Research

WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Iloilo City
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THE RISE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS AND SOCIAL UNDERTAKINGS: THE EXPERIENCES
OF BATTERED WOMEN.
An undergraduate Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences
La Paz, Iloilo City
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Arts
(Political Science)
Research by:
Jameil B. Delos Reyes
Christine Joy T. Viray
Submitted to:
Ms. Mary Ann Dela Vega, Ph. D
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Abstract
This narrative study aimed to explore the experiences of battered women and
how they rise and re-established in participating and contributing to politics and
different social institutions and movements which helped them overcome those
experiences they had encountered from their partners and husbands. These women had
suffered a lot of tensions and downfall
The participants were all women, and are active in politics including in social movements
during the time that the interview was conducted. A total of five (5) participants were
interviewed. The main source of gathering data is through an interview and researchers
had presented an inform consent before the interview before the interview was started.
The interviews were audio recorded and was through a narrative analysis. The gathered
data has undergone into coding to reduce the information
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Approval Sheet
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Table of Contents
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

Background of the Study
Epistemological and Theoretical perspective
Statement of the Problem
Significance of the Study
Definition of Terms
Subjectivity of the Statement
Scope and Limitations of the Study
2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Individualist Approaches
Feminist Theory and Domestic Violence
Battered Women Syndrome/Learned Helplessness
‘Women Blaming’ explanations
Familial/Systems Approaches
3. METHODOLOGY
Aim of Research
Research Design
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Conclusion
Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Data Analysis, Discussion of the findings of the qualitative research
Chapter 5
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Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusion, Recommendation
THE RISE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS AND SOCIAL UNDERTAKINGS: THE EXPERIENCES
OF BATTERED WOMEN
Jameil B. De los Reyes
Christine Joy T. Viray
˻ Chapter 1
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Introduction to the Study
Chapter 1 includes five parts: (1) Background of the Study, (2) Epistemology and
Theoretical Perspective, (3) Statement of the problem, (4) Significance of the Study, (5)
Definition of Terms, (6) Scope and Limitations of the Study.
Part One, Background of the Study gives the over view and the reasons of the
choice of the problem.
Part Two, Epistemology and Theoretical Perspective this action portrays the kind
of knowledge that can be created through this research and a brief discussion of
the theory that is used in this study.
Part Three, Statement of the Problem, presents the problems formulated by the
researchers leading to the purpose of the study.
Part Four, Significance of the Study, enumerates the benefits that may be
derived from the findings of the study.
Part Five, Definition of Terms, defines important terms that will be used in this
study.
Part Six, Scope and Limitations of the Study, specifies the scope and coverage of
the study.
Background of the Study
As a survey done by National Demographic and Health Survey in 2013, 1 out of 5
Filipino women has experienced physical abuse/violence since at the age of 15, and 8%
of every married woman experienced domestic violence within the first two years of
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marriage. Physical abuse/violence concentrates on the unwanted contact or violation of
the body of the female or any other human being. It is any use of psychological,
physical or sexual force, actual or threatened, in an intimate relationship. Intimate
relationships include a current or former spouse, and an intimate, or dating partner.
Violence is used to intimidate, humiliate or frighten victims, or to make them feel
powerless. Abuse against women occurs in families of all socioeconomic, educational
and cultural backgrounds and is found in both rural and urban settings. Women in
lesbian relationships can also be at risk for abuse.
The abuse may be a single act, but most often it occurs in a context where there is
a pattern of assaultive and controlling behavior. There may be a number of acts which
appear minor when viewed in isolation, but collectively form a pattern that amounts to
abuse. Typically, abuse escalates in frequency and/or severity. Once an abuser uses
physical violence, they are likely to intensify their assaults and increase the woman’s risk
of harm and serious life-threatening injury.
No one form of abuse is worse than the others. Non-physical forms of abuse are as
harmful to women as physical abuse. Tactics of control may appear gradually as
coercive behaviors that are not be criminal in nature. This subtle process makes it very
difficult for the woman, as well as friends, family or professionals to recognize it as
abuse. Many women identify the emotional and psychological consequences of abuse as
more damaging than the physical assaults. While emotional abuse can occur in the
absence of physical abuse, the two often occur together.
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Battered women are often from homes where they are taught to be compliant
and not voice their concerns, they just allow their partners to abuse them, leading them
to be the victim of the abusive behaviors of their partners. In some cases, men who
have been in homes where wife battering occurred as children, are more likely to grow
up into wife batterers themselves (Cameron, 1985).
The Philippine government had enacted legislations to promote and protect the women’s
rights specifically; RA 9262 “The Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of
2004”. R.A. 9262 is a special law that defines acts of violence against women and their
children or “VAWC, It refers to “any act or a series of acts committed by any person
against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the
person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child,
or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate, within or without the family
abode, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or
suffering, or economic abuse including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion,
harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.
It includes, but is not limited to, the following acts: Physical violence refers to acts that
include bodily or physical harm; Sexual violence refers to an act which is sexual in
nature, committed against a woman or her child. It includes but is not limited to: (1)
Rape, sexual harassment, acts of lasciviousness, treating a woman or her child as a sex
object, making demeaning and sexually suggestive remarks, physically attacking the
sexual parts of the victim’s body, forcing her/him to watch obscene publications and
indecent shows or forcing the woman or her child to do indecent acts and/or make films
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thereof, forcing the wife and mistress/lover to live in the conjugal home or sleep
together in the same room with the abuser; (2) Acts, causing or attempting to cause the
victim to engage in any sexual activity by force, threat of force, physical or other harm
or threat of physical or other harm or coercion; (3) Prostituting the woman or her child.
Psychological violence refers to acts or omissions causing or likely to cause mental or
emotional suffering of the victim such as but not limited to intimidation, harassment,
stalking, damage to property, public ridicule or humiliation, repeated verbal abuse and
marital infidelity. It includes causing or allowing the victim to witness the physical,
sexual or psychological abuse of a member of the family to which the victim belongs, or
to witness pornography in any form or to witness abusive injury to pets or to unlawful or
unwanted deprivation of the right to custody and/or visitation of common children.
(ACCRALAW, 2014), penalizes such acts; and provides protective measures and
remedies. Brought about by the undeniable need for a law to protect women and
children from domestic violence, and supported by the advocacy of concerned women’s
groups, Congress enacted the said law, with the aim of giving women more than a
fighting chance in seeking redress in a legal system that was still replete with the
patriarchal influence of the past.
Women battering is a huge problem in the Philippines with millions of cases of
battering occurring yearly, there are some cases of wife battering and some includes
women who are not married but lives with their partner. As woman battering is an
organic behavior, there is no direct cause. It's important to understand this, as victims
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often blame themselves for being battered when it is never their fault – no matter what
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the batterer or abuser says. Men are traditionally labeled as leaders and providers, while
women are seen as nurturers and supporters, Women were seen as weak individuals
rather than an independent woman in a society. They are often labeled as someone who
should be at the house, taking care of the kids, doing household chores and taking good
care of the house. Reports regarding abused are bulging on the news and victims were
woman who are subject to torture, cruelty and other abusive behaviors acted against
woman. The home which is supposed to be women’s protection against any danger had
not served its purpose since the abused starts from their homes. Physical abused had
made women to decide to leave their respected houses. These women make a stand for
themselves and together they also participate in consciousness raising and mutual
support groups to educate and inform the community about the problem.
Epistemological and Theoretical Perspectives of the Study
Constructivism as a paradigm or worldview posits that learning is an active,
constructive process. The learner is an information constructor. People actively construct
or create their own subjective representations of objective reality. New information is
linked to prior knowledge; thus mental representations are subjective (Ertmer, P. A., &
Newby, T. J. (1993). According to Crotty, 1998, that the essence of constructionism it is
the truth or meaning that comes into existence in and out of one’s engagement with the
realties in the world. This implies that the social world has no meaning without one’s
prior experience. Knowledge, information and its meanings on society are not created
but extracted from one’s narration of involvement. Details regarding the affairs and
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happening in the society should be obtained from the one that has the direct
participation to the situation.
In this study Constructivism is used by the researchers to collect information and to
create various representations on the experiences of battered women in politics and in
social groups. The researchers have used this approach in understanding the goal of this
research. Since the topic is about the experiences of battered women and their active
participation in politics and in social undertakings, the participants of this study are
battered women that actively shares their personal experiences. This study also ought to
know their perceptions, feelings and their coping mechanisms on how they overcome
the struggles they had and when was the time that they decided to enter into politics
and in social undertakings.
Interpretivism corresponds to the claim of constructivism, the goal of interpretivist
research is to understand and interpret the meanings in human behaviour rather than to
generalize and predict causes and effects (Neuman, 2000; Hudson and Ozanne, 1988).
In which researchers make an interpretation in what they see, hear and understand
(Creswell, 2009), Interpretivism corresponds to claim of constructionism. In order to
extract the knowledge from one’s experience, interpretation of the narration of the
series of endeavors is needed. Interpretation, explanation and elucidation of the
information collected from the statement of the participants are the focus of this
theoretical perspective. The comprehensions of the transcripts are vital in order to
extracts the ideas that the information suggests. As pointed by Crossman, A. (2008),
˻ this theoretical Perspective underlies the question we ask and the kinds of answers that
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arrive at as a result and supported by Crotty, 1998, it relates to the underlying
philosophical assumption about the researchers’ view of the human world and the social
life within that world. The interpretation of the information given by the participants is
important in order to reveal the occurrences that they experienced. Therefore, the
researchers are required to extricate the essence of the participants’’ statements using
their personal insights and the way they understand its meanings.
In this study, the researchers used Interpretivism, to interpret the answers or
responses of the participants regarding on their experiences in violence or battering
from their partners and husbands, and the physical violence they encountered which
lead them to voice out their rights in joining in different women’s movement and
continue their advocacies as an empowered women of the community.
In order to comprehensively understand the depiction and interpretation of the
experiences of battered women and their participation in politics and in social
undertakings, feminist theories were cited in order to strengthen the claim of this study.
The feminist theories would help to portray a clear view on women politicians’ account
and the proof that their situation exists in the society. The purpose of the feminist
theories is to reveal the reason behind the experiences of the battered women and the
effects that they encountered.
Feminist Theories were formulated due to the existing gender inequality in the
society. Rosemarie Tong suggests in her Feminist Thought Literature iin 2009, that
feminist theory is used in order to shape the explanation behind women’s oppression,
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expose its causes and consequences, and to recommend strategies for women’s
liberation. It tries to develop an accurate reason behind the subordination of women,
including its cause and origin. It heightens the approaches that could help in liberating
women. And it suggests for the eradication of discrimination and subordination of
women in socio-political aspects of the society using paradigm that insinuates a solution
for an existing dilemma. And that there should be a strong assurance that this issue will
be taken into account.
As a feminist theory perspective; liberal feminism conceives of freedom as personal
autonomy—living a life of one's own choosing—and political autonomy—being co-author
of the conditions under which one lives. Liberal feminists hold that the exercise of
personal autonomy depends on certain enabling conditions that are insufficiently present
in women's lives, or that social arrangements often fail to respect women's personal
autonomy and other elements of women's flourishing. They hold also that women's
needs and interests are insufficiently reflected in the basic conditions under which they
live, and that those conditions lack legitimacy because women are inadequately
represented in the processes of democratic self-determination. Liberal feminists hold
that autonomy deficits like these are due to the “gender system” (Okin 1989, 89), or the
patriarchal nature of inherited traditions and institutions, and that the women's
movement should work to identify and remedy them. As the protection and promotion
of citizens' autonomy is the appropriate role of the state on the liberal view, liberal
feminists hold that the state can and should be the women's movement's ally in
promoting women's autonomy. There is disagreement among liberal feminists, however,

