Domestic violence is regarded as a complex social issue since it does not only exist in some abnormal groups of people, or abused by a certain type of men, nor exposed by a particular type of women. Hence, the problem can occur in all-ages, social classes and occupational groups throughout the society. Domestic violence therefore reflects the unequal distribution of power in different aspects between men and women that still remains and is maintained in different ways in today’s society. On this basis, the aim of this study is to examine women’s narrative life stories about their experiences of domestic violence in their autobiographies. This study also aims to analyze how women construct domestic violence in autobiographies from beginning to end. With the use of autobiographies as empirical material I chose to take the qualitative narrative analysis as a method, and on the basis of a social constructivists perspective. I have chosen four autobiographies all written by women who have been subjected to domestic violence in Sweden. Results analysis is divided into different parts which follow how an abusive relationship begins, how it develops and how it ends. The results show that most women described domestic violence which begins as a romantic relationship that gradually transforms into a relationship of violence, and that ends with women managing to break up from men with help of the environment in order to survive. Through autobiographies can this domestic violence also be explained as a normalization process of violence which caused by men’s violence and women’s adaptation to it.

The aim of this study is to analyze how eight women, through autobiographies, describe their experiences of leaving a relationship with a violent male partner. Furthermore, the purpose was also to illustrate factors that kept women from leaving the relationship and factors that encouraged them to leave. The study is mainly based on a gender perspective. In order to create a deeper understanding for the process of women leaving violent men,we included two theories in the study. The two theories are Eva Lundgren’s (2004) theory of The Normalization Process of Violence and Holmberg och Enander’s (2010) theory of the Process of Leaving Violent Men. The result shows that mens violence against women in intimate partner relationships. The result shows that women from the autobiographies tended to get used to the violence coming from their men and considered it to be a part of the relationship. Furthermore, result shows that men’s control and power over women go hand in hand, which leads to women adapting to the violent relation.

Denna kvalitativa studie syftar att utifrån ett genusperspektiv undersöka hur tre kvinnor tagit sig ur nära relationer till våldsutövande män. Vidare undersöks de möjligheter och hinder som återfinns i processen samt hur uppbrottet kan förstås i relation till samhällets genusordning. Empirin består av tre våldsutsatta kvinnors självbiografier och har analyserats med hjälp av tematisk analys. Studiens teoretiska verktyg utgörs av Lundgrens (2004) teori om normaliseringsprocessen, Holmberg och Enanders (2011) teori om uppbrottsprocessen samt Hirdmans (2003) teori om genussystemet. Resultatet visar att kvinnors uppbrottsprocess präglas av ett starkt emotionellt band samt mannens växling mellan värme och våld. Dessa faktorer samt mannens makt- och kontrollstrategier bidrar till maktobalansen i relationen. För att återfå kontroll har kvinnorna olika anpassnings- och motståndsstrategier. Trots att detta i de flesta fall leder till gränsförskjutning och normalisering av våldet, påvisar det att kvinnorna inte är "passiva offer" som stereotypen av den våldsutsatta kvnnan lyder. Denna kvalitativa studie visar mäns våld mot kvinnor kopplat till genusperspektiv. Dock har vi funnit att detta perspektiv inte visar hur kvinnor inte är underordnade i alla lägen samt att dem på en individuell nivå utövar motstånd mot makt och förtryck. / This qualitative study aims to examine three women's processes of leaving relationships to violent men from a gender perspective. Furthermore, this study examines the possibilities and obstacles that may arise during the process, as well as how leaving a violent relationship can be understood in regard to society's gender system. The data consists of three autobiographies of women who are victims of domestic violence and analyzed using thematic analysis. The study's theoretical tools are provided by Lundgren's (2004) theory of the normalization process, Holmberg and Enander's (2011) theory of the leaving process and Hirdman's (2003) theory of the gender system. The results show that the leaving process features a strong emotional bond and the man's transition from love to violence. It is these factors that along with the man's power and control strategies that together contribute to the imbalance of power in the relationship. To regain control, women have different strategies of adaption and resistance. Although in most cases this leads to a shift of boundries and a normalization of the violence, it shows that women are not "passive victims" like the stereotypical abused woman. This qualitative study shows men's violence against women in relation to gender perspective. However, we have found that the theory does not provide a perspective that shows how women are not always subordinated and that on an individual level exert resistance against power and oppression.