Posted: August 1st, 2023

Sociol 316: Family Violence Family Affair Analysis

Sociol 316: Family Violence Family Affair Analysis Summer 2020
Due Date: August 3rd
Type of Submission: Submit as word document or pdf file both via Blackboard and via email (I’m asking you to
send it both ways in case I have a difficulty printing it through Blackboard.).
I. General Instructions
1. Length: 7 full pages. If you need to extend the length, that is fine with me, but not more than two pages.
2. Format: Times, 11 or12, double-spacing, standard 1-inch margins on all sides. On top line of first page,
write your name, Sociol 316 and Family Affair Analysis. Then skip a line and begin your analysis.
3. Read the question carefully. If you have a question, contact me asap; please do not wait till the last day
to contact me for your sake.
4. Engage closely with the texts to convince me that you have read them. Engagement should be via a
semi-balanced mixture of direct passages (quotations) and paraphrasing. Engagement with direct passages
cannot substitute for your own thinking You have to convince me that you understand what the author is
saying and engage critically/thoughtfully with their ideas. If you use several long quotations (more than
two lengthy sentences or four lines), then you have to increase the length by a ½ page.
5. Make it clear that the reader knows you are addressing each of the below content requirements.
For example, if you are discussing tactics, then use the word tactics. If you are addressing forms of child
maltreatment, tell the reader so they know to what you are referring, but without copying in full the
requirement sentence/sentences.
6. This is an essay. You must write in paragraphs and full sentences (no bulleting).
7. Cite all borrowed specific ideas. The reader needs to be able to distinguish your ideas from those of
others. I am requesting that you cite the page from where you found the borrowed idea, even if you are
paraphrasing. Please use parenthetical citations. Since there are only two texts for this paper, you do not
need to include a works cited page.
8. Give yourself time to edit your paper for spelling, grammar, sentence coherency, and organization of
ideas You should edit your paper 3x. If I’m struggling to read the first page, I will not continue to read the
paper, but contact you to res-submit.
II. Textual Engagements
Chico David Clovard, Family Affair
Patricia Hill Collins, “It’s All in the Family”
Ola W. Barnett et al., Family Violence across the lifespan. 3rd ed., Chapters 1 – 5
You cannot use any reviews or articles that analyze the documentary.
III. Grade Breakdown of Analysis
Content Engagements: 80%
Writing and Citation: 20%
IV. Content Engagements: Do not answer the below questions in the order by which they are listed. You will
want to group together some of these questions, and in general think about what is the best way to
address all of the below requirements within the required length.
o A definition of family violence: one that best captures its different forms/variations.
o Identify and discuss a few of the complex and contradictory images of family and/or home
shown/voiced in the documentary and how do they help contribute to (a) an understanding of the
complexity of what family/home is and (b) to a deeper understanding of family violence. In
exploring this question, you must engage with three (3) dimensions of the family ideal in Collins,
“It’s All in the Family.” Your engagement with Collin’s article, must go beyond just naming the
dimension titles. If that is all you do, you have not yet presented the dimensions. Do NOT take up
each dimension back to back in the essay; this would be a mistake as it will weaken the paper.
o What forms of child maltreatment and other types of violence does the documentary touch
upon? Identify, define, and discuss. (Note, I’m not asking you to identify every incident that takes
place in the Colvard family, but to capture the different forms of child maltreatment and any other
types of family violence that takes place in the documentary.)
o Present at least one area of controversy/complexity/absence of consensus for two of the forms of
child maltreatment and/or other types of family violence taking place in the documentary
o Identify and briefly describe the five phases of sexual abuse accommodation syndrome, and
discuss each in relation to the documentary to the extent that they are applicable. (This was
presented in Week 2 Online Meeting. If you didn’t attend it, you can look it up in Google.)
o What tactics do perpetrators use to abuse their victims? Illustrate via the documentary.
o Identify and discuss at least three practices of resistance to family violence via the documentary.
o What are some of the effects/consequences of family violence (discuss in terms of at least three of
the family members).
o Identify two interpretations or explanations of family violence that are presented/voiced in the
documentary and by whom. Connect each of them to a theory or framework from our textbook.
Then briefly evaluate each for its utility (strengths and/or weaknesses).
—
Student Name:
Professor:
Course:
Date:

