Description
Violence Against Women
Book Summary
This essay analyzes the persistence of romantic love myths as a structural basis for violence against women within intimate partner relationships. The authors, experts in social psychology and gender studies, demonstrate how these cultural beliefs, far from having disappeared, are perpetuated through the media, education, and differential socialization. The work offers an updated map of these myths, illustrated with numerous examples, and serves as an essential tool for understanding the symbolic roots of gender-based violence.
What is it about?
The book begins with a central premise: violence against women in intimate relationships does not arise from nothing, but is fueled by an ideological breeding ground shaped by myths associated with romantic love. The authors dismantle the idea that these myths are harmless or things of the past, and demonstrate that they continue to operate as powerful conditioning factors that define what loving means for men and women. Through a rigorous analysis, they identify and classify these myths (such as the "soulmate" myth, jealousy as proof of love, or the idea of sacrificial love), showing how they legitimize dynamics of power, control, and submission. The work not only diagnoses the problem but proposes an updated map of these myths as a practical resource for professionals and anyone interested in visualizing and combating the cultural foundations of sexist violence.
Main themes
- Myths of romantic love and their ideological function in gender-based violence.
- Differential gender socialization and cultural transmission of roles.
- Critical analysis of beliefs that legitimize control and abuse within a relationship.
- Proposal for an updated map of love myths as an intervention tool.
- Relationship between idealized love and structural inequality between men and women.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at professionals in psychology, social work, criminology, law, and education who work in the field of gender-based violence. It is also of great interest to students of social and legal sciences, as well as activists and readers committed to feminism who wish to delve into the cultural causes of sexist violence. Anyone seeking to understand why certain abusive dynamics persist will find a clear and well-founded analysis here.
What this book contributes
- A deep understanding of how romantic love myths act as a risk factor and a means of legitimizing violence.
- An updated and systematized map of these myths, useful for professional practice and personal reflection.
- Conceptual tools to identify and dismantle the beliefs that perpetuate inequality in affective relationships.
- An interdisciplinary perspective that integrates psychology, sociology, and gender studies.
Technical specifications
- Author: Bosch Fiol, Esperanza; Ferrer Pérez, Victoria A.; Ferreiro Basurto, Virginia
- Publisher: Anthropos Editorial
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Domestic violence, Feminism and feminist theory, Sociology and anthropology, Social services and welfare, Criminology, Politics and government, Law, General theory of law, International law, Special jurisdiction laws, Crimes against the person, Law: study and revision guides
- Collection: DIVULGA
- Binding: Other
- Publication date: February 2013
- Number of pages: 368
- Weight: 122 g
Editorial review
This is a reference work in the study of the cultural causes of gender-based violence. Its main strength lies in connecting, in a rigorous and accessible manner, the myths of romantic love with the perpetuation of violence in intimate relationships, offering a solid theoretical framework and a practical tool (the map of myths) that distinguishes it from other titles in the same field. It is a necessary read for those who seek to go beyond superficial explanations and understand the symbolic and ideological roots of the problem.