The archaeology of experience of domestic violence against women in Iran

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

"Give me some space" : exploring youth to parent aggression and violence

A small scale qualitative project, undertaken by an interdisciplinary domestic violence research group involving academic researchers and research assistants, with colleagues from Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS), investigated youth aggression and violence against parents. Following the literature review, data was generated through several research conversations with young people (n = 2), through semi-structured interviews with mothers (n = 3) and practitioners (n = 5), and through a practitioner focus group (n = 8). Thematic analysis and triangulation of the data from parents, practitioners and young people, elicited interconnected and complex overarching themes. Young people could be both victim and perpetrator. The witnessing or experiencing of domestic aggression and violence raised the concept of ‘bystander children’. The impact of young people experiencing familial violence was underestimated by parents. For practitioners, the effects of working with domestic violence was shown to be significant - both positively and negatively

The role of orthodox jurisprudence in dealing with domestic violence against women in Iran

This paper is concerned with the structure of power/knowledge in the orthodox Islamic discourses (as the mainstream discourse) in Iran, and the inter- relationship between power, violence, and sexuality both theoretically and empirically. In the theoretical section of this study I employ a novel approach based on the economic theory of contract, in order to shed light on the internal logic of the Islamic formulation of marriage, how it is organised around a critical transaction of sexual submission for economic protection, and how this simple formulation may pave the way for violence against women, which turns into a source of perpetual tension in contemporary Iranian society. Empirically, drawing on fieldwork among 62 women, men and judicial officials in Gilan province (north Iran), this paper aims to report and reflect on the judicial official‟s narratives on marriage, marital relationship within the context of Islamic marriage and associated discourses of sexuality and violence

Is advice incompatible with autonomous informed choice? Women’s perceptions of advice in the context of antenatal screening: a qualitative study

Abstract Background  Patient autonomy in antenatal screening is a high priority for policy developers in many countries. Objective  This paper presents women’s understandings of how health professionals should facilitate informed screening choices with an emphasis on their understandings of autonomy and advice. Design, setting and participants  The study was carried out in 2009 in the UK, using a qualitative approach. Ninety-eight participants of African, British White, Caribbean, Chinese and Pakistani origin had semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using framework analysis. Results  Four themes were identified during the analysis: ‘Meanings of advice in antenatal screening: the advice continuum’, ‘Recognition of the role of health professionals in decision making’, ‘Understandings of advice in the context of autonomous decision making’ and ‘Reasons given for wanting advice’. Women said they valued advice from health professionals to make decisions about antenatal screening, but their understandings of ‘advice’ ranged from information giving only to direction about screening choices. Conclusion  Many women wanted health professionals to support the process of making informed choices by engaging in discussion and did not see advice as incompatible with making autonomous choices. However, some women wanted direction about whether to have a screening test or not, something which policy and guidelines explicitly prohibit. This may cause an ethical dilemma for health professionals who are required to both support women’s preference for care and adhere to a policy of non-directiveness. Further clarification is needed on how health professionals should support the process of making informed choices when women ask for clear direction on screening choices

Interpretations of informed choice in antenatal screening: a cross-cultural, Q-methodology study

Informed choice is internationally recognised and accepted as an important aspect of ethical healthcare. In the UK, NHS antenatal screening policies state that their primary aim is to facilitate reproductive informed choices. These policies, implemented within a multiethnic population, are largely guided by the ethical principle of autonomy. This study was carried out in 2009 in the UK and used Q-methodology to explore diversity in the value attached to autonomous informed choice in antenatal screening for genetic disorders and similarities and differences in this value in women from different ethnic origins. Ninety-eight participants of African, British White, Caribbean, Chinese and Pakistani origin completed a 41-statement Q-sort in English, French, Mandarin or Urdu. Q-Factor analysis produced five statistically independent viewpoints of the value of informed choice: choice as an individual right; choice informed by religious values; choice as a shared responsibility; choice advised by health professionals; and choice within the family context. The findings show that women hold a variety of views on the nature of informed choice, and that, contradictory to policies of autonomous informed choice, many women seek and value the advice of health professionals. The findings have implications for the role of health professionals in facilitating informed choice, quality of care and equity of access