Family Affair Documentary
Three million children in the United States witness family violence in their lifetime. Children subjected to domestic violence go through psychological trauma later in adulthood, affecting mental well-being, physical health, emotional wellbeing and socially. Family violence is also referred to as domestic violence involving abusive behaviors between intimate relationships. For instance, family members such as siblings, couples in marriage and partners in courtship (Briggs-Gowan, Margaret, page 100-111). Family violence involves physical abuse and other forms of abuse, such as sexual abuse, intentionally breaking and damage of properties, economic abuse and psychological abuse. Any form of abuse is illegal and unaccepted through family violence protection Act of 2008 and the civil human rights Act. The primary aim of all forms of family abuse involves controlling the victims through isolation, threats, blame, humiliation and intimidation.
The “It’s all in the Family.” documentary represents the complexity and contradictions of a family or a home. The documentary consists of six dimensions, which show the complexity of a family through connection as representing the social organization, national identity and differences in racial ideas. Patricia Hill Collins demonstrates an image of traditional American family exploring how white supremacy and Prussian blue music beings out the ideal traditional family (González, Aldo Ocampo, and Patricia Hill Collins, page 17). According to the American Family set-up, the author uses intersectionality to bring out how gender, race, and class articulate each other. The nature of an imagined traditional family includes a family where the father is the head, earning an adequate salary, a wife that stays at home and children. Collin’s six dimensions include; blood ties, socio-economic classes, home, blood ties, family planning and natural hierarchies.
The complexity of a family/home is based upon various beliefs according to a traditional family’s nature. According to natural hierarchy, the father is the head of the family and should be treated with respect. The notion of natural hierarchy has brought about family violence where Fathers or husbands end up beating up women and children as part of leadership and exercising masculinity (Briggs-Gowan, Margaret, page 100-111). Additionally, a home is considered a feminized safe space for women and children where women are expected to nurture children and take care of husbands according to Prussian blue. The imaginary traditional family has led to family violence, especially due to current civilization, women are developing careers and getting into the cooperate world. The issue has brought about economic violence, neglect of domestic care, violence against women and men, physical and emotional abuse.
Additionally, family members have rights and responsibilities accompanied by expectations. The rights and responsibilities are no longer in order compared to a traditional family. Men are expected to provide for the family and protect the family from harm (González, Aldo Ocampo, and Patricia Hill Collins, page 17). Failure to perform family responsibility is a cause of family violence, especially if the man has no job or no finance source to cater to the family. Poverty is a major cause of family violence caused by emotional, verbal and mental torture from other family members.
Nevertheless, blood ties represent genetic bonds where related family members are expected to behave in a certain way. People bonded by blood carry various rights and responsibilities towards each other, for instance, siblings (González, Aldo Ocampo, and Patricia Hill Collins, page 17). Parents are also connected to their children by birth, where neglect and ignorance of responsibilities cause conflict or domestic violence. All the six dimensions define a family set up, expectations of a family and the origin of family violence.
Chico David Colvard, Family Affair documentary, is a symbol of child maltreatment and family violence. Chico Colvard, Paula, Angelika and Chiquita are victims of family violence caused by family differences and bad sibling relationships. The form of child maltreatment portrayed in the documentary includes psychological violence, emotional violence, physical violence, sexual violence and neglect of children by parents (Alimahomed-Wilson, Jake, and Dana Williams, page, 1-15). Chico and the rest of the siblings underwent emotional and psychological violence from the father, Elijah.
Chico Colvard shooting his sister Paula was a form of physical, mental and psychological maltreatment towards Paula. Paula underwent trauma from the shooting having to spend time in the hospital with twenty-two surgeries and bone grafts. The physical and psychological trauma made Chico guilty and depressed, especially after realizing Elijah had repeatedly raped Paula and the other two sisters (Alimahomed-Wilson, Jake, and Dana Williams, page, 1-15). All the family members were victims of violence and had a mental disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depressions, mood swings, anxiety and schizophrenia diagnosed in Chico.
The children went through neglect and isolation from the parents while growing up. Chico had not seen his father for over fifteen years, and the mother had withdrawn from their lives. Lack of parental care was the main cause of violence and mental disorder, especially Chico. Isolation, neglecting, threats and humiliation from parents affected the children’s psychology (Alimahomed-Wilson, Jake, and Dana Williams, page, 1-15). Additionally, the girls went through sexual abuse from Elijah, where Angelika had to undergo an abortion at fourteen years. The maltreatment and family violence experienced by Chico and siblings transformed their lives completely in adulthood. Angelika’s sexual abuse trauma affected her new family, especially after giving birth to a child. On the other hand, Paula does not feel the shooting’s impact but views the whole situation as a lifesaving moment. Paula’s accident saved her life from sexual abuse, although it affected her psychologically, emotionally and physically.
