The focus of the article is upon the relation
between gender and violence as an aspect
of everyday practice. It is suggested that
strategies for living with violence inform
gender perceptions. The article is based
on research in Cape Town, South Africa
and consentrates on how adolescents there
speak about violence and strategies for
safety. South Africa is renowned for high
levels of violence such as rape or death by
gunfire. Rather than focus on these violent
acts from the perspective of either the
victim or perpetrator, the focus lies in the
implications for the witnesses, who live
with the threat of violence in their daily
lives. Narratives related to violence and
strategies for safety show how violence
manifests itself. The authors argue that
women and men are discursively informed
to respond to and perceive violence
differently. Men are agents of violence as
protectors and perpetrators, and women
are pacified and potential victims.
Furthermore the study emphasises that
violence maintains patriarchal gender
roles and thereby becomes a major barrier
to rethinking gender perceptions and
gender equality.
 