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about the role of personal autonomy in the good life, the appropriate role of the state,
and how liberal feminism is to be justified.
Along with the Constructionism as Epistemology and the Theoritical Perspectives:
Interpretivism and Feminist Theory: Liberal Feminism, the experiences of the battered
women as they rise as strong women of the society and their actual participation in
various social undertakings, and as they managed those struggles that they have been
through, interpretation of their stories through the understanding of the researchers and
supported by the related literature and cited feminist theory. In order to build ideas that
this research is intended for, the participants had revealed all the needed details.
Through the interpretations of the participant’s response to inquiries, the desired data is
extracted and backed up by the related readings as well as the feminist theory.
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences of
battered women, and later on decided to enter into the realm of politics and in social
undertakings.
Specifically, this study ought to answer the following questions:
1. What are the struggles and experiences of these battered women?
2. When did they decide to enter politics and in social undertakings? What lead
them to this decision?
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3. What are their coping mechanisms? How did they managed to overcome those
experiences?
Significance of the Study
This study is helpful to the following persons: the general public,
women/participants, students, and the educators.
The General public. The general public would be informed regarding the
circumstances in how these battered women became empowered to re-establish
themselves in the community as an independent woman and an advocate of women’s
rights.
The Students. The students would benefit since they will be informed of the
reality of the existence of women being abused everywhere and even in their own
homes.
The Women/Participants. The women would benefit from the results of the
study and they will be informed on how to prevent abuse and be aware of their
women’s rights.
The Educators. The educators would benefit from this study because they will
be given more information regarding cases of battered woman and other cases of abuse
against women.
The Future Researchers. The future researchers that may fascinate in
entering the sphere of researching and to those students who will be taking qualitative
research course. This may serve as an enthusing example that will motivate them in
pursuing the field of researching.
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Definition of Terms
The following are the list of operational and conceptual definitions of the
important terms used for the purpose of clarity and better understanding of the study.
Battered women- woman who has been physically, emotionally and
psychologically assaulted by his husband, former partner (Medical Dictionary, 2009).
In this study, battered women mean as a part of a community that is subject of
physical, emotional and psychologically abused.
Politics- the art or science concerned with winning and holding control
over a government and the total complex of relations between people living in
society. (Merriam-Webster, 2017).
In this study, it means relations or conduct in a particular area of
experiences of women especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of
view.
Social- relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and
the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society, tending to
form cooperative and interdependent relationships with others.
In this study, social means the relationship of individuals who has the same
interests and advocacies come together to form an alliance or groups.
Undertaking- The action of undertaking to do something, a formal pledge or
promise to do something (Oxford Dictionary, 2018).
In this study, undertaking means a promise or pledge to do something or take
action to deliver or share the advocacies and experiences of these battered women.
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Partner- someone's husband or wife or the person someone has sexual
relations with (Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary, 1828).
In this study, partner means someone who is capable of doing physical
abuse.
Abuse- physical, emotional, sexual, psychological maltreatment ( Merriam-
Webster's Learner's Dictionary, 1828).
In this study, abuse means violent acts towards women.
Community: a group of people who live in the same area (such as a
city, town, or neighborhood) (Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary, 1828).
In this study, community means as the place where the battered woman
re-establish herself.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The choices that are made in the selection of any research focus and
methodology result in necessary restrictions. This study had several limitations which
should be acknowledge.
This study was qualitative and provided in-depth, rich data regarding battered
women experiences and their empowerment in re-establishing their own lives by
participating in different social advocacies and movements. The results can be
generalized only to the extent that qualitative data can be; that is, the results will
comprise expressions of life experiences that may benefit women who have had similar
experiences (Rothe, 1993).
Narrative Inquiry is the methodology used in the study. This
˻ literary from encompasses the re-storying of the gathered data from the
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narrations of the participants. In narrative researching, the researcher studies
the lives of individuals and asks the participants to provide stories about their
lives in order to retold and restoried into a narrative chronology (Creswell,
2013).
The participants in this study were (1) women in Iloilo City who shared their
personal experiences as a battered woman, (2) at any legal age bracket, (3) married or
unmarried to their partners, has (4) participated in politics and joined in different social
institutions including social movements or groups which concerns women’s rights and
violence against women including also to those women who continued in sharing and
inspiring other people in their experiences.
This study was conducted within the vicinity of Iloilo City. The researchers had
gone to the different barangays in Iloilo City and public agencies and seek for the
qualified participants.
The method of data gathering for this study is an interview using an “avoid
leading interview questions” in which participants were allowed to answer in their own
way of expressing their opinion. The participants were permitted to answer the
questions in English, Filipino and Hiligaynon as languages of communication.
The interviews were audio-recorded, the data gathering had undergone into
these steps: (1) Data collection through interview, (2) Analysis of gathered data, (3)
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Interpretation, (4) Related Literature Review and (5) Validation (Creswell, 2013).
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The focus of the study did not permit any comprehensive investigation of the
differences in battered women experiences as they are related to race, culture, social
class, age, or ability. This is an area that warrants extensive further research. Three
assumptions were drawn about battered women’s experiences. These assumptions
shape the direction and focus of this research: (1) Battered Women’s experiences, the
trauma women have experienced, and the isolation and resulting decrease in the
resources, women also said they had less confidence about themselves. (2) Homes play
a critical role in the lives of women to seek re-establish in the community after leaving
an abusive partner. Homes may vary in structure and philosophical underpinnings and
according to Beaudry (1985), both of these factors will directly affect service delivery
and women’s perceptions of the service, the ways in which women are connected to the
community and, therefore, women’s experiences in the community. Information about
the effects that women’s home experiences have with regard to their experiences in the
community. Given women’s reports about diminished resources, the concepts and
typology of social support developed by Cameron (1985-1992) And their coping
mechanisms on how they overcome these struggles. (3) Some of the research alludes to
women strength and competencies, on how the re-established their lives in the
community by being active in social groups that promotes or protects violence against
women and women’s rights.
This study also focuses on how these women cope up and overcome those
experiences, physical abuse and maltreatment on women, and their thoughts,
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feelings, perceptions, struggles and how they re-established, discovered and joined in
political aspects and in different organizations and social movements in the community.
Chapter 2
Literature of the Study
Chapter 2 includes seven parts: (1) Feminist Theory and Domestic Violence,
(2) Approaches in Feminist Theory, (3) Effects of Women Abuse, (4) Battered Women
Syndrome, (5) ‘Women-blaming’ Explanations, (6) Summary.
Part One, Feminist Theory and Domestic Violence explains the power inequality
of a man and a woman in the society.
Part Two, gives the understanding of an Individual’s choices, characteristics, the
environment of the family and how it affects in having its own family.
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Effects of Woman Abuse, gives information about the effects of battering and
abuse to the women physically, emotionally and psychologically.
Part Two, Battered Women Syndrome, discusses the effects of being a battered
woman and the health issues that they have to suffer.
Part Five, ‘Women-blaming’ Explanations, discusses the dilemma of a battered
woman in the situation.
Part Six, Summary of the related literatures that is being included in this study.
This chapter reviews the literature related to battered women experiences,
their thoughts and how re-established their own lives by joining in different
political institutions and what it helps them recover from those experiences. It
will examine how women feel and what are their experiences and thoughts
before they leave their home, it also includes the different effects of the abuse
to women physically and mentally. In addition, it will examine how they manage
to cope up with the struggles of being a victim of abuse. Finally, it will explore
how women live their lives after they leave their homes and how they re-
establish themselves in a community and at what point of their lives that they
decided to engaged in politics and different social movements. These women
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are advocates of political and social aspects, physical abuse or violent abuse
and other forms of maltreatment against women.
Research of the literature began with multiple searches of cases of women
abuse using keywords: battered wife, physical abuse, violence against women
and women’s rights. Other literature research tools used include: correspondence with
researchers and practitioners in the fields of women’s health and female stress
response. This chapter reflects an attempt to gather various and disparate veins of
research connected to women’s abuse cases in the province of Iloilo by citing some
theories that may help to explain in some cases of women abuse.
Feminist Theory and Domestic Violence
Feminist theory in domestic violence emphasizes gender and power inequality in
opposite-sex relationships. It focuses on the societal messages that sanction a male’s
use of violence and aggression throughout life, and the proscribed gender roles that
dictate how men and women should behave in their intimate relationships (Pence &
Paymar,1993). It sees the root causes of intimate partner violence as the outcome of
living a society that condones aggressive behaviors perpetrated by men, while
socializing women to be non-violent.
There are many different ideas within feminist theory of domestic violence, but
M. Bograd in Feminist Perspectives on Women Abuse has identified four common
strains. These are 1) that as the dominant class, men have differential access to
material and symbolic resources and women are devalued as secondary and inferior 2)
intimate partner abuse is a predictable and common dimension of normal family life 3)
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women's experiences are often defined as inferior because male domination influences
all aspects of life 4) the feminist perspective is dedicated to advocacy for women.
Battered women’s syndrome/learned helplessness (L Walker, 1983).
In the simplest form it does not account for many rational social, economic and
cultural choices which may lead to decision to remain in relationship – fear of retaliation,
stalking, escalated violence, need for financial support, concern for wellbeing of children,
desire to stay in own home, lack of social, family, community support networks, various
aspects of risk assessment and management of survival.
This theory relates to the study; abusive men sees themselves as the dominant
one in the relationship thus leading to superiority over the other. They believe that they
should be the superior one since they are categorized as men and when they do not get
what they want in a relationship, they tend to be abusive on their partners.
Approaches in Feminist Theory
(a) Individualist Approach- problem is located within the person and person is
site of change, it focuses on women's ability to maintain their equality
through their own actions and choices, Its emphasis is on making the legal
and political rights of women equal to men. Understood in terms of
individual choices, characteristics, interests, biology, genetics, and
pathologies. This means that the women may not be the problem but her
partner instead. Problem is not within the victim but on the abusive partner.
It gives emphasis on a person’s means of rationalizing experiences and the
way a concept is discerned by one’s point of view of a happening (Fiske &
˻ Taylor, 2013). These are some types of individualist approach: (1)

