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Women dwelling with violence
1College of Nursing, Kent State University, OH, USA. cdraucke@kent.edu
Image--The Journal of Nursing Scholarship
|January 11, 2000
Summary
Women experiencing sexual violence often feel exiled and unsettled. However, they creatively preserve what is essential to them amidst violence, demonstrating resilience in their daily lives.
Area of Science:
- Phenomenology
- Existential Philosophy
- Qualitative Health Research
Background:
- Sexual violence against women is a pervasive health issue.
- Understanding the lived experience of survivors is crucial.
- The impact of sexual violence on women's everyday lives remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the Heideggerian concept of dwelling in the context of women's experiences with sexual violence.
- To understand how sexual violence shapes women's sense of being-in-the-world.
Main Methods:
- Phenomenological approach integrating Heideggerian philosophy.
- Analysis of in-depth, open-ended interviews with 10 American women survivors of sexual violence.
- Utilized hermeneutic analysis of interview transcripts and media excerpts.
Main Results:
- Women survivors described "dwelling with violence," experiencing it as inseparable from their lives.
- This often led to a state of "living-in-exile," characterized by feelings of being uprooted and distrustful.
- Despite this, survivors actively engaged in "preserving and sparing amidst violence," protecting valued aspects of their lives and selves.
Conclusions:
- Sexual violence profoundly impacts women's daily existence and sense of dwelling.
- Survivors exhibit complex and creative responses to living in violent environments.
- Healthcare providers should consider women's life histories and social contexts, not just symptomatic responses, to understand the effects of violence.