Thread by @drlouisehansen

Dominance and Entitlement: The Rhetoric Men Use to Discuss their Violence towards Women (1995). Some men share discourses of dominance and entitlement to power, which has then resourced them in their violence towards women. 1/20 #March4Justiceau #Auspol

Adams, Towns and Gavey (1995) transcribed 90 minute interviews with 14 men who had recently begun or were about to begin stopping violence programmes. Each interview prompted the men on their views towards women, violence and relationships. 2/20

Adams, Towns and Gavey (1995) found that socially constructed beliefs were often used to justify violence and recommended the following discourses as the foundation of critical conversations for change: 3/30

Power and control: The man needs to have power and control in his relationships with women. 4/20

Entitlement: Men must be respected and treated well, if a woman does not show a man respect then she is being disrespectful; men ought to be in control because they are men. 5/20

Real Man: A real man is in charge, he is tough -no one tells him what to do - he calls the shots. 6/20

Violence is normal: Real men use violence, it is acceptable as a problem solver - it is what men do. 7/20

Women are untrustworthy and dangerous: Women are out to get men, to manipulate and control men, they need to be shown who is boss. 8/20

Women are objects: Women exist to serve men’s needs, they are property, and are there to be used. 9/20

Violence is outside men’s control: Violence is caused by drugs/alcohol, by stress and frustration, by anger, by being provoked. Man is not in control of this. 10/20

Need to control: If I don’t control my wife and children, they will control me. 11/20

Male sex drive is uncontrollable: Men are entitled to sex, when they want it, how they want it, where they want it. It is too powerful a force and men need to have it because that is who a man is. 12/20

The harm of men’s behaviour is exaggerated: She gives as good as she gets, she’s just trying to get me in trouble, I’ve done nothing wrong - any man in my situation would do the same. 13/20

Grievance/revenge/winner: Men have to win in the relationship, men have to be top dog, if not she needs to be put back in her place. 14/20

Adams, Towns and Gavey (1995) helped people to understand how certain discourses, based upon socially constructed beliefs, allow some men to justify, camouflage and maintain positions of dominance within relationships with women. 15/20

The examination of discourses about violence helped reveal much about the way violence against women is justified, minimised and ignored. It also helps in understanding how they are anchored and reinforced in everyday conversations. 16/20

These forms of discursive enquiry, and other possibilities, open up ways of better understanding the dynamics of men’s violence against women and opportunities for intervention to produce more equitable practices. 17/20

Source: Adams, P., Towns, A., & Gavey, N. (1995). Dominance and Entitlement: The Rhetoric Men Use to Discuss their Violence towards Women. 18/20

Resources:
Blue Knot Help Line for survivors of childhood abuse: 1300 657 380.
1800 Respect for survivors of sexual assault, domestic and family violence: 1800 737 732. Veterans and Veterans' Families Counselling Service: 1800 011 046. 19/20

Crisis resources:
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800. Lifeline: 13 11 14. Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467. Call 000 for urgent medical attention or police attendance. 20/20