Abstract
This article explores the self-positioning of Indian social workers who work with female survivors of domestic violence (DV). We know from previous research about the experiences of persons who have encountered DV, but more studies on the point of view of the professionals is needed. Relying on positioning theory and discursive analysis as a framework, we analyzed interviews (N = 18) concerning the practices, emotions, and attitudes of social workers. Positioning theory enables scholars to approach the situation of encountering a survivor as a social event, which consists of the meaning-making activities of social workers. Professionals self-position themselves as one or a combination of the following: (a) a challenger of gendered oppression, (b) an advocator of women’s rights, (c) a facilitator of women’s empowerment, and/or (d) a self-reflector of personal emotions and attitudes. The findings suggest that the event of DV intervention is a discursive and contextually situated moral practice in which the distribution of rights and duties to say and do things is of particular interest. The act of self-positioning is constructed in relation to sociocultural settings. Social workers may take several positions during the meetings with survivors. Positions build our understanding of how social workers in violence-specific units make sense of DV, illustrating how the act of self-positioning may also define to the position of the survivor. Social workers experienced boundaries, and possibilities in responding to DV were explored. The study reveals that barriers should be addressed at a wider level by funders and policy makers to enhance the continuity of work and the implementation of women rights legislation in India.
Highlights
This article addresses the insights that are gleaned from Indian social workers who work with female survivors of domestic violence (DV), emphasizing workers’ views on how they position themselves as professionals when responding to cases of DV
By utilizing positioning theory (Harre & Van Langenhove, 1999), our study approaches this sense-making process by focusing on the following question: How do Indian social workers position themselves as they make sense of their role and their rights and duties when working with survivors of DV? Only a few studies in social work research have applied positioning theory when researching sensitive topics, and none have explored the self-positioning of Indian social workers in the context of DV
This study approached the question of how Indian social workers made sense of DV by investigating their self-positioning, including their emotions, attitudes, and practices in relation to their rights and duties
Summary
This article addresses the insights that are gleaned from Indian social workers who work with female survivors of domestic violence (DV), emphasizing workers’ views on how they position themselves as professionals when responding to cases of DV. By utilizing positioning theory (Harre & Van Langenhove, 1999), our study approaches this sense-making process by focusing on the following question: How do Indian social workers position themselves as they make sense of their role and their rights and duties when working with survivors of DV? The story line of a professional social worker might be constructed in relation to institutional (governmental and nongovernmental) and legal (authorized position) moral orders. We assume that by analyzing the practices, emotions, and attitudes toward DV work as discussed by Indian social workers, it will be possible to provide valuable country-specific information on their rights and duties and to highlight the global nature of their work with survivors
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