Exploring the Dark Horses of Power within Family Settings: Patriarchy at The Hands of Woman Shaping Domestic Violence Against Woman

Abstract

Patriarchy is a social structure that favours male domination in the family. A set of social relations based on the hierarchical structure creates a sense of dependency and subjugation among women. The current research aimed to explore the characters within the family settings that are not only the facilitators but also works as a support to Domestic Violence that facilitates the patriarchal form to sustain that keeps the power nexus in the hands of male intact. The universe was confined to district Rawalpindi with a population comprised of married men and women and their mothers. Twenty women for interviews and 13 respondents (male and mothers-in-law) for 2 FGDs were identified through purposive sampling. The present research employed an inductive approach of thematic analysis. The researchers identified that domestic Violence was prevailing in its different forms through data analysis, where physical and psychological Violence were the most prevalent forms. It was also analysed that the mother-in-law of a female was the basis to help sustain Patriarchy. It was also seen that the women's socialization and resocialization at her family level through the mother of woman also helps to sustain Patriarchy and the power in the hand of male of society. The current research concluded that women play an important role in the inculcation of Patriarchy in the family to preserve their authority and control over other women.