Socio-Cultural Dynamics Influencing Domestic Violence in Nyeri County, Kenya

Abstract

For many years, domestic violence has been stereotyped as violence against women and girls, with men as perpetrators. However, in recent times, men have also become victims. Domestic violence is a violation of human rights and should not be condoned. Nyeri County has experienced tremendous development and, therefore, changes in terms of education, occupation, and economic activities, making it one of the richest counties in Kenya. With these changes in society, there is a high level of education, strong cultural adjustments, and economic endowment, and the expectation is that there should be harmony in the homes. On the contrary, as researchers and the media have documented, there is a lot of domestic violence. Therefore, this study is intended to answer the question "why" by interrogating the influence of socio-cultural dynamics on this domestic violence. This paper presents a discussion of the results of the objective, which was to investigate the nexus between socio-cultural dynamics and domestic violence in Nyeri County. The study used descriptive and evaluative research designs. The following respondents were sampled to participate in the study: 384 household heads, 12 assistant chiefs, 15 police officers, 30 religious leaders, 12 NGOs/CBOs, 3 sub-county administrators, and 20 village elders. The primary methods of data collection were interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic narrations, and findings were presented using narrations and descriptions. The study show that the main socio-cultural factors that influence domestic violence are chauvinism, gender role exchange, alcoholism, and the MAU impact. The study recommends that there should be sensitization in the study area to help people utilize the positive changes in society, such as high education levels, to make a harmonious society instead of using it to fight among spouses.