Intimate violence, family, and femininity: women's narratives on their construction of violence and self.

In the context of a high threshold for violence in everyday living and the cultural value of the institution of family, this article looks at women's narratives from counseling settings in India to comment on the cultural processes of explaining and rationalizing domestic violence that silence women. Definitions of femininity, marriage, and motherhood in India that are hinged on women's responsibility toward holding a family together have obstructed an understanding of women's individual rights and of violations of these rights. There is need to address both the public and professionals on the specific nature of domestic violence, and its ideological and structural context for creating recognition of the issue as a major social problem.