1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The aim [of this study is] to explore the intersections of gender, ‘race’/ethnic group, and sexual orientation and their impact upon the experience of violence.» (p. i)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«This study is expected to provide some answers to the following questions: What are the experiences of same sex domestic violence among lesbians from ‘ethno-racial’ communities? How do gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity/‘race’ influence the ways that lesbians conceptualize and perceive abuse? And how does this multiplicity of oppressions impact upon access to services?» (p. 60)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
L’étude est basée sur la participation de quatre femmes lesbiennes (une victime de violence domestique, une femme ayant commis une agression envers sa partenaire et deux travailleuses sociales) et d’une femme hétérosexuelle à l’emploi dans un refuge pour femme.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«Despite increasing knowledge about the prevalence of abuse against women, knowledge about domestic violence is limited mostly to the analysis of the dynamics of violence in heterosexual partnerships. This means that little is known about the experiences and realities of same sex domestic violence among lesbian women. Although same sex domestic violence is not a new problem, initiatives to examine the dimensions of this problem inside and outside gay and lesbian communities are recent (Renzetti, 1997).» (p. 1) «The accounts of the participants demonstrated that converging identities and experiences of oppression, such as homophobia, heterosexism, sexism and racism, affect the nature of same sex domestic violence and negatively impact upon the conceptualization of the experience of violence. The attitudes of social workers and other professionals are also identified as being a significant barrier to the help seeking strategies of both experiencers and aggressors.» (p. i)