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Contemporary socio-biology and neo-Darwinism it is the evolution of male
aggression/violence to maintain female fidelity and secure reproductive
control. Abuse is seen as a ‘mate retention tactic’. There is little empirical
support for these controversial ideas, which provide no useful suggestions for
action. Attempts to predict violence using biological variables require a host
of nonbiological factors to be added. Treatment (pharmacological and
medical) is unlikely to be effective in isolation. Some researchers are now
attempting to devise a ‘batterer typology’ based on physiological arousal, (2)
Male pathologies explains domestic violence as ‘deviant’ behaviour of
psychologically disturbed men. Researchers and practitioners who adopt this
perspective often focus on childhood and other experiences/events which
shape men to ‘become abusers’. Research seeks to compare them with
‘normal’ control group (NVM). The claim is made that the disturbed/violent
men suffer more distress, personality disorders, anger/hostility, alcohol
problems than ‘normal’. Many lack resources or feel powerless, and they are
more likely to have violence in family of origin (Holtzworth-Munroe et al
1997). Adult attachment style – ‘excessive interpersonal dependence among
abusive men is a consequence of insecure attachment to the primary
caregiver in childhood’ (Dutton 2005). The premise is that violent patterns of
behaviour are long standing and firmly entrenched, and treatment must be
intensive and individualised. But a comparative study of court mandated and
NVM did not find any difference (Buttell and Jones 2001). Trauma risk from
˻ childhood experience of abuse or witnessing domestic abuse? Post-traumatic

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stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with perpetration of violence (Dutton
2000) But why is it only men who respond as adults with ‘the extreme
detachment necessary to engage in severe violence’ (Simonetti et al 2000)?
Doesn’t explain gender differences, or the scale of domestic abuse. Most men
with mental health problems are not abusive, and most abusers are not
diagnosable as mentally ill. Why only attack family, not employers or
strangers – people suffering from mental health disorders do not limit violent
to intimate partners. (3) Disinhibition caused by alcohol or substance use.
Here also the underlying premise is that men are ‘naturally’ violent and this is
unleashed by use of substances. Alcohol is a factor in many domestic
assaults. A quarter of all facial injuries to women happen during alcohol
related incidents (ESRC 2002), and many women are severely abused by
perpetrators who use alcohol and drugs frequently. But the majority of
perpetrators are not alcoholics and most heavy or 3 binge drinkers are not
abusers (BMA 1998). 76% of physically abusive episodes occur in the
absence of alcohol (Kantor and Straus 1987). It is a socially acceptable
reason for ‘loss of control’. (Horley 2002). (4) Anger management and ‘loss
of control’ issues leading to ‘explosions’ of violence. Men are conventionally
assumed to have an ‘innate’ violence which will surface when they are in
situations leading to anger or frustration. But the human emotion of anger is
widespread, sometimes just and positive, and does not always or necessarily
issue in attacks/assaults on others, especially intimate partners. Most
˻ perpetrators of DA are careful to keep the violence private. The nature,

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timing and evidence of such violence strongly suggests intentionality and
control ex. careful not to mark face, getting women up from sleep to abuse
them, waiting till they get home from a social function, Why no ‘explosions’ in
other aspects of their lives, against others who cause frustration or anger? So
the ‘loss of control’ theory is contradicted by the behaviour of most abusive
men. Research indicates that they often become more controlled and calm as
the violence intensifies in severity and frequency. Evaluations of perpetrator
programmes offer some evidence that ‘loss of control’ at the point of
committing physical violence may simply be one aspect of the larger
controlling and purposeful dynamic which contextualises particular events.
Battered women, for instance, are stigmatized or blamed for allegedly
causing the battery and for not ending the predicament promptly. They are
held responsible for the occurrence of abusive situations (Vidal-Fernández &
Megías, 2014). In this sense, the women, as victims, are perceived as having
character problems which propel their husbands to hurt them. Hence,
battered women develop negative perceptions of themselves as they become
conscious of what other people may think of them. (1) Contemporary socio-
biology and neo-Darwinism – evolution of male aggression/violence to
maintain female fidelity and secure reproductive control. Abuse is seen as a
‘mate retention tactic’. There is little empirical support for these controversial
ideas, which provide no useful suggestions for action. Attempts to predict
violence using biological variables require a host of nonbiological factors to
˻ be added. Treatment (pharmacological and medical) is unlikely to be

