INVISIBLE WOUNDS : A Namibian Case Study of Psychological Abuse
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Research on psychological abuse is still in the early stages; the nature of it renders it difficult to define, and even at times to detect. This thesis examines psychological abuse in a Namibian context using in-depth interviews with six women who experienced domestic violence. The aim was to examine the women‟s perceptions of psychological abuse and the response received from various networks of support. Additionally, I investigated whether Western theories of domestic violence could be usefully applied in a non-Western setting. I found that the women perceived and experienced psychological abuse, however society at large placed their focus on physical forms of abuse. I argue that while the processes of abuse may be similar across different cultures, the context within which they exist differs, thereby altering the very nature of these processes. Thus, Western research and theories can be useful in providing insight into the basic processes of abuse. However, the solutions cannot be uniform and need to be adjusted in order to apply to various cultural contexts.
Author: Eleonora Chikuhwa
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W564165982