The “Patriarchy of the Wage” and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Brazil

• In Event: 40861 - Section on Sociology of Population Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 6: Policy Change, Gender, and Reproductive Health

Abstract

Sexist violence has been reconceptualized by feminist movements in Latin America, who see the decline of the “patriarchy of the wage” in a neoliberal context as a key driver behind it. Such violence is exacerbated by two intertwined mechanisms: the need of men to secure reproductive labor, and male emotional backlash to the devaluation of their identity. This study sets out to establish the relationship between men’s reduced ability to command authority through the wage and the likelihood that women experience Intimate Partner Violence. Using report-level data from the Violence and Accident Surveillance module of Brazil’s National Disease Notification System (VIVA-SINAN), I found a significant positive effect between budget reforms and IPV against women aged 15-49. The difference-in-difference effect of budget reforms increased the probability of IPV by 10.9%. Additionally, the model found statistically significant effects for reform, year, age, education, race, marriage, and male unemployment.

Author

• Christopher Brehm, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill