SOCO
496: Topics
Research in Intimate Violence
Fall,
1997
Instructor:
Gene H. Starbuck, Ph.D.
Office: Lowell Heiny
Hall, Room 250
Hours: 11:00-Noon Daily, or by Appointment
Phone: 248-1761
E-Mail: starbuck@mesa5.mesa.colorado.edu
Homepage: www.mesastate.edu/~starbuck
Go
to the Class Discussion Page.
Required Reading:
Gelles, Richard J., and Donileen R. Loseke, eds. 1993. Current Controversies on Family Violence. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Loseke, Donileen. 1992. The Battered Woman and Shelters: The Social Construction of Wife Abuse. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Course Description
We will look at "domestic violence," "spouse abuse," "wife battering," "child abuse," "date rape," and related concerns as socially constructed phenomena. We will learn about the history of the phenomena in question, the social movements involved in their construction, and the institutionalized responses. Legal, structural, feminist, social-psychological, and other approaches will be considered.
The course will be conducted in seminar format. Students will be heavily involved in the presentation and discussion of material. A number of readings will be assigned. Guest speakers will be called upon to present information about the role of various agencies involved with the violence in question.
A group of concerned citizens, service providers, and community leaders has requested the help of this class in researching a profile of domestic violence in Mesa County. Groups will be formed to research various aspects of the issue locally. The combined reports will be distributed to the local citizens group.
Assignments (Tentative)
Aug. 27:
Loseke: Introduction: Social Problems Work and the Study of Wife Abuse.
G&L: Introduction: Examining and
Evaluating Controversies on Family Violence.
G&L: Part I: Issues in Conceptualization
Ch. 1: Through a Psychological Lens.
Ch. 2: Through a Sociological Lens.
Ch. 3: Through a Feminist Lens.
Sept. 3:
G&L: Part IV: Issues in Social
Intervention (Introduction, pp. 251-256)
Ch. 16: Overreporting and Underreporting Are
Twin Problems.
Ch. 17: The Main Problem Is Still
Underreporting, Not Overreporting.
Ch. 18: Prevention is Appropriate,
Prevention Is Successful.
Ch. 19: Problems With Child Sexual Abuse
Prevention Programs.
Speaker: Janet Rowland, Child Protection
Services, DSS
Sept. 10:
G&L: Part II: Issues in Definition and
Measurement (Introduction, pp.63-66)
Ch. 4: Physical Assault by Wives: A Major
Social Problem.
Ch. 5: Physical Assault by Husbands: A Major
Social Problem.
Speaker: Con Pyle, DV Provider,
Prevention Group Organizer
Sept. 17:
G&L: Part IV-C: Wife Abuse Offenders: Is It Good Policy to Focus on Arrest?
Ch. 20: What the Scientific Evidence Shows:
On the Average, We Can Do No Better Than Arrest.
Ch. 21: The Scientific Evidence Is Not
Conclusive: Arrest Is No Panacea.
Loseke, Ch. 1: Collective Representations
Speaker: Steve King, Grand Junction
Police Department.
Sept. 24:
Loseke: Ch. 2: Schemes of Interpretation and Practical Experience
Ch. 3: Collective Representations and the
Formal Organization of Shelter Work.
Ch. 4: Identifying the Battered Woman.
Ch. 5: Transforming Clients
Speaker: Pete Hautzinger, Assistant
District Attorney, Mesa County
Oct. 1:
Loseke: Ch. 6: Making Sense of Shelter Work.
Ch. 7: Social Problems Work and the
Reproduction of Public Problems.
Lecture: Feminisms
Oct. 8
Speaker: Cheryl Chittenden, Director,
Latimer House (Domestic Violence Center)
Oct. 15: Midterm Exam (Open book, open
note, long essay.)
Oct. 22:
G&L: Part II-C: Controversies Over the
Consequences of Violence Toward Women.
Ch. 8: The Battered Woman Syndrome Is a
Psychological Consequence of Abuse.
Ch. 9: A Battered Woman's Problems Are
Social, Not Psychological.
Discussion: The Conflict Tactics Scale vs. Lenore Walker: Battered Women or Battered Data?
Oct. 29:
G&L: Part II-B: Date and Acquaintance
Rape: An Exaggerated Problem?
Ch. 6. Facing the Facts: Date and
Acquaintance Rape Are Significant Problems for Women.
Ch. 7. Examining the Facts: Date and
Acquaintance Rape Are significant Problems for Women.
Discussion: The Koss Research, "Rape
Approval" Research, and the Date Rape Controversy.
Nov. 5:
G&L: Part III: Issues in Causes
Ch. 10: Alcohol and Other Drugs Are Key
Causal Agents of Violence.
Ch. 11: Alcohol and Other Drugs Are
Associated With Violence--They Are Not Its Cause.
Ch. 12: A History of Abuse Is a Major Risk
factor for Abusing the Next Generation.
Ch. 13: The Intergenerational Transmission
of Abuse Is Overstated.
Discussion and/or unnamed speaker:
Individual vs. family therapy?
Nov. 12:
G&L: Ch. 14: The Abused Elderly Are
Dependent: Abuse Is Caused by the Perception of Stress Associated With
Providing Care.
Ch. 15: The Abused Offspring Are Dependent:
Abuse Is Caused by the Deviance and Dependence of Abusive Caregivers.
Discussion: Prevention and Reduction of
Intimate Violence: Psychological, Sociological, and Feminist Approaches
(Course-inclusive panel).
Nov. 19:
G&L: Conclusion: Social Problems, Social
Policy, and Controversies on family Violence.
Presentation of Group Research: Part One.
Nov. 26: Thanksgiving break: No class.
Dec. 3:
Presentation of Group Research: Part Two
Dec 10: Final Exam
Grading
Midterm: 100 points.
Final Exam: 100 points.
Group Projects: 100 points (50 from instructor, 50 from peers).
Internet sites with government documents:
Other internet sites of interest:
http://www.vix.com/men/domestic-index.html
Return to start of syllabus.
Go to Gene H. Starbuck's Homepage.
Go to Mesa State College's Homepage.
Created July 10, 1997
Revised September 29, 1997