On the Importance of Feminist Theories: Gender, Race, Sexuality and IPV

Abstract

Feminist theory is a collection of feminist approaches that have provided important insights to understanding how power and violence operate in intimate partner relationships. Often credited with ending a husband’s right to abuse, second wave feminist theory upheld that women—specifically in (heterosexual) marriages—have the right not to be assaulted regardless of whether the perpetrator is their legal spouse. Recent advances in feminist theory—such as intersectionality, black feminist thought, poststructuralist feminist and queer theories—have sought to center the experiences of women of color and LGBT people. In doing so, they have shed light on the innerworkings of particular systems of oppression (namely racism, homophobia, and transphobia), increasing our knowledge of how power and violence are shaped, and how they shape intimate relationships. This chapter will trace a history of feminist theories from the second wave through black feminist thought to intersectionality and poststructuralist feminist theories to queer theory to illustrate their contributions to knowledge of IPV. Specifically, the chapter will explore how different feminist theories’ conceptions of power and identity enhance our understanding of intimate partner violence.