Generalizations and Attitudes

Tim, my husband, came across this interesting news article on the 1943's Guide to Hiring Women(the pdf is much easier to read if enlarged), which was published for male supervisors. This is during World War II when men were off to fight and women filled in the workforce gaps. Some of the claims are interesting; for example, "Pick young married women...they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it..." This fallacy is intriguing because coming from the corporate world myself, I heard time and again that being married encouraged promotion because it showed responsibility and stability. Generalizations are slow to change.


This week, I met with more wonderful people this week to discuss portraits and listen to their stories. The consultation process can sometimes be a little emotional for both of us. During these meetings, I usually ask some detailed questions to understand the situation better. By no means are the inquiries meant to emotionally harm and they do not have to be answered if the person is feeling uncomfortable. Actually, sometimes it can be uncomfortable for me because I feel such compassion for the survivor that I can be at a loss for words or say something silly at times. So if I have an expression of paralysis from the neck up, now you know the reason.

I hear these stories and think how truth is stranger than fiction. After learning about the individuals, it's amazing how the public has dogmatic attitudes about victims of domestic violence. There are so many variables in each person's life that no history is the same; in fact, they are all quite unique from each other. I won't go into the stories here, but all will be available at the October show. One generalization I can make is that elevated outcomes are highly contrasted by the depths of suffering a victim has to endure. The human spirit may feel broken for a time, but eventually it drags us out of the bottom of the earth and pulls us up into the heavens--where we all could and should be.

The beauty of triumph over hardship is that people who have experienced it use their unique stories for education and become the angels for those who still suffer. Generalizations are slow to change, but they are a changing.



Here are some links on research about attitudes on domestic violence: Knowledge is power!
Attitudes of New Police Recruits Concerning Domestic Violence
University Students Attributing Blame in Domestic Violence
Awareness and Attitudes about Domestic Violence (Read pg 19 in Two Steps Forward, One Step Back...)