This research attempted to gain insight into the perspectives of Orthodox, Jewish women
regarding the abuse of women in heterosexual relationships, in their community. Feminist
theory and social constructionism were utilised in order to facilitate in greater insight into the
roles of women in Judaism and the manner in which Jewish doctrine and ideology influences
women who are abused by their husbands. The research focused on specific principles that
are intrinsic to Jewish faith and identity. It also explored Jewish persecution and its influence
on the formation and perpetuation of many of the Jewish customs and traditions as a means of
preserving or upholding Jewish faith. The sample comprised of nine women who fell within
an age range of 25-35 years. Jewish women from Orthodox backgrounds were utilised. A
qualitative paradigm was applied in order to gain access to information thereby ensuring that
the content obtained was of a more personal nature involving the private perceptions of this
study’s participants. The following themes were identified from the data and formed the basis
upon which the analysis and discussion took place. The themes include: Jewish men treat
women according to what men are taught, marriage precipitates acknowledgement of women
and the Jewish community is not immune to social ills. The results of the research support the
argument that Jewish religious and cultural values appear to influence women’s choices in
abusive relationships. Furthermore, the roles that women typically assume in Jewish society
seemingly perpetuate existing gender stereotypes in relation to women.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/11253 |
| Date | 07 February 2012 |
| Creators | Serebro, Kim Lindy |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
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