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effective in isolation. Some researchers are now attempting to devise a
‘batterer typology’ based on physiological arousal.
(b) Familial approach- Family/Systems Conflict and ‘Family Violence’ Research.
This approach sees the family as dynamic organisation made up of
interdependent components. Behaviour of one member (eg violent man) is
affected by responses and feedback of other members. Researchers look at
communication, relationship and problem solving skills of couples, and
examines variables in comparing ‘violent couples’ with ‘non-violent couples’.
Control is regarded as an important but nongendered variable. Violence is
seen as used to correct behaviour or dynamics to enable functioning of family
according to appropriate roles/behaviours; or it is a sign of dysfunctionality.
Research can suggest symmetry of violence and aggression, that women are
equally likely to initiate, and with equivalent motivations. Over 100 empirical
studies suggest equivalence M/F DV. This leads to widespread confusion
among the general public and policy makers (Kimmel 2002). Crucially, such
studies assume accurate and unbiased self-reporting. The Conflict Tactics
Scale (CTS) originated and widely used by Straus and others in quantitative
research, tallies acts of force/violence without any context or consideration of
impact. It also excludes any record or measurement of sexual violence. It
may be useful for eliciting the extent of commonplace social acceptance of
violence as a means of communication (in families but also in other aspects
of interpersonal relationships). But it frames issues within assumptions of
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‘conflict’ or disagreement, not power and control, and thus fails to identify
the underlying gendered dynamics. If family violence theories are correct, the
focus of intervention should shift to encouraging women not to provoke or
respond, and towards couple/family therapy (Also an increasingly common
criminal justice approach – routine arrests of women in some US states on
the basis of a violent incident without regard to abusive patterns of
behaviour). It also claims that abusive behavior is learned from exposure to
violence and by imitation (Bandura, 1962). In this framework, abuse is
learned as a normative means of control that is passed down within the
family. Thus, children who witness parental conflict are prone to become
violent individuals themselves against other people (Geffner, Igelman, &
Zellner, 2013).
Effects of Woman Abuse (Task Force on the Health Effects of Woman Abuse,
2000)
Forty-five per cent of women abuse results in physical injury. A woman that has
been abused or attacked, may feel terribly afraid, confused, shocked, angry, or
emotionally numb. Every woman is different, and all these feelings are natural.
Experiencing abuse or an attack can lead to serious mental health problems, including
post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Some abused women try using
drugs, alcohol, smoking, or overeating to cope, but this can lead to greater physical and
emotional problems. Sometimes, violence that happened long ago still can affect the
˻ victim. Women who experienced physical violence have a tendency not to trust anyone
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again, even their close friends or their love ones, they become so distant to the people
fearing that abuse may come from anyone. While some women ask for help, some tend
to shut people out fearing that if they share their experiences to anyone, they will be
judged in the society.
The psychological effects of this can be far-reaching: eighty-five per cent of
abused women indicate that they have experienced some type of negative emotional
effects including anger, fear, becoming less trusting, suffering from lowered self-esteem,
depression, anxiety, shame and guilt. In order to combat these effects, twenty-five per
cent of these women report having used alcohol, drugs or medication. Physical Health
Effects Include: broken bones, burns, stab wounds, concussions, perforated ear drums,
loss of hair, chronic stomach/bowel pain or discomfort, chronic joint or muscle pain,
palpitations, firearm wounds, bruises, cuts/abrasions, bites, sprains, chipped or lost
teeth, internal injuries, chronic headache, high blood pressure, detached retina,
substance abuse issues. Psychiatric Health Effects Include: depression, eating disorders,
obsessive compulsive disorder, suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder,
dissociation. Sexual Health Effects Include: sexually transmitted diseases, chronic genital
or pelvic pain, bruising or tearing of the vagina or anus, frequent pregnancies, fear of
sexual intimacy, miscarriages, chronic vaginal or urinary-tract infections, female genital
mutilation, painful intercourse, infertility. Psychological Health Effects Include: low self-
esteem, difficulty in forming/maintaining relationships, anxiety, lack of appropriate
boundaries, self-degradation, chronic stress, uncontrolled or rapid anger response,
memory loss, loss of concentration or productivity, self-abusive behavior, problems with
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parenting children, frequent crying, passivity, unusual fear response, increased
watchfulness, sleep disturbances, phobias.
Battered women’s syndrome/learned helplessness (L Walker, 1983).
In the simplest form it does not account for many rational social, economic and
cultural choices which may lead to decision to remain in relationship – fear of retaliation,
stalking, escalated violence, need for financial support, concern for well-being of
children, desire to stay in owns home, lack of social, family, community support
networks, various aspects of risk assessment and management of survival.
One of the major problems among physically abused women is the lack of
empowerment. Most of the battered women are unable to handle situations. Battered
women believe that they have no control over their situation and consequently become
submissive toward their abusers - the husbands (Cortes, 2013; Walker, 1979). For some
women who had been a victim of repeated abuse, they try to cope up by leaving their
homes and isolating themselves. But some women are afraid of anger – in others and in
themselves. Some women do not want to appear abusive themselves so they will silence
themselves as a way of dealing with being abused and controlled. They lose contact
with friends because their partner has abused their friends, or denigrated those friends
in such a way that leaves the woman wondering if her friends are good enough. Some
women will simply stop seeing friends as a means of avoiding further abuse and control
by their partner. They lose their self-esteem, their confidence. Many women who wants
to work, can’t work because their partner has taken steps to stop her, this leads to more
˻ isolation. There are different things a woman can do to cope up with her physical abuse
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experience, while some choose to isolate themselves, there are some women who make
themselves busy over other things so that they can forget their traumatic experiences.
In this study there are cases where women enter into politics and some social groups
sharing one goal that despite what happened to them, they inspire other people
especially victims of physical violence that they can do things that their husbands or
partners tell them that they cannot do. They stand together inspiring and spreading
awareness that just because you are a victim of physical violence on the past that does
not mean that you cannot enter into the world of politics or enter into social groups
sharing unity and cooperation among all.
‘Women-blaming’ Explanations
These are common currency in public domain, and collude with the perpetrator’s
claims of provocation and denial of responsibility. They usually rely on assumption of
gendered roles and expectations of appropriate or ‘unacceptable’ female behavior in
performance of domestic or sexual duties. The supposition is that there are times when
women ‘deserve’ to be chastised, even if beatings and other forms of abuse might be
considered excessive or ‘uncivilized’ – and this in turn indicates the resilience of cultural
attitudes based on gender inequality and male entitlement in domestic and social
arrangements. Tendency to blame the victim has strongly influenced direction of.
psychological enquiry, leading abuse in the character of the victim.
In this study, women tend to be blamed on why they are abused. Often they are
blamed on their lack of performance in their duties as a household, sometimes on their
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attitude and some on their sexual duties as partner. The problem is not within the victim
but on the abusive partner blaming on his partner over some issues that they have.
Summary
The primary aim of this chapter was to review the literature relating to battered
women experiences. It discussed theories why individuals tend to be abusive, why
women are not to blame, that women should have equal gender rights with men, why
women tend to remain silent despite the abusive behaviors of partner, the psychological
effects on women. These chapter also includes the cope up mechanisms of the victims
and what lead them to make these decisions for themselves.
Chapter 3
Research Design and Methodology
Chapter 3 is divided into two parts: (1) Research Design and (2) Methodology,
(3) Ethical Considerations, (4) Validity of the Study.
Part One, Research Design, relates the reasons for conducting the study, the
framework and overall strategy that is used in integrating the elements of the study was
˻ discussed in this part.

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Part Two, Methodology, describes the participants involved in the study, aim of
the research, participants involved, data collection and data analysis and limitations of
the study.
Part Three, Ethical Considerations, conveys the manner that the researchers had
used to protect the privacy and personal inquiries of the participants.
Part Four, Validity of the Study, this section provides the measures to prove that
the content and the overall outcome of this study is effective.
Research Design
This study used a narrative research design. Narrative is a form of social inquiry
that focuses on the way people interpret and make sense of their experience and the
world in which they live. Narrative aims to understand the social reality of individuals,
groups and culture. Researchers use narrative approach to explore the behavior,
perspective, feelings and experiences of people and what lies at the core of their lives
(Atkinson, 2001).
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In this study, narrative as a research design explores the lives, experiences and
coping mechanisms of battered women as the participants and the main subject of this
study. It is a strategy of inquiry which studies the experiences of battered women and
how they re-establish their lives by joining in political arena and social movements.
Narrative employs different philosophical assumptions, strategy of inquiry and
methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation (Creswell, 2009). It is an inquiry
process of understanding based on distinct methodological traditions of inquiry that
explore human problem. The researcher builds a complex, holistic picture, analysis
words, report detailed views of informants, and conducts the study in a natural setting
(Burns, 2011).
Narrative Research consists of obtaining and reflecting on peoples lived
experience and, unlike objectifying and aggregating form of research, is inherently a
rational endeavor. The best approach in writing a narrative research is to conduct an
interview on participants. Describe the type of information that goes into building a
chronology of an individual’s experiences and identify of aspects of a story and the type
of data used to report the story (Gubrium, 2004).
Participants were to elaborate and were given instructions to answer the
questions and therefore the capacity to elicit more information from the participant.
Interviews were conducted with women or participants who had experienced abuse or
maltreatment from their husbands or partners, that they re-established their lives by
joining or being active in political arena or in social institutions. Participants were asked
about their experiences of what was going well for them and their recommendations for
˻ change, and the relationships between them, were noted. They were also asked about
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their thoughts, feelings, perceptions, struggles and experiences. Semi-structured
interviews permit scope for individuals to answer questions more on their own terms
than the standardized interview permits, yet still provides a good structure for
comparability over that of the focused interview. The interview as the most suitable
approach for studying complex and sensitive areas as the interviewer has the
opportunity to prepare participants before asking sensitive questions and to explain
complex ones to them in person. Furthermore, the quality of the data generated is
affected by the experience, skills and commitment of the interviewer (Kumar, 2005).
Purpose of the Study
The aim of this chapter is to discover battered women experiences from
an abusive partner, how they overcome those experiences and how they stand by their
strength and courage by re-establishing their lives in making their self-involved in
politics and social groups or movements in the community which helps them as a new
and independent women of the society. This chapter will present the aim of this
research, research design and data collection. It will present the sample which was
selected and will set out the method used for data collection along with the process of
data analysis. Finally, it will discuss any ethical issues and limitations associated with this
study.
Narrative Inquiry was the method used in this study. It is a method of exploring
on the lives of or experiences of the corresponding participants. Narrative Inquiry is a
way of understanding and inquiring into experience through collaboration between

