Researching the Gendered Silences of Violence in El Salvador
Abstract
All research on violence is informed by silences. In practical terms, an immediate reading of silence
may be that it presents an obstacle for the researcher who is dependent on people who are willing to speak
out. Another interpretation of silence is that its presence is central to what we know about violence. Silence
and the invisibility of gender in mainstream analyses of violence are closely connected. This article reflects on research in El Salvador, arguing that a critical analysis of violence should directly confront the effects of
silence and silencing, particularly as they concern violence against women, which is often separated from ‘real’ violence. It discusses the excuses and localised rationales that work to silence women’s experiences of abuse.
Citation
Hume, M. (2009) Researching the Gendered Silences of Violence in El Salvador, IDS Bulletin 40.3, Brighton: IDSDOI
10.19088/1968-2018.123Is part of series
IDS Bulletin;49.1ARights holder
Institute of Development StudiesCollections
- Volume 49. Issue 1A [15]