Power, Process, Plumbing: Big G and Small g Gender in Victoria's Family Violence Policy Subsystem

Abstract

In this article, I introduce the framework of 'big G' (categorical) and 'small g' (process) gender to explore the varied ways in which actors in Victoria's family violence policy subsystem talk about and understand gender. I explain why such varied definitions of gender pose a problem for domestic and family violence (DFV) advocates, and how big G definitions might be associated with reluctance to accept gendered explanations for DFV. Conversely, I show how small g definitions (coupled with an analysis of power in relationships) can help us appreciate the way gender influences a variety of forms of DFV, and thus understand how to address the problem. Lastly, I use examples from interviews with policy actors to connect participants' understanding of gender with their attitudes to the role of gender in DFV, and discuss the practical and theoretical implications of my research for feminist DFV advocates and policymakers.

What can policymakers learn from feminist strategies to combine contextualised evidence with advocacy?

“…Whilst all violence is wrong, regardless of the sex of the perpetrator, there are distinct gendered patterns in the perpetration and impact of violence. Work by critical feminists, practitioners, and men and masculinities scholars has shown that there may be similarities between male and female perpetrated violence, but they are not the same, because the causes, dynamics and outcomes of violence against women are different from those of violence against men (Yates, 2018;Read-Hamilton, 2014;Kelly, 2000). For example, men may fear and suffer violence from predominantly other men and some individual women, whereas women tend to face more widespread violence, both individually and structurally (Kelly, 2000;Kilmartin and Allison, 2007).…”

From aims to actions: A critical analysis of government intervention in cultural drivers of domestic and family violence

“…While it is crucial to engage men in efforts to improve gender equality and prevent violence, it is equally important that we do so in a way that considers men's social dominance and the significant social power that they often hold compared to women (Abraham & Tastsoglou, 2016; Flood, 2003, 2015b; Yates, 2018). We must also consider the implications of this power differential for the potential outcomes of the Strategy.…”

Striving for Gender Equality: Representations of Gender in “Progressive” Domestic Violence Policy

“…Another important issue with gendered approaches to domestic violence is that different social actors understand and conceptualize gender differently (Yates, 2018). This point is well-argued by Yates (2018), who differentiates between what she calls big G and small g understandings of gender. Big G understandings tend to view gender as a fixed category that is strongly tied to sex.…”

“…Small g understandings also acknowledge the broader social structures and power relationships that contribute to gender constructions. Yates (2018) argues that big G understandings of gender often form the foundation of approaches that ignore the gendered nature of domestic violence. Or, where such approaches do acknowledge that males are the predominant perpetrators, big G understandings make it difficult to understand the social processes involved in facilitating men’s use of violence.…”