Intimate Partner Violence and Advocate Response

Redefining Love in Western Belize

By (author) Melissa Beske

Publication date:

21 April 2016

Length of book:

208 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9781498503600

Intimate Partner Violence and Advocate Response: Redefining Love in Western Belize offers new insight into the cross-cultural analysis of gender-based intimate partner violence by blending activist anthropology with in-depth ethnographic research to evaluate and help ameliorate the crisis in Belize. Drawing from twenty months of fieldwork in the Belizean Cayo District conducted between 2002 and 2013, Melissa A. Beske investigates the prevalence and complexity of partner abuse, the contributing cultural and structural factors, and the advocate dynamics across local, national, and transnational frameworks in combating the problem. Combining enlivened narratives, comparative viewpoints, and scholar-activism, this book not only illustrates the lived suffering of partner abuse in Cayo, but it also engages with the passionate commitment of survivors and supporters as they endeavor to create a more equitable and peaceful community. In doing so, it demonstrates an effective strategy for the interdisciplinary assessment of gender-based abuse, which satisfies demands for theoretical impartiality while simultaneously enabling researchers to take an ethical stand in social causes.

Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapter 2 - Family Violence in Cayo
Chapter 3 - Ethnic Components of Intimate Partner Violence
Chapter 4 - "Private" Abuse Meets Public Structures: Economics, Healthcare, and Education
Chapter 5 - Partner Abuse and the Church
Chapter 6 - Partner Abuse and the State
Chapter 7 - Activist Approaches
Chapter 8 - Conclusion: The End Marks the Beginning
Epilogue

Melissa A. Beske has produced a sensitive and engaged ethnography that simultaneously captures the intimate details of life in Belize while speaking to broader issues of gender violence and gender equality. Beske deftly handles the ethical dilemmas inherent in engaged activist ethnography and applied anthropology. Her book is a wonderful example of how to balance cultural sensitivity with collaborative partnerships for social change. Beske’s writing evokes the individual and collective struggle for justice and provides luminous life histories of the Belizean individuals whose experiences she respectfully and beautifully narrates. This ethnography is a must-read for anyone interested in applied anthropology and conducting ethnographic research for social change.