AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH TO LATINO ANTI-VIOLENCE ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

Men’s perspectives on nonviolence is a relatively rare topic of feminist research. This article examines Latinos’ pathways to a commitment to nonviolent masculinities within intimate relationships. Examining literature on nonviolence and drawing on interviews with six Latinos the article uses a feminist ecological approach to identify and examine contributing factors to “emergent masculinities” characterized by a commitment to nonviolence in intimate relationships. It examines experiences of marginalization, exposure to domestic violence, and the influence of a close woman mentor as factors that contribute to a commitment to nonviolence. It also critiques the common equation of the absence of physical violence with nonviolence as it examines how even among self-identified nonviolent men it is possible to identify some forms of violence against intimate partners.