Trying to Avoid Coyotes”: The Nexus of Rurality, Domestic Violence, and Social Inequality

• In Event: Understanding Rurality and Gender-based Violence

Abstract

Abstract: Rural domestic violence is a growing area of scholarship; yet, more research is needed to fully grasp survivors’ lived experiences. This chapter leverages my own community-based, action-oriented, ethnographic research from a rural community in the western United States to convey grassroots lived experiences of rural domestic violence survivors. It serves as a window into the nexus at which rurality, domestic violence, and inequality meet; in particular, this chapter delineates what is known about domestic violence in rural locales and the ways it disproportionately impacts those most vulnerable. Importantly, survivors’ lived experiences raise awareness about the unique, intersectional dimensions of rural domestic violence. This includes issues pertaining to transportation in a rural environment, cultural and religious forces that shape staying in and/or leaving abusive circumstances, and rural social isolation. From these findings, the chapter offers suggestions for ways to better address rural domestic and gendered violence, offering a path forward for future scholarship and social action.

Author

• Amy M. Magnus, California State University, Chico