Constructions of Honor-Based Violence: Gender, Context and Orientalism

South Asian Albertan Men’s Understandings of Spousal Violence

“…Therefore, insults of their character and behavior may make them very emotionally vulnerable, as they may anticipate becoming victims of honor crimes. It is surprising that the men in this study did not identify honor crimes in their descriptions of abuse, despite the prevalence of these crimes in the South Asian diaspora (Mayeda et al, 2018; Verma et al, 2017; Young & Hassan, 2016). Only two previous studies investigating spousal violence in South Asian communities, both of which focused on the perspectives of female victims, have identified husbands having affairs (Abraham, 1998) and substance abuse (Hyman et al, 2011) as problems within their abusive marriages.…”

“…They are expected to consult with other family members in making major life decisions, and to consider the honor of the family in living their daily lives, with the honor of the entire family resting on women’s performance of their traditional roles (Segal, 1999; Zaidi et al, 2014). The positioning of women as the holders of family honor can give rise to unique forms of abuse, such as honor crimes (e.g., battering, burning, sexual assault, or murder) due to the perception that women’s nontraditional behavior has tainted their family’s reputation (Gill, 2004; Mayeda et al, 2018).…”