The Social Dynamics of Family Violence

by Angela J. Hattery, Earl Smith

This compelling new text explores family violence throughout the life course, with special attention to the social character and institutional causes of family violence. From child abuse and neglect to intimate partner violence and elder abuse, Hattery and Smith ask students to consider how social inequality, especially gender inequality, contributes to tensions and explosive tendencies in family settings. Students learn about individual preventative measures and are also invited to question the justice of our current social structure, with implications for social policy and reorganization. Hattery and Smith pepper the text with evocative case studies from their own research and illuminating stories published in mainstream media. Unique coverage of same-sex couples and multicultural couples, as well as of theory and methods, make this text an essential element of any course considering the sociology of family violence.

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Angela Hattery studies sociology and anthropology at Carleton College (BA 1988) before earning her master's and PHD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1996). She has held positions at Ball State University (1996-1998), Wake Forest University (1998-2011) and is currently professor and director of the women and gender studies program at George Mason University. She is the author of 11 books, most recently Policing Black Bodies: How Black Lives are Surveilled and How to Work for Change. When not teaching and writing, she enjoys volunteering in her community, she works out daily, and she enjoys reading. She has 2 children, Travis who lives in San Francisco and Emma who lives in Denver. She is originally from Rochester, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required textbook for class. I could be biased about loving sociology in general, but this book had some really interesting, shocking, and heartbreaking information. I still liked reading the material.

[Christine Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

School book. Very well written and informative. I learned lots in this class with this book on a topic I am already pretty well educated on.