Case I.3: Domestic Abuse Survivors: Public Sociology and the Risks of Speaking Out

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Decades of feminist research and advocacy have given voice to a recognition of domestic abuse as a social problem, driven by structural factors in society, underpinned by and perpetuating gender inequality. Yet, at an individual level, women experiencing domestic abuse may be left feeling they have lost their voice both literally and metaphorically. The hidden nature of coercion and control means their lived reality has no public audience (Stark, 2007). In a society where victim blaming and sexism is pervasive, women anticipate how they will be judged, and this fear of disclosure generates a form of gendered shame that continues to operate to silence women (Enander, 2010). The ‘Same Hell, Different Devils’ study used a feminist participatory action research (FPAR) approach and deployed the visual method of photovoice, with women survivors of domestic abuse in Scotland, to enable them to make sense of their experiences of domestic abuse and their own alcohol use, in a group setting (Young, 2016). The research offered an opportunity for participants to have their voices heard and to explore the wider societal power structures that impact on their experiences.

In this case study, exploring the concept of ‘voice’, I consider the benefits, challenges and risks faced by the women survivors of domestic abuse who participated in this research, that I consider an example of organic public sociology: a form of sociology where the researcher works with an engaged public to generate knowledge for the purpose of social change (Burawoy, 2005).

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