A critical analysis of domestic abuse: Using a Marxist framework to inform progressive social work responses

INTRODUCTION: Domestic abuse (DA) remains a serious concern in Australia, with one woman a week on average being murdered by a current or past partner. There has been little examination of neoliberal capitalism—both its role in reinforcing the structural subordination of women and men and how it has influenced societal conditions for DA. This neglect of structural interrogation has arisen alongside increasing precarity for working-class women and men living on society’s margins for their conditions of employment, experiences of alienation and the implications of technological displacement. APPROACH: To fully examine the problem of DA within the neoliberal context, we can turn to a structural critique such as that offered by Marxist theory. This approach focusses on a class analysis that illuminates the deep and pervasive problems harboured by capitalism CONCLUSION: Whilst Marxism has been sidelined in recent decades, this theory of social change arguably remains timely and important for examining current approaches to DA and generating needed policy reform, given current individualised strategies are not broadly effective. It is proposed that Marxist principles can underpin the theory and practice of effective, community-led approaches to ameliorate the problem of violence against women.