Desigualdad de género y violencia masculina contra las mujeres en la parejaaproximaciones de análisis en la investigación social

Abstract

Feminist premises assume gender inequality as the main rationale of masculine violence against women. Nonetheless, specific interpretations have evolved along with evolution of gender imbalances and consequently generating newer interpretations and justifications. The current paper reviews the central lines of social research regarding gender inequality and male violence against women within a relationship. We describe four main approaches, their central tenets, principal conclusions as well as their critiques and controversies. The first one, an individualistic perspective investigates individual socioeconomic positions of women subjected to violence and their male aggressors. The second proposal, the dyadic model, focuses on power and domination dynamics within couples. In the third place, a structural approach that focuses at macro levels, on the relationships between inequality and violence indicators. Fourthly, the most recent development is represented by the intersectional framework that has provided a powerful new analytical tool for researching violence against women as it has encompassed together with gender inequalities other concepts related to inequality (sexual orientation, life cycles, health, social class, race-ethnic group, age, disabilities�) that shape power patterns, chances of becoming subject to violence, vulnerabilities, as well as response and resistance strategies deployed by the women affected.