Week 11 - Power & Violence Flashcards
What is social power?
Ability to influence/alter the thoughts, behaviour or feelings of others in the direction WE DESIRE and to resist the influence they have upon us
What is the interdependency perspective?
Power is based on the control of VALUABLE/USEFUL resources
What is the principle of lesser interest?
In ANY relationship, the individual w/ LESS interest in maintains the relationship will have MORE power
The availability of “__________” has a strong influence on the balance of power in a relationship
Alternatives
Not many alternatives = more DEPENDENT on relationships = LESS power
Ex) think why traditional men in heterosexual relationships have more power (out working, seek more women?)
What are the 2 sources of power?
- Fate control:
- when one individual has control over a partners outcomes NO MATTER WHAT the partner does - Behaviour control:
- changing your OWN behaviour to encourage a partner to ALTER their actions in a DESIRABLE manner
***BOTH INDIVIDUALS TYPICALLY HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THE OTHER
What are the 6 main bases of power?
- Reward power:
- indivs ability to PROVIDE for someone else - Coercive power:
- indivs ability to deliver PUNISHMENT to someone else - Legitimate power:
- indivs believes they have a reasonable RIGHT to tell their partner what to do (obligation to comply) - Referent power:
- partner ADORES you and wants to do what you want bc they feel CONNECTED to you - Expert power:
- partner recognizes your greater KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE in a particular domain, they are influenced bc they know you are the EXPERT - Informational:
- when one partner has KNOWLEDGE that the other one would like to POSSESS
True or false. In most heterosexual partnerships, the dominant partner is the male
If true, what are the 3 main reasons for this?
True
Tend to make more decisions, control more resources, control more joint activities and win more arguments
—————————————————————————-
1. Disparity in relative resources
- men paid more than women
- men are more likely to be in political lower
- Social norms support/maintain male dominance
- expectation that husbands be lower dominance if have lower status than their wives
- if women attains leadership = evaluated more harshly
- want airline pilots to be men
- want woman as elementary school teachers
- women typically get their way in terms of household matters and children
- wives buy most grocery’s, clean more dishes/house etc…
- husbands tend to take care of yardwork and cars - We don’t know what equality looks like
- tend to lean on social norms (historically)
- what we are used/comforable ^^
Why does power feel good?
Accustomed to getting what they WANT and they tend to experience (+) moods and feelings of well-being = as a result
Tend to think they can control uncontrollable events
Tend to get what they want
Typically not really good at understanding other peoples perspectives
50% more likely to cheat on partners
Tend to be more adulterous
Judge others moral behaviour more harshly than their own
More strict
Individuals w/ low levels of power tend to…
Suffer w/ more depression
Behave more cautiously
Have more fear of punishment
More likely to do things their partners want
Women “_______” speak w/ men using the same strength & power as they display in their interactions with other “________”
Don’t; women
Tend to allow themselves to be interrupted by men more often than they interrupt men
What is some nonverbal behaviour powerful people use?
Use larger interpersonal distances
Display more intense facial expressions
Tend to position their body in postures which are less symmetrical
Tend to take up more space
Women tend to “_______” nonverbal communication more accurately than men
Decode
Women are more aware to what others are feeling
In one study, researchers asked 50 lesbians, 50 gay men, 50 heterosexual women, and 50 heterosexual men to describe “how I get [my partner] to do what I want”
What was found?
What are the 2 approaches?
Participants sometimes said they would EXPLICITLY ask for what they want and make UNAMBIGUOUS requests
(More satisfied relationships)
^^^ they would use INDIRECT approaches, hinting or pouting when wishes unfulfilled
(Less satisfied relationships)
Heterosexual men: more direct
Heterosexual women: more indirect/unilateral
2 approaches:
1. Unilateral:
- working by yourself for desired outcome
- Bilateral:
- work together with partner for desired outcome
True or false. Most individuals say they don’t want equality in their relationships
False
Most people want equality
BUT we are immersed in a culture which tends to assume MALE DOMINANCE and this can further perpetuate GENGER INEQUALITIES
What are the two faces of power?