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researchers and participants, over time, in a place or series of places, in social
interaction with milieus (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000). Supported by Daynes and
Pinnegar (2006) Narrative Inquiry includes the collecting of participant’s data, embracing
and analyzing stories of their lives by the researchers. Through interview, the
researchers and the participants were able to interact in order to acquire the important
stories that were used in this study. The participants were asker by same set of
questions made by the researchers and validated by reputable validators.
The purpose of this study was conducted to explore the experiences of these
battered women and their re-establishment in their community by participating in
politics and social aspects including sharing advocacies and joining in social movements
or groups.
Specifically, to investigate the following research questions:
a. To know the struggles and experiences of these battered women?
b. Identify their goals in entering in to politics and in social undertakings
and the reason that leads them to this decision.
c. Identify their coping mechanisms and to know how did they managed to
overcome those experiences.
Methodology
Narrative Inquiry was the method used in this study. It is a method of exploring
and restorying on the lives or experiences of the participants. Narrative Inquiry is a way
of understanding and requiring into experience through collaboration between
˻ ˼
researcher and participants, over time, in a place or series of places, in social interaction
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with mileus (Clandin and Connelly, 2000). Supported by Daynes and Pinnegar (2006)
Narrative Inquiry includes the collecting of participant’s data, embracing and analyzing
stories of their lives by the researchers. Through interview, the researchers and the
participants were able to interact on order to acquire the important stories that were
used in this study. The participants were asked by the same set of questions made by
the researchers and validated by reputable validators.
Lives and learning experiences of battered women were understood narratively.
The analysis of the lives or life narratives is the core element of this study. The narrative
of the person is more crucial than the story of the society (Merriam, 2002). This method
aimed to explore the lives of battered women, obtain crucial data and insights and
understand the phenomenon, specifically the society wherein there was a direct
participation of women in social undertakings.
Narrative Inquiry can be both a method and the phenomenon of the study. As a
method, it begins with the experiences as expressed in lived and told stories individuals,
it is “The Life Story Interview” (Atkinson, 2001).
Participants
The participants involved in the study were battered women in Iloilo city. There
were 5 participants for the interview, who were determined and in which participants
were identified given that they have meet the requirement set by the researchers. The
participants had met the following qualifications: (1) must be a woman, (2) married or
unmarried, (3) at any legal age bracket (4) has entered politics, social movements or
groups and an advocate. (5) Has the willingness to share her personal life and
˻ experiences as a battered woman through answering the set of interview questions.

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Setting
This study was conducted within Iloilo City, preferably in the selected barangays
wherein these battered women were residents.
Sample
This study has five (5) participants that possessed and met the established
qualifications set by the researchers. The participants who came from different
barangays in Iloilo City. There are three (3) active members who are actively
participating in social undertakings regarding to women’s right and violence against
women, one (1) prosecutor and a speaker from Iloilo Hall of Justice and one (1) former
barangay kagawad from Mandurriao, Iloilo.
Ethical Considerations
In this study, ethical considerations were observed and practiced by the
researchers to their participants. Ethical considerations refer to the guiding principles
and practices in dealing with particular problem of the study. It serves as the basis for
mutual agreement between the participants and the researchers.
The researchers of this study consider three ethical considerations: (1)
Appointment letter or informed consent to the participants. Through this appointment
letter the participants were informed by the following matters: (a) the nature and
purpose of the study, and (b) reason why they are chosen as the participants of the
study. (2) Availability of participants, hence, it is not easy to insert appointments to their
respective schedules. The researcher patiently wait for any positive confirmation coming
from the participants. In addition, date and time of appointment were set by the
˻ participants. (3) Confidentiality of the data gathered. Any information obtained from the
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participants specifically their identity will be protected by the researchers and must use
solely for academic and research purposes. Recordings, pictures and any documentation
during the interview will also be kept. The participants will be rest assures that the
interview will not lead to any risk and danger against them.
Data Gathering Instrument
Interview was the main source of data gathering in the study. The researchers
prepared set of questionnaire that were validated by validators. The questionnaires
consist of two parts: Part One was for the background information of the participants
(name, age, addres, marital status, occupation). Part Two was the question proper, the
researchers came up for three (3) major questions that are related to the problem of the
study; (1) What are the struggles and experiences of these battered women?, (2) When
did they decide to enter politics and in social undertakings, what lead them to this
decision? , (3) What are their coping mechanism, how did they managed to overcome
those experiences? However, under each major question was supplemented by more or
less 3 to 4 follow-up questions.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers prepared interview questions as a medium od data gathering
and thus aim to answer problems of this study. The interview questions were given to
the participants five (3) minutes before the proper interview for them to read each
questions and prepare for possible answers. Major questions or topics were asks during
the interview: (1) Their struggles and experiences as a battered women, (2) Their
participation in politics and social undertakings, (3) The reason to their decision (4)
˻ Their coping mechanism to overcome those experiences and struggles.

