Cultural Factors in the Treatment of Battered Women With Privilege

Abstract

The field of social work pathologizes marginalized cultures by neglecting to explicitly identify cultural factors in the lives of women with systemic privilege due to race, class, and sexual orientation. This article discusses the importance of examining privilege as a strategy for advancing cultural competency in the treatment of battered women. Cultural factors in the lives of White European-American, middle-class, heterosexual women in intimate partnerships with men who share their privileges, referred to as “dominant culture women,” are explored. Additional scholarship which identifies cultural factors placing this population at risk is needed to advance cultural competency in domestic violence interventions.