Next Millennium Conference: Ending Domestic Violence; How To Conduct Appropriate Research in Diverse Populations

• NCJ Number: 184571
• Author(s): Meiko Yoshihama; Rachel Rodriguez; Shamita Das Dasgupta
• Date Published: August 1999
• Length: 49 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1999-WT-VX-0002
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Conference Material

Annotation

This three-member panel discusses methodologies for conducting appropriate domestic violence research in diverse populations.

Abstract

One presenter, Meiko Yoshihama, has been involved in research with the Asian Pacific American battered women in Los Angeles, as well as a research and action group in Japan. She notes that battered women of color face different experiences and different barriers than white battered women. Her presentation focuses on her research with Asian Pacific American women. She advises that standard measures of domestic violence do not capture some of the culturally based aspects of abuse. A survey of women in the targeted population found that the cultural value of enduring life's hardships with grace and patience without complaining impacts their response to abuse, including emotional abuse. Japan-born residents of the United States are less likely to use "active" coping in dealing with abuse. Rachel Rodriguez discusses her research on domestic violence among migrant farm workers, mainly Mexican-Americans. The research has identified the particular difficulties women have in dealing with abuse, because of their special socioeconomic situation. Shamita Das Dasgupta discusses the ways in which research reflects the biases, attitudes, experiences, and background of the researcher. Researchers who focus on particular ethnic groups must take care to include persons from the population being studied, such that research methodology and hypotheses take into account the characteristics of the population being studied.