Justification of wife beating in rural Bangladesh: a qualitative analysis of gender differences in responses to survey questions

Violence Against Women. 2012 Oct;18(10):1177-91. doi: 10.1177/1077801212465152.

Abstract

Understanding attitudes about intimate partner violence (IPV) in cultural context is important for developing interventions to reduce it or mitigate its effects. This article presents qualitative findings from research conducted in rural Bangladesh to understand men's and women's responses to attitudinal questions about IPV. Both men and women often responded as if the questions were about their personal behavior. A few women said that their opinion did not matter. Women's responses were more sensitive than men's to contextual nuances in the questions, and men more often than women described their own attitudes as consistent with community norms.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Attitude*
  • Behavior*
  • Data Collection
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Qualitative Research
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Rural Population
  • Sex Factors
  • Sexual Partners*
  • Social Values
  • Spouse Abuse*
  • Young Adult