Citation

Denzin NK. Am. J. Sociol. 1984; 90(3): 483-513.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/228114

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A phenomenological analysis of domestic, family violence, espacially husbands' violence toward wives and children, is offered. Drawing on the relatively large qualitative literature on wife battering, the paper examines the inner side of the violent experience in the home. Emotionality and the self are posited as being at the core of domestic violence. The analysis takes up in order the following topics: (1) emotionality and violent conduct; (2) schismogenesis and negative symbolic interaction; (3) the structure of violent emotion; (4) violent emotional action; (5) inflicted emotion; (6) spurious playful, paradoxical, and real violence; and (7) the interiority of family violence and bad faith. New critical theory in this area is needed.