Women and Gendered Violence in Canada

Violence against women is conventionally framed as interpersonal violence perpetrated by men. While intimate partner violence and sexual assault are significant social problems, such a narrow framing obscures the diversity of women’s experiences, fails to illuminate the role social structures play, and excludes discussions of workplace, state, institutional, and symbolic violence. By drawing on a range of theoretical traditions emerging from feminism, criminology, and sociology, Women and Gendered Violence in Canada significantly broadens the conversation on violence against women.

Social scientists Chris Bruckert and Tuulia Law begin by developing the conceptual and contextual framework underpinning gendered violence followed by an examination of its various manifestations: interpersonal, workplace, and structural. Each chapter puts historical context in conversation with current social issues, attends to the diversity of women’s experiences, and critically considers normative social and carceral "solutions," while highlighting women’s resistance. First person narratives are integrated throughout to personalize the material and issues being examined, and each chapter ends with a suggested activity to facilitate further engagement.

This thoroughly updated second edition of Women and Gendered Violence in Canada considers recent shifts and changes in Canadian society, discourses, and laws.