When Is It Violence? Social Recognition of Domestic Violence in Czech Society Under State Socialism, 1948–1989

This article examines domestic violence in Czech society under state socialism as a social phenomenon shaped by specific historical, cultural, and social conditions. Based on extensive archival research, the article analyzes how the articulation of violent experiences, social spaces of communication, the gendered appearance of victims, class, ethnicity, and expert knowledge influenced the recognition of private aggression as violence. The study argues that domestic violence did not exist as a self-evident reality, but rather emerged through historically situated communication and perception. The article emphasizes the importance of incorporating local social processes into historical studies of domestic violence.