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Data Analysis Procedure
The analysis of narrative research involves aiming to uncover and understand the
big picture-by using the data to describe the phenomenon and what this means.
Narrative analysis involves labelling and coding all of the data in order that similarities
and differences can be recognized (Surrey, 2003). Data analysis as the process of
bringing order, structure and meaning to the mass of collected data, it is a search for
general statements about relationships among categories of data. It is described as
messy, ambiguous and time-consuming, but also as a creative and fascinating process
(Marshall and Rossman, 1999)
Qualitative Data Analysis is the process of transformations of collected qualitative
data, done by means of analytic procedures, into a clear, understandable, insightful,
trustworthy and even original analysis refers to Qualitative Data Analysis. (Gibbs, 2007).
The gathered data from the interview transcriptions were analyzed and extracted the
basic personal information and into themes. This is the development of concepts which
helps to understand social phenomena in natural setting, given due emphasis to the
meanings, experiences and vies of the participants (Pope and Mays, 1995).
Data Collection. Occurs simultaneously and iterative with data collection, data
interpretation and report writing (Creswell,2002); Miles and Huberman, 1984). Recirding
of data was done by audio recording on a digital voice recorder, while audio recording
on another tape recorder served as backup of electronic failure and faults, and to assure
that all voices could be heard. Taking notes served as further backup and provided the
context to the interviews (Gibbs, 2007 and Creswell, 2009).
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A Semi-structured interview is typically conducted with a series of questions in
the general form of an interview schedule however the sequence of questions can be
varied. The interviewer also has some freedom to probe and explore additional
questions in response to what are seen as significant replies (Bryman, 2004), while at
the same time allowing rapport and empathy to develop between the researchers and
the participants.
Data Coding and Distillation. Is based on the data reduction and interpretation-
decontextualisation and recontextualisation (Marshall and Rossman, 1989; Tesch, 1990).
Identifies the coding procedure to be used to reduce information to themes / categories
(Tesch, 1990). Once the data was transcribed, it was then coded, analyzed, interpreted
and verified. The process of transcribing the interviews can help the researchers to gain
more understanding of the subject from repeatedly listening to and reading the
transcribed interviews.
Validation Strategies
Accountability for validity and reliability in qualitative research projects looks
quite different from quantitative projects. Reliability is an examination of the stability or
consistency of responses. To increase the consistency and reliability of a project,
documents all procedures, and of possible set up a detailed protocol. Qualitative validity
is based on determining if the findings are accurate from the stand point of the
researchers, the participant or the readers (Creswell, 2009).
Disconfirming evidences. Procedure closely related to triangulation is the search by
researchers for disconfirming or negative evidence (Miles and Huberman, 1994). It is the
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process where researchers first establish the preliminary themes or categories in the
study then search through the data for evidence that is consistent with or disconfirms
these themes. In this process, researchers rely on their own lens, and this represents a
constructivist approach in that it is less systematic than other procedures and relies on
examining all of the multiple perspectives on a theme or category. As evidence for the
validity of a narrative account, however, this search for disconfirming evidence furthers
support for the account’s credibility because reality, according to constructivists, is
multiple and complex.
In this study the researchers first formulated the themes before actual
interpretation of the gathered data. The researchers were able to come up a set of
themes before they were connected through data.
Researcher’s reflexivity. The researchers in order to self-disclose their assumptions,
beliefs and biases. In this study the researchers report personal beliefs, values and
biases that may shape their inquiry. It is particularly important for researchers to
acknowledge and describe their entering beliefs and biases early in the research process
to allow readers to understand their positions, and then to bracket or suspend those
researcher biases as the study proceeds. Researcher’s lens is clearly positioned within
the critical paradigm where individuals reflect on social, cultural and historical forces that
shape their interpretation (Creswell, 2000).
Before this study was conducted the researchers revealed personal beliefs and
views as well as their biases which they think might affect the progress of the study.
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The researchers were free to express their views and opinions regarding the general
objective of this study. However, when biases occur they should be eliminated so that
they won’t affect the study.
Member Checking. The validity procedure shifts from the researchers to participants in
the study. Lincoln and Guba (1985) describe member checks as “the most crucial
technique for establishing credibility” in the study. It consists of taking data and
interpretations back to the participant in the study so that they can confirm the
credibility of the information and narrative account. With lens focused on participants,
the researchers systematically check the data and the narrative account.
Throughout this process, the researchers ask participants the themes or
categories make sense, whether they are developed with sufficient evidence, and
whether the overall account is realistic and accurate. In return, the researchers’
incorporates participants’ comments into the final narrative (Creswell, 2009). According
to Stake (1995), participants should play a major role directing in the research.
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Chapter 4
Results and Discussions
Chapter 4 contains the Qualitative Data Analysis which consists of three (3)
˻ ˼
parts: (1) Profile of the Participants, (2) Themes and (3) Theory Discussion.
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Part 1, Profile of the Participants, consists of the personal information of the interviewed
participants of the study.
Part 2, Themes, discusses the core subjects extracted from the transcriptions of the
interview.
Part 3, Theory Discussion, the outcomes and the realizations of all the inquiries shared
by the participants relating to the theories that used in the study.
This chapter of this study aims to explore the profile and personal information of
selected participants, and to know the discussion about the experiences of battered
women who were at the same time had re-established their lives by joining in political
arena and active in social movements and also to show the results or findings of this
study.
Table 1. Profile of the Participants
Codename Age Civil Status No. of Occupation Political/
Children Social Undertakings
PA1 43 Married 6 Prosecutor Speaker/Advocate
˻ of VAW
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PA2 30 Unmarried 3 Front Desk- Member of Women
Attendant at Empowerment -
Hotel (Barangay level)
PA3 46 Married 3 Housewife Former Barangay
Kagawad-
Mandurriao, Iloilo
PA4 23 Unmarried none Call Center Member of VAW -
Agent (Barangay level)
PA5 44 Married 3 Housewife Member of Women’s
Protection -
(Barangay level)
The names of the participants in this study were hidden or change into codes to
hide their identities. The participants had met all the qualifications that the researchers
had considered. All of them were battered women who re-establish their lives by joining
and participating in political arena and social movements or advocacies, at any legal age
bracket and willingly participated in the research and interview process. The information
stated in this part was taken from the transcripts of the conducted one-on-one
interview.
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The first participant in this study is concealed by the code name PA1. She is 43
years old and was from Pavia, Iloilo, she is a lawyer and one of the prosecutors in Iloilo
Hall of Justice, and her advocacy is to fight violence against women, she was also a
speaker of different seminars and conferences which regards to the empowerment of
battered women and violence against women. She was 21 years old when she married
her ex-husband, they were together for 5 years and they had 4 children; 2 boys and 2
girls. She is already happy with her second husband.
PA1 met her ex-husband when they were in high school. “actually he courted me
since 4thyear high school “…”pero gin busted ko to siya, In fact, nadiri gid ako sa iya”
PA1 said. After 4 years they met again in College and her ex-husband started courting
her. “pag college ko na dira na siya nagbalik gapangaluyag, so daw naluoy na lang ko
sa iya. So gin accept ko siya”. ( Actually he courted me since 4th years high school, but I
rejected him, In fact I really don’t like him and I feel disgusted everytime I see him, it
was college during that time when he ame back and became so persistent in courting
me, i feel pity for him so there I accepted him and we became official) She got pregnant
at the age of 21 that is why they got married but her parents did not want her to, but
insisted. They were married for 5 years since 2003. She was diagnosed with battered
women syndrome during those times when she experiences maltreatment from her ex-
husband. According to PA1, the abuse occurred since their relationship started.
PA2 was used as the codename for the confidentiality of the second participant,
she is already 30 years old, and a Front-desk attendant in one of the Hotels in Iloilo, she
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is living in a subdivision in Mandurriao, Iloilo with her parents. They were together with
her partner for 5 years they are not married and they have no children yet.
PA2 met her live-in partner in their college days she was a HRM student in a
University in Iloilo and her partner was a Business Administration student. “Okay, so this
happened like 5 years ago. So you see I met this guy during college. Bali HRM ako
tapos siya Business Ad siya. Dugay ni actually pangaluyag ya sa akon kay like du hindi
ko pa siya type so wala ko pa siya gin sabat ya dayun. May ara man iban gpangaluyag
during that time pero daw ng stand out gid siya gani ky diba du ka dugay na gid ni siya
ya gapurupanga luyag so eventually gin sabat ko siya” PA2 said.( So you see I met this
guy during our college days , it happened 5 years ago actually. I am taking up HRM
while he was taking up Business Management. He courted me for so long but he was
just not my type so I kept on rejecting him but he was so patient and persistent. There
are other suitors also during that time but he was the one who stand out among them,
so eventually I fell for him and we became a couple. They were together for 5 years and
during that time she experienced maltreatment from her long-time partner, and that’s
the reason why she started joining in different women empowerment of violence against
women until now she’s an active advocate.
PA3 was used as the codename to hide the identity of the third participant, she
is already 46 years old and a housewife, she was a public servant as a barangay
kagawad in her barangay for 3 years. She’s living in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, married for
20 years and they have 3 adopted children.
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She met her husband in the same barangay and they are high school
acquaintances’, they were together since their 4 th year high school. “kami ni Nonoy
updanay gid ya halin sang high school, kay kami malang mo, kami permi di kilit-anay sa
barangay, barkada man kami halin gid sang una amo na dali lang siguro nahulog buot
ko sa iya” PA3 said. ( So we were together since high school, he was one of my close
friend , we see each other everyday in our barangay, I fell for him because of our
closeness with each other) PA3 started advocating for Women’s Rights since she was
elected as a barangay kagawad in her barangay, she started different programs and
seminars in promoting the protection of women in her own barangay.
PA4 was used for the codename of the fourth participant, she is already 23
years old, a high school graduate, she is living in City Proper, Iloilo and she has 3
children with her partner and they are still not yet married.
PA4 met her partner in her high school, they were schoolmates and at first she
didn’t like him but her partner was persistent to court her. “bali kami ni Juls nagstart gid
sang high school, indi indi gid ko naya sa iya mo, ambot gne ah.. basta grabe siya
mangaluyag kag mag diskarte sang una, indi indi gid ko ya sa iya kay daw tikalon man
abi mag hulag hulag, bisan mga barkada ko natikalunan sa iya kay galante nga tawo.
Pero nag-abot gid sang nga ginsabat ko siya.”. PA4 said. ( So me and Juls started when
we were in high school , I really do not like him and I don’t know why,but I guess he
was just so persistent and his courting skills was beyond the things that I can even
imagine, I can say that he is quite boastful and looks up on him self, even my close
˻ friends don’t like him, but eventually I accepted him.) PA4 started participating in
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seminars in violence against women after her partner abused her physically, sexually
and psychologically. Her partner raped her once when she had her period.
PA5 was used as the codename to conceal the identity of the fifth participant,
she is living in So-oc Arevalo with her husband and three children.
PA5 and her husband met in their place in Pampanga. They are close friends
since then. Her husband was not boyfriend but she was forced to marry him because of
some unfortunate incident.Her parents were . They have been together for 20 years and
they have 3 children all grown up. She admitted that she does not love her husband
during the time that they were married. On the first years of their marriage, everything
was fine until her ex went to Iloilo and ask her if they can meet for one last time asking
for a closure. The participant went to to ask for in Women’s protection in their barangay
since her husband had abused her physically.
Themes
Extractions from the transcripts and its corresponding analysis is discussed in this
part. The researchers had consolidated the most familiar answers of the participants and
are categorized in accordance to the statement of the problem and the reviews of the
related literatures. The gathered extracts were classified into themes relating to the
focus of the study. And the analysis of the data is based on the theoretical perspectives
˻ and the relate literature Review to attain the main purpose of the study.
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1. The rise of women
2. Political power and social
endeavor
3. Strength from within
The Rise of Women
The challenges that these women had gone through as a battered one does not
give them hindrance in doing what they want as an individual and the pursuance that
these women had made a lot of sacrifices in protecting their own families and
overpowering the dominance of a man. The rise of women in this study revolves around
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their courage, their power to stand their own rights, and their worth as a human being
and as a woman.
Extract 1
PA1:“when it comes to personal experiences, you see from my first or ex-

