In the article written by Patricia Hill Collins I thought that it was very interesting how she talked about the correlation between the ideas of family values and the abuse of women and children. For very long time violence against women in the home or wife battering was not viewed as a crime. This was because the man was the head of the house who brought home the money and therefore the woman of the house needed to be submissive and not act - out towards her husband. In her article Hill- Collins suggest that in order to maintain a situation which has a hierarchy in place sometimes violence or force may be used. When thinking about terms like, what happens in the family stays in the family, or , don't talk about our family business to other people, many times this revolves around some kind of harm that is happening within the family. The U.S. has enforced this idea of family values which has limited many women and children from being able to make claims against their family members for things like abuse.
Another interesting point that Hill-Collins makes is the idea that within certain communities going against the family is equivalent to going against your own race. Many women of color who are being abused by men of the same race, particularly African American women, find it very difficult to call the police on their husbands or boyfriends for fear of racism and the potential for their abusive partner to also be abused by the police.
I think it is very interesting how Collins brings up this correlation between family values and the abuse of women and children. I definitely agree that in the past it was not considered a crime and it was almost accepted as a norm in society. I do not agree with the fact that today is still the same way. I feel more women and children are standing up to their abusers and not letting them get away with it. Also, more and more people are open to listen and help these women and children get help. It will always be a problem and not every situation/case will be handled correctly but I do not think the US should reinforce this type of behavior just because it enforces family values.
Commenting on your second point, I believe for some people it is very difficult for them to turn in their loved one because they feel the loved ones themselves may be discriminated also due to race. This shouldn’t be an issue but sadly it is. Even though racism has declined over the years, it is still a very large problem in the world. We shouldn’t have to worry about things like that when we confront a policeman but there are situations and people out there that do take advantage of their “power” and use it against people, specifically dealing with race.
@Tara and Monique: good point about some individuals being afraid to call the police for fear of racism/abuse. We will directly address this problem in relation to feminism and anti-rape laws in our section on the Prison Industrial Complex.
Collins writes on page 6 in the article that there are "multiple meanings attached to the concept of 'home'" and "'homes' provide spaces of privacy and security for families, races, and nation states, they serve as sanctuaries for group member. Surrounded by individuals who seemingly have similar objectives, these homes represent idealized, privatized spaces where members can feel at ease."
Tara, I think that this socially accepted definition of the word home is something that you directly disagree with. A large part of why domestic abuse is an issue that has not been dealt with much by the public sphere is because of the fact that the home is something that is thought of as innately private. To pry and uncover the dark secrets of what goes on in the private sphere is an invasion of privacy and inhibits "freedoms," and thus is wrong, no matter the consequences of human suffering. It's interesting to juxtapose the government's willingness to break the public/private dichotomy in order to look for potential subversive actions, but not to end child abuse or spousal abuse, which occurs, I should believe, a great deal more often than terrorism plots.
In the María de los Angeles Jiménez speech, she also makes reference to the abuse of women in the family and society. As more women have become activists in Mexico, the abuse of women has increased in the family and society as well. I think it goes along with what you and Hill mentioned about men feeling threatened, and the need to uphold the hierarchy within these structures. Because of this, violence against women has occurred. I think the point about going against your own race connects with these Mexican women as well. Mexican feminism activists are viewed by some Mexican men as traitors, who are abandoning the family, and brainwashed by white ideology. This causes tension between men and women in the family and can result in abuse in an attempt by the man to reinstate his power.
Yes, it is interesting. I am confusing in your sentence that "The U.S. has enforced this idea of family values which has limited many women and children from being able to make claims against their family members for things like abuse.". I think that women and children in the US are free from family abuse because they can ask for help when they are being abuse.
I personally don't like the men who abuse their wives. The author did a good job in her article. I think that there are certain circumstances that the wives abuse happen. Like the author said "the man was the head of the house who brought home the money and therefore the woman of the house needed to be submissive and not act - out towards her husband". The other things that lead the family value and wives abuse are the husbands are alcoholism or they thought that their wives are cheating them. (Women in marriage have another relationship like bf).
There are many wives abuse cases happened in our Burmese community,
many of the case happened due to wives cheat on their husband and the husbands choose to solve the problems by beating them.
I am curious as why you think the "U.S." enforces the secrecy of families. Usually secrecy comes from shame or embarrassment of behavior that is perceived as unacceptable by society. So I would think, if your going to "blame" the U.S. for anything, it seems to me that it would be society's social norms in the family which conflicts with the oppressive behavior that seems to correlate with secrecy in families which produces guilt and shame in the individual who expresses them. It becomes so easy to blame this or blame that these days. Imagine what it would be like if people actually took responsibility for their own actions.
Privacy of the home, to many Americans, is the most fundamental right that we can have. There are countless court cases every year that reinforce that the home is something sacred and not to be intruded upon by the government. The idea of “family-values” in America only portrays the hetero-normative idea of a family (Husband, wife, 2.2 kids and maybe a dog). This wholesome image is often presented on campaign trails and perpetuates hierarchal systems of patriarchy. By creating a “normal” picture of a family, gender oppression occurs. As Tara points out in her post, these preconceived norms are used to justify abuse or sexual assault within a family as normal; it was not until the 1970s that marital rape was outlawed. There is something so engrained within us that the privacy of the home is never to be questioned. Certainly, now in society these acts of violence and sexual abuse are outlawed and women and children have the right to report these crimes, but it not always that simple. Advances in law are only a first step, to further eradicate domestic abuse and sexual assault; the preconceived societal norms must be combated and eradicated as well. Without education and empowerment these laws are ineffective. Privacy is certainly an important right, which complicates the issue, but it is essential that the aspect of privacy that protects abuse is deconstructed.
I like how Tara related family value with sexism and racism. I guess all of these are related to each other and these are big issues around us. Patricia Hill Collins' article shows importance of the family value and the abuse of women and children. These are problematic issues and sad to know at the same time. Especially the part you wrote, "Many women of color who are being abused by men of the same race, particularly African American women, find it very difficult to call the police on their husbands or boyfriends for fear of racism and the potential for their abusive partner to also be abused by the police." is a pretty sad fact.