ABSTRACT
Social scientists have responded by attempting to explain why some individuals engage in violence and by recommending solutions. Department of Psychology University of Kansas What counts as "violence" is socially constructed' has varied over time, and reflects power relationships. Social constructionism provides a perspective for exploring social problems such as violence. People have an interest in defining violence in ways that exclude their own behavior. Examining how definitions and explanations of sexual and domestic violence have changed over time illustrates how these concepts are socially constructed rather than fixed with any one, unchanging, uncontested meaning. Affirmations of similarity between women and men may inadvertently universalize or validate norms of the dominant social group, norms that have been inattentive to women's interests, experiences, and perspectives. Elliott criticized the gendered model of violence used by the battered women's movement: The basic philosophy of the battered women's movement that patriarchy and sexism are responsible for all violence.
