. Riseman, B. (2004). Gender as a social structure: Theory wrestling with activism. Gender and Society, 18(4), 429- 450. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243204265349
  36. Sahavagi, DidiBahini, & Fedo. (2015). Progress of Women in Nepal (1995-2015) Substantive Equality: Non-negotiable. Kathmandu: UN Women Nepal.
  37. Schuler, S., Yount, K., & Lenzi, R. (2012). Justification of wife beating in Rural Bangladesh: A qualitative analysis of gender differences in response to survey questions. Violence Against Women, 18(10), 1177-1191. https:// doi.org/10.1177/1077801212465152 PMid:23136180 PMCid:PMC3721193
  38. Solotaroff, J. L., & Pande, R. P. (2014). Violence against women and girls: Lessons from South Asia. World Bank, Washington D.C. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648- 0171-6
  39. Sumerau, J. E. (2020). Violent manhood. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
  40. Surtees, R. (2003). Negotiating violence and non-violence in Cambodian Marriages, Gender-Based Violence, 2074 (November), 56-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/741954314
  41. The Daily Janakantha (2014, February 14e). Housewife murdered. Retrieved from: www.dailyjanakantha.com (accessed May 4, 2014)
  42. The Daily Janakantha (2014, February 18g). Housewife stabbed to death. Retrieved from: www.dailyjanakantha.com (accessed April 4, 2014)
  43. The Daily Janakantha (2014, March 30). Wife burned to death by husband. Retrieved from: www.dailyjanakantha.com (accessed June 5, 2014)
  44. The Daily Janakantha (2014, March 15). Housewife burned to death in Keraniganj, husband arrested. Retrieved from: www.dailyjanakantha.com (accessed March 5, 2015)
  45. The Daily Star (2011, June 16). Torturer Sumon caught. Retrieved from: www. thedailystar.net (accessed June 4, 2014)
  46. World Health Organization (2008). Preventing violence and reducing its impacts: How development agencies can help. Geneva: World Health Organization.
  47. Zaman, H. (1999). Violence against women in Bangladesh: Issues and responses. Women’s Studies International Forum, 22(1), 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-5395(98)00093-4