Theorizing oppression: implications for nursing research on violence against women

The way in which oppression is theorized is critical to nursing research in general and nursing research on violence against women in particular. Violence is not just the aberrant behaviour of some men, or a simple issue of gender oppression; rather, it is a complex, pervasive social problem that arises from and is sustained by multiple sites of oppression, including race, class, and gender. Conceptualizations of violence that neglect analyses of power, oppression, agency, and resistance may serve to support and sustain violence; thus their use in nursing research can align nursing with structures that perpetuate violence and oppression. Theories of violence that are informed by complex analyses of power and oppression focus inquiry on the social causes of violence; require analysis of racism, sexism, and classism; and establish, as a goal of research, the countering of oppression by individuals, institutions, and the state. Analyzing oppression as simultaneity guides nursing research into violence against women toward social change, is applicable beyond the issue of violence, and can help nursing contribute to the eradication of the social causes of health problems.