(+) and (-) sides…(went over the negative reasons already)
When people have COMMUNAL orientations in their committed relationships
They tend to use their POWER for the BENEFIT of their partners/relationships instead of SELFISH DESIRES
What is violence?
Is intimate violence more common than we think?
Behaviour which is intended to do PHYSICAL HARM to others
Can range from minor (grabbing/pushing) —> severe (beatings/burnings)
——————————————————————————————-
Yes
1/4 women & 1/7 of men in North America encountered severe physical violence by a significant other
Around 30% women around the world have been assaulted by a partner
Domestic violence (~37%) most common in Africa, Middle East and South East Asia
What is situational couple violence (SCV)?
Stems from HEATED conflict which spirals out of control
Occurs when BOTH partners are angry = so it tends to be occasional, mild and mutual
***MEN & WOMEN ARE EQUALLY LIKELY TO DO THIS
What is intimate terrorism (IT)?
One partner uses VIOLENCE in order to CONTROL & OPPRESS the other
More likely to evolve over time
More likely to cause serious damage to a target
What are 5 kinds of intimate terrorism?
“___out of __” intimate terrorists are “_____”
Isolation (controlling where she girls, what she does)
Intimidation (threatening, destroying her property, abusing pets)
Economic abuse (taking her money, preventing employment)
Emotional abuse (humiliation, disregard, and blaming)
Minimizing (denying any abuse)
——————————————————————————————-
4 out of 5
What is violent resistance (VS)?
Partner FORCIBLY fights back against intimate terrorism
Occurs in some, but NOT all cases of IT
^^ it is the least common type of couple violence
Studies typically find that women direct just as “______” physical violence at their partners, and sometimes “_______”
Do men and women display different types of violent behaviour?
Much; more
————————————————————————————
Yes
Men are more likely to cause damage
Most severe injuries are suffered by women
What is the model used for situational couple violence?
I-cubed model
Influences of SVC:
- instigating triggers (cause one or both partners to be on edge)
**- impelling influences (make it more likely that partners will experience violent impulses, enduring personal/enviro characteristics)
**- inhibiting influences (encourage partners to refrain from acting on their impulses)
= *** related to these influences
**Distal : norms/cultural, background
**Disposition: personality traits, beliefs
**Relational: current state of a couples relationship
**Situational: immediate circumstances
True or false. Once IPV happens once, is it likely to happen again?
Yes
Around ~76% men were violent again within the 1st few months of marriage (if they were violent previously)
What are the 2 types of intimate terrorists?
Cycle of violence can easily be perpetuated in “_______” generations
- Those who resort to violence in a DESPERATE way to keep their partners from LEAVING
- Those who are ANTISOCIAL/NARCISSISTIC
———————————————————————————-
Future
What was said when Wood interviewed 22 men who were incarcerated who abused their female partners?
All felt their behaviour was LEGITIMATE response to DISRESPECT
All mentioned partner PROVOCATION as cause
Also felt entitled to DISCIPLINE them
Also stated they did LESS harm than they COULD of done
Only ~50% of these men interviewed showed regret/remorse
- they knew their actions were illegal, but didn’t believe they were wrong
True or false. Women are typically surprised when they experience intimate aggression
True
They typically have a hard time making SENSE of it (can sometimes blame themselves, or excuse their partners actions)
Sometimes stay quiet about it = due to shame
Victims suffer significant (-) psychological consequences
- depression
- low self-esteem
- don’t trust others as easily
- PTSD
Social costs of violence as well
- battered women tend to… miss work more, become homeless (if they decide to leave their home)
Why don’t they leave?
What was found in one study?
They don’t think their lives would be better if they left
^^ women are usually wrong about this
Financial expense
Leaving = might trigger greater violence
Some individuals don’t leave bc they don’t want to = high anxiety & high abandonment
More psychological abuse = stronger preference for abusive partner
————————————————————————————-
Followed battered women over 2.5 years…
- 43% left partners
- 23% remained w/ partners (but violence has STOPPED for at least a year)
- 33% still in abusive relationship
