Challenging Ethnocentric Explanations of Domestic Violence

Theories describing domestic violence toward women are predominantly ethnocentric in that they are largely based on western notions of family and family life. Invariably, strategies responding to domestic violence are also based on values that are reflective of their cultural origin. The Duluth power and control wheel, a model that has been adopted universally as a tractable strategy for managing male aggression, is identified as having significant gaps within the analysis when reviewed from a Samoan perspective. This article provides a critique of the Duluth model and explores the knowledge requirements for social workers working with Samoan women who have been abused by Samoan men. Suggestions for working with Samoan women and their communities are offered at the service, legal, and educational levels. This article argues that further research is required to ascertain the nature of domestic violence for Samoan women in New Zealand and more work is required with Samoan communities to determine the nature of service provision. It further argues that a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence as well as an understanding of the unique dynamics of Samoan culture are necessary.