Narratives of scholars in the field of intimate partner violence

Abstract

Historically, divisions have existed in the field of Intimate Partner Violence, with intense and sometimes acerbic debate ensuing in the literature between scholars affiliated with a "feminist" perspective and those affiliated with a "family conflict" perspective. New scholars just entering the field lack a historical understanding of how these divisions came to be, what are the core questions at the heart of the divide and how have leaders in the field navigated these questions along their own professional journeys? This dissertation is an effort to document from a first person perspective an extensive review of the scholarly literature related to these divisions and a narrative inquiry and analysis of how six leading scholars in the field, affiliated with both perspectives describe their journey.