Sexual abuse towards Angelika, Paula and Chiquita is a major area of controversy and absence of consensus, especially when the mother is aware and present in the family. Elijah lacked sympathy and a sense of conscience when raping the daughters, yet the mother was still alive and part of the family (Alimahomed-Wilson, Jake, and Dana Williams, page, 1-15). The act shows a lack of understanding and misuse of natural hierarchy. Sexually abusing children was an act of toxic masculinity and disrespect of family values and women’s rights in a family set-up. Elijah misused his right as the head of the family and decided to rule over the family’s whole, including engaging in sexual acts with the daughters.
Victims of sexual abuse undergo trauma, especially when coming into reality with the world after undergoing rejection, blame, isolation and humiliation. Sexually harassed victims undergo five phases defining the vulnerability of children and the underlying consequences of the assault. The phases of sexual abuse accommodation syndrome include; secrecy, helplessness, entrapment accommodation, delayed disclosure and retraction. Paula and the two sisters underwent the five stages of sexual abuse syndrome, beginning with keeping the issue as a secret from everyone, including the mother.
The secret of sexual assault and neglect tormented the victims causing depression and helplessness to a point that the victims accommodated and owned the torture (González, Aldo Ocampo, and Patricia Hill Collins, page 17). Chico was shocked because the girls could not tell anyone and even visit and talk to the father regardless. It took a while before disclosure, until when Paula got shot and decided to disclose the issue to the mother and the brother. Trauma, guilt and stress follow after disclosure where Chico fell into depression, and the three sisters suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.
Perpetrators of sexual abuse are driven by either toxic masculinity, which involves having a negative feeling towards women and a desire to control and abuse women or impersonal sexual assault perpetrators. Sexual perpetrators also use tactics such as physical force, verbal coercion, use of alcohol and drugs. Elijah assaulted the daughters through physical assault and verbal coercion (González, Aldo Ocampo, and Patricia Hill Collins, page 17). Elijah had full control over women in his family; therefore, he could use force while assaulting them, leading to physical and mental torture. Additionally, the perpetrators lured the daughters verbally because the children were young and vulnerable.
Choosing silence or being silenced, speaking with many voices and managing disclosure are the three practices of resistance to family violence. Choosing silence enables children to choose self-silencing and decide when to speak instead of being silenced forever. Paula and the sisters were silenced and could not share the issue with anyone. Managing disclosure enables the victim to choose ways to tell and develop self-expression. Victims of family violence speak with many voices through support from caring parties such as close family members and learning to communicate reflectively to acquire help.
Mental illness, physical injuries, emotional trauma and social disorganization, are among the consequences of family abuse. Mental illness involves depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, cases of schizophrenia experienced by Chico and other illnesses. Family violence can also affect relationships between parents-children and between siblings, such as the relationship between Paula and Chico and that between the mother and the siblings (González, Aldo Ocampo, and Patricia Hill Collins, page 17). Physical abuse occurs when force is applied, which also occurs during sexual abuse. On the other hand, Angelica underwent emotional and psychological trauma, especially after undertaking abortion at fourteen, affecting her in adulthood. Chico and Angelica are afraid that the children may undergo mental-related issues such as schizophrenia and anxiety, which is a major consequence of violence.
Anyone can be a victim of family violence, including both children and parents. Family violence affects children more than parents because children are vulnerable and weak emotionally. The six doctrines mostly cause family violence explained in the all in the “it’s all in the family” documentary (Alimahomed-Wilson, Jake, and Dana Williams, page, 1-15). The documentaries bring out sexual, physical, emotional and mental violence as experienced by the victims.
The family violence existing in the documentaries are linked to theories such as the theory of intersectionality, critical feminism theory, and theory of power and attachment theory that involves the impact of child-parent violence (Briggs-Gowan, Margaret, page 100-111). The interpretation of family violence as represented in the” it’s all in the family” is stronger considering all the six doctrines which have changed in perspectives as time evolves. The family affair documentary discusses violence towards women, not considering violence towards men in the family. The documentary lies more on women as victims of family violence and men as the cause of family violence.

Work Cited
Alimahomed-Wilson, Jake, and Dana Williams. “State violence, social control, and resistance.” Journal of Social Justice 6 (2016): 1-15.
Briggs-Gowan, Margaret J., et al. “Parsing dimensions of family violence exposure in early childhood: Shared and specific contributions to emergent psychopathology and impairment.” Child Abuse & Neglect 87 (2019): 100-111.
González, Aldo Ocampo, and Patricia Hill Collins. “Interview with Patricia Hill Collins on Critical Thinking, Intersectionality and Educational: key objectives for critical articulation on Inclusive Education.” Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies (JCEPS) 17.2 (2019).

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