Diane Rosenfeld will be holding Office Hours today, Thursday, between 5 and 6 pm EST. Click here during that hour to participate!

The Language of Violence: An Introduction.

In our first module, we offer an overview of the problem of violence against women. What makes violence against women different from other types of violence? Why single it out for special attention? What are the political and practical implications of male violence against women? What effect does violence against women in general have on the individual lives of women?

Before examining the first case studies of the course, please read the background materials in the following subject areas:

(NOTE: These readings are required for Group A participants)

• Historically, husbands had the legal right to beat their wives, as their wives were considered their property. English Statutes of Chastisement expressly authorized a husband to administer corporal punishment to his wife. The readings concerning the history of violence against women provide context for studying the evolution of laws concerning domestic violence.
• This historical backdrop illustrates the legal system's -- indeed society's -- toleration of violence against women. While the legal support for 'chastising' one's wife no longer exists, evidence of the entitlement system left over from this legal regime is apparent from the staggering amount of violence against women. See readings concerning the scope of the problem.
• The women's movement of the 1970's inspired significant legal reforms. Women's roles as activists, scholars, and lawyers produced unprecedented legislative and political changes expanding women's rights. The development of feminist legal theory emerged as a critical tool with which to analyze the gendered dimensions of law and increase law's ability to recognize women's lives. For an overview, see feminist legal theory.

After reading the background materials, please continue to the case studies page. Following the case studies, you will be directed to a series of required and optional readings, discussion questions, and a site bibliography.

The creators of this module will lead discussion of the case studies. They are:

• Diane Rosenfeld, Fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at The Harvard Law School
• Rebecca Hulse, Teaching Fellow
• Joanna Helferich, Teaching Fellow
• Taryn Fielder, Teaching Fellow

If you have any technical questions or experience any technical difficulties, please email Melissa Baily, Head Teaching Fellow, at mbaily@cyber.law.harvard.edu.