Thesis (M.Sc. Psychology)--University of Waikato, 1993.

Maori women's experience of male partner violence is explored using a case study approach with seven women. The qualitative data collection method used provided for rich and detailed accounts of the violence experienced by the women, the effects on them, their cognitive processing of their experience, their reactions to the violence and the reactions of others. The women's stories are produced in narrative form to facilitate accessibility of the material and to provide a resource for groups working with Maori on the issue of men's use of violence. Some poetry written by me during the period of conducting this research has been appended as a further resource. The cross case analysis divides the information given in the women's stories into the topic areas provided by the conceptual framework. Thus demographic data and other background information provide a context for the relationships. The man's violent behaviours are divided into types of abuse, as per the Duluth power and control wheel; and the woman's reactions to the violence are grouped according to a cognitive judgement on her part as to whether the violence was justified or not. The effects of the violence on the women show that over time it is increasingly destructive to her and the children. The women expend a lot of energy on trying to make sense of the violence. Their various thinking on this is outlined. The role of different outsiders is explored and grouped according to whether their behaviour helped the women get free of the violence, or was unhelpful because it worked to maintain the violent status quo. Finally the outcomes for the women are looked at, which reveals that there can be a moving on from violence but not necessarily a quick recovery from it. In the discussion, different imported theories on family violence are revisited in light of the findings. Particularly, the theories are assessed for their applicability to Maori women's experience. Of the theories, the Stockholm syndrome and the power and control wheel appear to be most relevant. Some developing Maori theory is also considered in light of the results.--Author's abstract

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