Program Enterprise and Official Cooptation in the Battered Women's Shelter Movement

Violent or abusive acts between family members have inspired much recent media and public interest. Media reports routinely publicize scientific surveys showing a greater incidence of family violence, and (scientific and lay) theories speculating on its social causes. These reports include information on the rapid growth of shelters for battered women during the late 1970s. While attentions are riveted on the above questions, few think to ask what leads to specific official programs and other political responses to these perceptions. This article reports on the organizational and resource development of the shelter movement, its success and relationship to official funding sources, and the welfare state corruption and official cooptation involved in many shelter programs. In addition to academic and research involvements in this field for over ten years, personal experiences as a shelter cofounder and early leader represent important data sources for these analyses. The traditional focus on rule violators has shifted, in recent sociologi-