CfP: "Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence"

Call for Papers: "Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence"
-- For the annual meetings for the American Anthropological
Association, Nov. 19-23,2008, in San Francisco.

We are seeking papers for a panel that will open up for anthropological reflection issues surrounding domestic violence in cross-cultural contexts.
Anthropology has been relatively silent about the many theoretical and practical issues surrounding domestic violence. Indeed, only a few anthropological works deal directly with the problem of violence within families, even though anthropology as a discipline has much to offer any discussion of domestic violence. We seek papers that would consider the problems of domestic violence as it relates to gender roles, family structure, social structure, legal context, social norms, institutional and informal responses to domestic violence, human rights and international discourse about violence against women.

Papers could discuss or critique such topics as:
• The problems of defining domestic violence in a culturally sensitive way without excusing forms of violence against women.
• The trend in the United States and elsewhere to focus on "Intimate Partner Violence" as the definitive form of domestic violence, thus downplaying other forms of violence against women within extended families and multi-generational homes found in cross-cultural contexts.
• The "exoticization" of certain forms of violence against women, such as honor killing, dowry deaths, or female genital mutilation, which are often portrayed as products of a barbaric or primitive "other" culture.
• Gendered violence as it arises in various discourses, practices and institutions of the state, and the ways in which they are challenged by individuals and organizations. This could include the types of violence that is perpetuated in national or international legal codes.
• The place of domestic violence in national and international discourses about human rights.
• How the occurrence of domestic violence is affected by other types of social conflict, such as inner-city violence, ethnic strife, armed conflict and war.
• How the principles of cultural relativism has prevented anthropologists from tackling the issues surrounding violence in the family.

Any topics relating to domestic violence from a cross-cultural perspective will be considered. please submit all abstracts to Kim Shively (shively@kutztown.edu) by March 15, 2008.
Thank you.