Analyzing Sociologically a Significant Event or Experience: Domestic Violence

Topic: Domestic Violence
Student’s Name:
Name of Institution:
Due Date:
In life situations, we face several problems that affect us in different ways. However, if we need to survive, first we need to understand what these problems entail so that to learn how to cope with them. Domestic violence is one of such difficulties we face in life. Domestic violence in families was seen in earlier societies, which gave the patriarch (father) of the family the right to utilize physical force to punish women and children of the family. By applying sensibilities which constitute the sociological imagination that include critical, cultural, and historical sensibilities, the society can start to comprehend the radical changes in how the society thinks we should behave towards each other particularly in the family unit based on acceptable social norms and societies expectations. I chose to analyze the topic of domestic violence because I experienced a case in which a nearby family was affected by such patriarchal attitude.
Domestic violence can be examined using the concept of Mills’ sociological imagination to enables us to understand biography and history and the connection between the two in the society. Mills’ concept of sociological imagination is the capacity to see the connection between biography and history and to shift point of views from the sociopolitical perspectives to the psychological perspectives. In other words, Mills demonstrates the connection between public issues and personal troubles by identifying a personal issue and relating it to the social structure (Mills 4). Domestic violence has been a private issue in the family for several years in the past and was never talked publicly in the society. Domestic violence was commonly considered in the past as a personal trouble, a private issue between couples. Only recently has domestic violence started to be seen as a public issue.
Domestic violence can be defined as a behavior that someone uses in a human relationship to control another person (Cornell and Hartmann 2). This is not only a personal issue but also a national and global problem. A UNICEF research study (2000) shows that 50% of female populations across the world have being victimized as a result of domestic violence. Just in U.S alone, four lives are claimed daily due to domestic violence.
Anybody can be victimized, be it of any sex, age, culture, marital status, religion, culture, sexual orientation, race, employment, or education (Cornell and Hartmann 10). Nevertheless, women are more likely to be victimized than men. Those who perpetrate such violence do not have ordinary manifestation since abuser can be a friendly and loving person towards his or her partner or family. Abusers typically have low self-esteem and becoming accountable of their actions is something they do not like to take. Abuse can be psychological, emotional, physical, and sexual. Typically, the abusers are individuals who like being in control of others. This is a kind of control, which is normally a behavior that is learned as a way of obtaining what they need.
In homes where domestic violence occurs, children typically end up being neglected or abused. These are settings where children learn behaviors ...