Saving Bernice: Battered Women, Welfare, and Poverty

by Jody Raphael

Skillfully interweaving Bernice's own eloquent words about her harrowing abuse with descriptions of other women's similar experiences and a rich synthesis of statistical findings, Jody Raphael demonstrates convincingly that domestic violence and dependence on public assistance are intricately linked. In a work that is sure to stir controversy, she challenges traditional views and stereotypes (conservative and liberal) about welfare recipients, arguing that many poor women are neither lazy nor paralyzed by a "culture of poverty," but instead are trapped by their batterers.Bernice's ordeals at the hands of her abusive partner -- brutal beatings, violent rapes, threats on her life, stalking, blocked access to birth control, and sabotage of efforts to find a job -- resonate throughout the work. The experiences she relates provide crucial insights into the welfare system and illuminate its failures, successes, and potential in helping women like her.This disquieting yet inspiring book puts a human face on the heated public policy debate over welfare reform. Above all, it is Bernice's life story and, through her voice, the story of countless other battered women who are isolated in poverty and welfare by the power and control of their abusers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Jody Raphael is an attorney.

Reviews

[Geoffrey Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harrowing book, troubling, but how could the story of one woman's experience with domestic violence not be? What's especially compelling about this book is how the author frames each chapter around one woman's experience and then integrates other research to help make sense of Bernice's life. In this way, I think it might work very well in the undergraduate classroom to bring to life all the complicated parts of domestic violence and give students human, but also empirical, insight into this issue.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has the potential to be one of the most important books ever written. If only people will read it! A real wake up call on how to implement programs to support women moving from welfare to work. Vital reading for all of us and especially those working in this field.

I shared it with the Women's Center at Lakeland community college and the Executive director of New Directions which provides transitional housing.

[Leah O'brien · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible book. I am thoroughly intrigued by the subject matter, but it is written in a manner that is so cumbersome (do not confuse this with difficult... she makes things far more confusing than they need to be, offering half-assed analysis that simply repeats the narrative of Bernice) that I have never been more disinterested. I really wanted to like the book, but it ended up being really really bad.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a riveting introduction of Bernice's world of domestic abuse and poverty. Jody Raphael provides a framework of family violence, dependency, isolation, and fear that plagued Bernice and many women like her. There is immediate insight into the cultural, social, and individual world views that contribute to the acceptance of domestic violence and its correlation to poverty. It was a great read. I would definitely recommend!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of Jody Raphael's case study/biographical studies. Saving Bernice examines the prevalence of domestic violence in the households of female-headed welfare recipients. Something I hadn't thought about before was the connection between traditional gender roles and domestic violence.

[Lara]

Love Jody Raphael, but haven't read this yet.