Is Religiosity a Panacea for Mitigating Intimate Partner Violence in India?

Abstract

The religiosity of people may make them respond positively or negatively to various persons in different social situations. Some scholars claim that religiosity can be positively related to intimate partner violence (IPV), when the dominance of men over women is sanctioned by religion. On the other hand, some other scholars support the view that religiousness is negatively associated with IPV as individuals involved in religious activities tend to be less aggressive and more altruistic and empathetic to their partners. This paper attempts to reveal how the religiosity of husbands and wives may mitigate the former’s violent behaviour against the latter in Tamil Nadu State, India. The findings presented in the paper are arrived at from the analysis of qualitative data collected through selected case studies.