Vad har jag gjort för att förtjäna detta? : En studie av kvinnors upplevelser i våldsutsatta relationer

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of women who have been abused by their partners. The study also examines how violence takes shape in a relationship. Based on a qualitative text analysis of three autobiographies and one novel, we have obtained the material for this study. The three selected autobiographies are; "I have not told you everything" by Jessie Andersson, "The nightmare" by Maria Dahlén and "It would be a pleasure to kill you" by Magdalena Graaf and the novel "Hidden" by Liza Marklund. To gain a better understanding of this topic, we have used the following theories; the process of normalization of violence, gender and masculinity. The analysis of the study is divided into two chapters. In the first chapter we are going to analyze the "Women's experiences as subjects to violence in relationships", where similarities in the four books are revealed, as well as the women’s experiences. The second chapter highlights "The underlying reasons why abuse exists in these relationships". This chapter shows what the gender roles of a man and a woman are, as told in the relationships described in the books. The results of this study show that women first become exposed to psychological violence which later also becomes physical. Women, who live in these conditions, adapt to the men’s behavior and feel shame, guilt, fear and powerlessness about their lives. Furthermore we discuss the society’s influential role towards women who are abused. The society and the social workers, should have an understanding of this problem, in order to help the women and understand why they stay in abusive relationships.