title: Mobilising culture against domestic violence in migrant and ethnic communities: practitioner perspectives from Aotearoa/New Zealand.
abstract: Studies on domestic violence in ethnic minority communities highlight that social norms, family structures and cultural practices are among the key triggers of violence against women. Not surprisingly, most anti-violence interventions in these communities aim to redeem women from the oppressive features of these cultures. More recently, however, emergent scholarship advocates mobilising, rather than erasing, culture within existing anti-violence strategies. This paper explores the nature of culturally informed interventions used by front-line workers. It presents the findings of a small-scale qualitative study in Aotearoa/New Zealand, where around 13% of the population are currently deemed to be from minority ethnic communities. Interviews and one focus group were conducted with nine practitioners - including social workers, counsellors and the police - in Hamilton, Aotearoa in 2013-2014. Based on thematic analysis, the paper identifies two core strands: (a) the distinctive profile of ethnic violence and (b) the strategies that mobilise culture in anti-violence interventions. Specifically within the former strand, it was found that violence in the ethnic community was distinctive for the following reasons: the heightened sense of stigma surrounding disclosure and the consequent silence by women who suffer from it; the lack of trust in authority; and the fear of conventional safety plans necessitating longer time periods for rapport-building. Among the strategies that mobilise culture, the study found that practitioners used a family approach; engaged men in their interventions, at times reinforcing gendered roles; utilised micro-interventions; and deployed cultural tropes, especially around spirituality, as a strategy. The conclusion points to the gap between interventions that challenge and mobilise cultures. While anecdotally, the latter are perceived to be relevant and effective in anti-violence interventions, there is need for a fuller assessment and better codification of these strategies within the training of practitioners who work in these communities.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4866-5226
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simon-Kumar
authors.affiliation: The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Priya A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kurian
authors.affiliation: The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Young-Silcock
authors.affiliation: Older Persons and Rehabilitation, Child Development Centre, Rural and Community Services, Waikato District Health Board, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nirmala
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narasimhan
mesh_terms: D054521:Cultural Competency; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005195:Family Relations / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D016495:Police / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D057545:Social Stigma; D000068217:Social Workers / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D035502:Trust
keywords: Aotearoa/New Zealand; anti-violence intervention; culture; domestic violence; ethnic communities; migrant women