husband is a drug addict aside from the fact that he doesn’t have any work, he
always subject me to emotional, psychological and mostly physical,( PA1-L7-10)
Tapos mag panakit siya ya sa akon indi lang ya nga tampaun yaka or sumbagun
kundi lain lain.. mag panakit siya sakon kun kisa indi ko kabangon.. indi nako
katindog.. kay bugbug sirado kag gna repeated nga sumbag kag sipa, tapos may
times man nga gn paluhod yko sa asin kag gn Russian roulette kag gna tutukan
yako pusil nga may isa ang ka bala kag gina tiru ya gid ko..unfortunately… wala
ko na iguan”(PA1:L14-18)When it comes to personal experiences, you see my
first ex-husband is a drug addict aside from the fact that he doesn’t have to
work, he always subject me to emotional, psychological and mostly physical, and
then he had to hit me not only by spanking or punching but in different ways of
maltreatment, he had to hit me several times and there was a time that he had
to make me kneel with salt and also he did Russian roulette, he put the gun into
my head and unfortunately, there was no bullet.(PA1:L8-23)
PA1 is married with her first husband for five years and through those years,
their relationship was not stable at all due to her ex-husband’s addiction to drugs and
some sexual affairs.
Extract 2
PA2: “naga away kami pirmi kay tungod sa batasan ya nga tama ka seloso.
Siguro sang ulihi nag abot sa point nga grabe na away namon tas grabe na
singgitanay namon sa balay so nainit na siguro siya kay medyo gahod man ta
abi. Gin tampa ya ako, Kag gn kumos ang akon baba.” (PA2: L40-44) We were
fighting all time because of his attitude, he’s always getting jelous of other men,
Mybe there was appoint that we fought really hard and shouted to each other,
he just spanked me and crumbled my lips. (PA2:L64-68)
Extract 3
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PA3: “natabo tu nga insidente sang naga lantaw porn akon nga bana kaupod
sang akon nga 8 years old nga bata, gin hambalan ko siya nga mag unta siya ka
lantaw kay indi gid mayo sa bata pero gin buyayaw ya lang ko kag sininggitan,
te gin sabat o man siya eh ay syempre akig2 man ko, pero gin habuyan yako
mga botelya sang ilimnun, bl-an ko hubog nag id siya katama. Nagpalapit ko sa
iya kay pakalmahun ko siya tane pero gin tampa yako kag gin kuga“ (PA3:L90-
96)The incident happened when I saw my husband watching pornographic film
or clips, with our middle child son which is 8years old, I told him to stop
watching because our son was there and it was not appropriate to witness those
kind of things at the early age. He then started yelling and cursing at me, then I
answer him back because i was too mad of what he did as a father to our son.
Then, he started throwing bottles towards me, he was so mad and that I knew
he was already drunk during that time. Then i walk towards my husband in order
for him to calm down, telling him that our child should not see this violent act,
but he suddenly slapped and choked me with his arms. (PA3:L110-119)
Extract 4
PA4: “Natabo ini sang papule na ako sa namatyan sang tapos na ang vigil alas 8
sang gab-I, wala ko ka preparer sang amon panyapon, sang nagapasulod nako
sa balay namun ang bana ko nagahulat na sakon sa amon pertahan, nakibot ko
kay gin butong ya gulpi akon buhok kag ginabuyayaw yako, gin storya ko man
cea nga halin ko sa namatyan pero gina pilit ya gid nga halin ko kuno sa iban
nga balay nga ay kirido ako”It was when, I went home late because I came from
the “namatyan”(PA4: L130-135) since the vigil ended at around 8pm, I was
not able to prepare food for our dinner. As I walk into our house, I saw my
husband waiting for me at the front of our door. I was shock when he suddenly
pulled my hair and say bad words towards me, I tried to explain to him that I
came from the “namatyan” but he keeps on insisting that I came from someone
else’s house and he even accused me of having an affair with our neighbor.
(PA4:L136-141)
Extract 5
PA5: “Natabo ang una nga pagpanakit niya sa akon sang gagmay pa amon mga
kabataan, that time bal an didto pa na kami ya gaistar sa Pampanga, gaistar
kami lapit sa parents ko.” (PA5:L39-40). It was the first time he abused me
physically when our kids were still little and that time we were still staying at
Pampanga near my parent’s house. (PA5:L41-42)
Political Power and Social Endeavor
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Political Power helped or influenced other women who were also experiencing
different kinds of maltreatment and abuse physically, emotionally and psychologically
from their own partners and husbands. They were advocates of Violence against Women
and Women’s Rights which makes them understand their right and value their own self
as a woman.
Extract 6
PA1:amo lang na, I .. before nahuya gd ako, mgmbal parte sa experience ko..
but then I thought about it.. If I wont tell how about the other women who are
suffering.. indi lang ako, there are lawyers also… doctors, professionals nga
nahuya lang mghmbal.. nga naka experience this, pero nahuya lang sila.. ako ya
nghmbal gd ko ya nga this would be my one of my advocacies to tell people nga
its not too late, nga mag kwan, it doesn’t mean nga gusto mo intact family,
biskin mapatay kna da sa ulihi dra Kaman japon. No.. ang Ginoo ga ano mana
satun kng subra na bulag kana.. indi ka mg suffer sina kay ang babahi gina
palangga gina respeto, gina care for indi lang ginahimo punching bag.. di bala,
even the bible has verses which regards to that nga nag babahi.. dapat natun
pangalagaanv tapos amo na one of my advocacies is to speak with people.
(PA1:L314-322) Before I was ashamed to share of my experiences but the I
thought If I won’t tell how about the other women who are suffering, it’s not
only me, there are lawyers also… doctors, professionals who experienced it but
they are also ashamed to tell. I told myself, nga this would be my one of my
advocacies to tell people, it’s not too late. it doesn’t mean if you want a complete
family you have to stay. No, God told us if it’s too much get out of there,
because women are meant to love, respected and cared for. They are not
punching bags. Even the bible has verses which regards to taking care of women
and that is one of my advocacies is to speak with people. (PA1:323-332).
Extract 7
PA2: “So amo na, sympre na experience ko siya personally, tapos hambal ko ay
gusto ko mag intra sa mga awareness sa mga vaw kay symmpre tuod lang
damo. As in damo ang gka experience ni kaso nahuya mag hambal, nahuya
manugid.”(PA2:L124-126) Of course, I experienced it personally and I really
want to join in social groups regarding on VAW. Totally, many women like me
˻ had experienced women battering but they tried to keep it. (PA2:L130-134)
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Extract 8
PA3: “Nagsugod gis sang daug ako nga kagawad diri sa barangay namun, una
nahadlok gid ko mag intra intra sa mga programa nga parte sa VAW pero naisip
ko gid nga dapat ako makahimo programa para sa mga bahi diri sa amon
barangay nga pareho sa naagyan ko sadto” (PA3:LI59- 162) It was when I
became public servant as a barangay kagawad in our barangay. realized that
ishould e the one to start programs or seminars in VAW because I know that
there are many women like me is suffering just like what I’ve experienced.
(PA3:L169-172)
Extract 9
PA4: “nagsugod gid sag gin intra intra ko sa amon barangay, kay may programa
tu sila eh, parte sa hambalanun sa VAW, amu na eh, nag intra ko kay bal-an ko
naagyan ko ang mga naagyan sang iban man, didtu damo gid ko nakuha nga
impormasyon.” (PA:L172-174) started in our barangay, they had a seminar or
talk about VAW, and that;s it , I decided to be a member of it because I know
what I experienced some women had also experienced it, and I learned many
informations. (PA4:L179-181)
Extract 10
PA5:” Amo to sang naka agi ko once attend sng seminar2 , after to nag hambal
ako sa akon sarili na ka damo gid ya, Ka damo2 gid sang mga biktima sng VAW
nga gahipos gahipos lang, gina tago lang kay nakulbaan nga i judge sang
palibot” (PA5:L110-111). I attended some seminars, I told mysef that there
are many victims of battering and they are just afraid to be judged by the
society. (PA5:L112-113)
Strength from Within
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They were not appreciated by their partners and husbands; they were treated as
an animal by their own loved ones. These women had built a lot of strength within their
own self and with the help of their own families and friends to survive and overcome
those challenges of what they had experienced through times. They were motivated and
inspired by their relatives, their parents especially their children.
Extract 11
PA1:grabe eh, grabe daw I am very thankful nga gn gaan yako chance
nga mg survive. you know, there wer times nga, gahibi ka nga wala
luha..ako muna ko sang una. Kay once nga bi nga mghibi kana nga gns
akit ka nga gn sakit ka nga maylluha ka, mas sakitun ya pa gd kana
todo2 so dapat wala kgd luha.. so gahibi ko gahulgul wala ko luha, It was
only now nga nag balik, palahibi ko bala daan sang una.. it was only now
when I have my second husband, gagwa na tears ko, te pero may ara
Kaman japon sng kulba. very traumatic gid.. kay I never expected nga I
would undergo such experience kay wala man ko nasakit sa balay.. wala
man ko napapa.. buot2 amon parents. (PA1:L167-175) I am very
thankful he gave me a chance to survive, there were time that I had no
tears to cry, I wa sobbing but there were no tears flowing. It was only
the time that my tears went back when I met my second husband, but
sometimes I was paranoid. It was very traumatic I never expected such
experience because my parents were so nice and loving. (PA1:L176-
181)
Extract 12
PA2: “So ang gin ubra ko after ko mg separte cya is bumalik ko sa family
ko. Gin sugid ko sa Mama ko, nangayo ko strenght kay God nga makaya
nga biyaan siya. Kay sympre if naluyag, naluyag man ako sa iya kag siya
amo man sa akon.”(PA2:L111-113)So what I did after we separated is
I went back to my family, I told my mother and prayed to God that I can
survive without him, of course I loved him.(PA2:120-122)
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Extract 13
PA3:”Nag balik ko sa amon probinsya upod sang akon duh aka bata sa
Leon para makapahuwat kag maka butwa sa akon gin agyan .”
(PA3:L122-126) I went back to our province with my two kids in Leon
to rest and to recover my trauma that I’ve been through (PA3:L130-
135)
Extract 14
PA4: “Para sa mga kabataan ko nag batun ko ubra bisan ano lang.. laba, kag
bisan baligya sang kakanin para kakaun lang akon mga bata, mayo lang gani ara
gid si mama sa mga situasyon nga wala wala ko, sa kwarta gid. Kung wala akon
pamilya indi gid ko ka tindog sang akon” . (PA4:L160-164) For the sake of my
kids I accepted some work, like accepting laundries from near neighbors and
sometimes i sell “kakanin” , to provide for our daily needs.I really work hard for
my kids. Good thing that my mother is also helping me in some circumstances, in
terms of financial aspects, without them, my family, I cannot survive this
struggle on my own. (PA4:165-169).
Extract 15
PA5: “So Coping mechanism ko? Siguro ano lang.. Gin libang2 ko lang
akon self sa balay, gin hatag ko akon atensyon sa akon mga kabataan,
tapos nag enroll ako sa mga programs na bala nga gna offer sang tesda,
nag skwela ko massage, bartending kag nag intra2 ko zumba2 sa
plaza”(PA5:L100-103) So coping mechanism ko? Maybe, I gave all my
attention to my kids and at home and then I studied massage and also
bartending, I also joined Zumba. (PA5:L104-105)
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Theory Discussion
In order to understand
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Chapter 5
Summary, Conclusion, Implications and Recommendations
Chapter 5 consists of four (4) parts namely: (1) Summary of the Study, (2)
Conclusion, (3) Implications and (4) Recommendations.
Part One, Summary of the Study, presents the synopsis of the study wherein the
nature, purpose and problem of the study as well as the method s and findings derived
from the study were briefly reiterated.
Part Two, Conclusion, illustrates the consequences and inferences derived from
the findings of the study.
Part Three, Implications, illustrates the implications of the final output of this
study.
Part Four, Recommendations, insinuates the indications and hints based on the
complete results and conclusions of this study.
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Summary of the Study
This study primarily aimed to know the thoughts, feelings, perceptions of
battered women in the society. In addition, to further explore on the coping mechanisms
that these women had used in order to live their lives after they had a traumatic
experience and to know their stories on what experiences had led them to these
advocacies.
Particularly this study sought to answer the following problems:
(1) What are the thoughts, feelings, perceptions, struggles and experiences of
these battered women?
(2) When did they decide to enter politics and social groups? What lead them to
this decision
(3) What are their coping mechanisms? How did these battered women managed
to overcome those experiences?
The researches in this study used the concepts and methods of qualitative
approach and methods to explore the lives of battered women after they decided to
leave their abusive partners and decided to enter into advocacies on VAW . The aims of
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this study are to know how does physical abuse effect psychological well-being of a
woman, how do the victims manage to cope up and overcome these struggles, when did
they decide to enter into politics or social groups.
Using the narrative research design, the researchers form a social inquiry that
focuses on the way people interpret and make sense of their experience and the world
in which they live. The researchers used this method to understand the social reality of
individuals, groups and culture. Researchers use narrative approach to explore the
behavior, perspective, feelings and experiences of people and what lies at the core of
their lives explores the lives, experiences and coping mechanisms of battered women as
the participants and the main subject of this study. It is a strategy of inquiry which
studies the experiences of battered women and how they re-establish their lives by
joining in political arena and social movements specifically the advocacies on Violence
Against Women.
Using the Narrative Analysis of data, main and strong points from the interviews
were summarized. The Data collected were elucidated through Generation of Key
Themes and Interpretation and Research Conclusion.
Summary of the Findings
This study presents the following findings: these findings are fastened to the
statement of the problem, the reason why this study was conducted.
1. The participants of this study mentioned similar thoughts, feelings and perceptions
against Violence on women. All of the participant’s answer are similar with each other,
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which states that Violence against women is a big no in the society and also inquiry
showed that there is one theory that these participants had mentioned. During the time
that they were physically abused, they possessed a Battered Women Syndrome in which
a victim becomes so depressed, defeated, and passive that she believes she is incapable
of leaving the situation.
2.
2. It has been showed that the violent experiences of these battered women is the
number one reason why they decided to advocate for Violence Against Women. These
tragic experiences have let them decide that they need to speak up for themselves and
speak up for other victims of violence. They come together for an advocacy to stop
violence against women and help each other to rise up after their experiences.
3. The participants of this study has similar coping mechanisms, which is to leave their
homes and involve themselves on something that they really want to do. They explore
things that they never tried before and enjoy things on their on way. Also, one of their
coping mechanism is to share their experiences to someone that they trusted the most,
to open up regarding their current situation. They also entered into active groups on
Violence Against Women to fully see their inner potential after leaving their abusive
partners.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study the researchers drawn the following
˻ ˼
conclusion:
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1. Participants admitted that they have Battered Women Syndrome, and this syndrome
has been one of the factor why these victims can’t leave their homes on the first
attempts of Violence against them. They blame themselves that maybe they were not
enough, there was something missing and that leads their partner to hurt them. They
develop this kind of thinking before but later on they realized that Violence Against
Women is something that should be given attention since it affects to the psychological
well-being of a woman, that it is not something that any woman would tolerate.
2. One of the coping mechanism of these women is to open up to someone and share
their curent situation in order for them to release the traumatic experience that they had
feel before. Some of their coping mechanisms, also include leaving their homes to
establish themselves in the society that they once thought would judge them because of
their experiences.
3. Entering in Advocacies regarding Violence Against Women had helped these victims
to open up into the society on the scars about their past and to share the lessons that
they had learned on the experiences that they had. By this, they had helped other
victims to come out and help to raise awareness against violence on women.
Implications
The findings and conclusion of this study have led to its implications for theory
and for practice.
For Theory. The findings of this study were summarized based on the theories used in
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this study. Battered Women Syndrome: Learned Helplessness were primarily anchored
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in this study. In general, Battered Women Syndrome portray a clear view on the feelings
of battered women during the time that they were abused, this theory explained why
they chose to stay on their abusive partners for so long before they finally decided to
leave them. This theory reveals all the possible perceptions, thoughts and feelings of a
battered women. This theory justifies that women stay with their abusive partners
because they believe that it was their fault, that they lack on their part and so on.
This theory relates to the study; abusive men sees themselves as the dominant
one in the relationship thus leading to superiority over the other. They believe that they
should be the superior one since they are categorized as men and when they do not get
what they want in a relationship, they tend to be abusive on their partners, thus this
theory explains how these battered women accept their fates and they do not know
when to fight back. In this viewpoint, battered women are perceived to be the
submissive one, the one should only follow her partner and does not have a right to
complain on things in a relationship.
Battered Women Syndrome, in general suggests that women can learn to fight
back once they admit it to themselves that they are not the problem in the relationship.
That they should be respected and loved in a relationship. That they need to remind
themselves that they are precious enough to be just a battered women and that they do
not deserved all this kind of abuse.
For Practice. The result of this study implies various significant inputs to every
woman especially who experienced maltreatment or abused. Through the result of the
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study the readers can gain additional knowledge, good insights and thus, they can
expand their perception towards the experiences of battered women on how they
overcome those struggles they had, on participating in politics and in various social
undertakings. It will inspire the public and informed to take courage on something that
is not right, to fight for our human rights and to our freedom of expression. This study
will also upholds
Recommendations
For the Participants. The Result of this study revealed that battered women has
similar thoughts, feelings and perceptions by the time that they are abused, It shows
that all these women possessed a battered women syndrome which makes them think
that it is alright for their partner to hurt them since they blame themselves that it was
their fault that their partner have become violent. However, after that, battered women
had different coping mechanisms the time they decided to leave their abusive partners,
these women had entered into advocate groups on Violence Against Women and they
had become an active member sharing their personal experiences on how they managed
to live after they leave their homes. With this the researchers would like to recommend
to the participants to continue their advocacies to inspire people that it is not too late to
start all over again. And lastly, the researchers would like to suggest the participants to
continue to help other battered women in order for them to have a happy and peaceful
life.
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For the Public. The Researchers would like to appeal to the public to be more
observant on the things that is happening in the society. That they need to pay more
attention on women who are suffering and help them re-establish themselves in the
society
For the future Researchers. Future researchers could gain additional learnings
from this study that they could use for their future researches. This study could impart a
knowledge relating to battered women in the society. The learnings from this study may
supplement an essential information regarding the lives of battered women that may be
useful in the similar field of study
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What is the aim of this study?

