Title

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain! Power, Privacy, and the Legal Regulation of Violence Against Women

Authors

Maria Bevacqua, Minnesota State University, MankatoFollow
Carrie N. Baker, Smith College

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2004

Abstract

This paper considers issues of violence against women through the conceptual lens of public/private ideology, exploring numerous ways that the public/private dichotomy is reinforced in the law and public policy of rape, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. We argue that the power of this ideology continues into the contemporary law of gendered violence, as evidenced most recently by the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Morrison (2000). We find that public/private ideology offers men a “violence shield”: freedom from scrutiny that enables gendered violence to thrive. Although gendered violence is now on the public agenda, these crimes remain shielded from scrutiny because they are associated with the private sphere. We suggest that feminist activists concentrate on undermining these ideological roots when crafting strategies to combat violence against women.

Department

Gender and Women's Studies

Print ISSN

1554-477X

Publication Title

Women & Politics

Recommended Citation

Bevacqua, M. & Baker, C. (2004). Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain! Power, Privacy, and the Legal Regulation of Violence Against Women. Women & Politics, 26(3-4), 57-83. https://doi.org/10.1300/J014v26n03_03

DOI

10.1300/J014v26n03_03

Link to Publisher Version (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1300/J014v26n03_03

Publisher's Copyright and Source

Copyright © 2004 by the Haworth Press, Inc. Article published by Taylor & Francis in Women & Politics, volume 26, issue number 3/4, 2004, pages 57-83. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1300/J014v26n03_03