What is the aim of this study?

What theoretical perspectives are discussed in this study?

What theoretical perspectives are discussed in this study?

WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

The Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences

La Paz, Iloilo City

of the Requirements for the Degree

Jameil B. Delos Reyes

Christine Joy T. Viray

Ms. Mary Ann Dela Vega, Ph. D

suffered a lot of tensions and downfall

data has undergone into coding to reduce the information

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

Chapter 4: Data Analysis, Discussion of the findings of the qualitative research

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusion, Recommendation

THE RISE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS AND SOCIAL UNDERTAKINGS: THE EXPERIENCES

Jameil B. De los Reyes

Christine Joy T. Viray

Introduction to the Study

Definition of Terms, (6) Scope and Limitations of the Study.

choice of the problem.

the theory that is used in this study.

researchers leading to the purpose of the study.

derived from the findings of the study.

Background of the Study

As a survey done by National Demographic and Health Survey in 2013, 1 out of 5

marriage. Physical abuse/violence concentrates on the unwanted contact or violation of

physical or sexual force, actual or threatened, in an intimate relationship. Intimate

relationships include a current or former spouse, and an intimate, or dating partner.

Violence is used to intimidate, humiliate or frighten victims, or to make them feel

powerless. Abuse against women occurs in families of all socioeconomic, educational

lesbian relationships can also be at risk for abuse.

of harm and serious life-threatening injury.

harmful to women as physical abuse. Tactics of control may appear gradually as

difficult for the woman, as well as friends, family or professionals to recognize it as

absence of physical abuse, the two often occur together.

up into wife batterers themselves (Cameron, 1985).

abode, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or

harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.

Psychological violence refers to acts or omissions causing or likely to cause mental or

to witness pornography in any form or to witness abusive injury to pets or to unlawful or

unwanted deprivation of the right to custody and/or visitation of common children.

patriarchal influence of the past.

Women battering is a huge problem in the Philippines with millions of cases of

Epistemological and Theoretical Perspectives of the Study

Constructivism as a paradigm or worldview posits that learning is an active,

constructive process. The learner is an information constructor. People actively construct

or create their own subjective representations of objective reality. New information is

Newby, T. J. (1993). According to Crotty, 1998, that the essence of constructionism it is

participation to the situation.

In this study Constructivism is used by the researchers to collect information and to

create various representations on the experiences of battered women in politics and in

and in social undertakings.

Interpretivism corresponds to the claim of constructivism, the goal of interpretivist

(Creswell, 2009), Interpretivism corresponds to claim of constructionism. In order to

series of endeavors is needed. Interpretation, explanation and elucidation of the