När normaliseringen är problemet : En kvalitativ studie om socionomers förståelse för vad som gör att vissa kvinnor stannar i heterosexuella parrelationer där mannen utövar våld.

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to investigate social workers ́ understanding of why some abused women stay in heterosexual couples where the man practices violence, and based on their understanding increase knowledge of how the work of abused women is shaped in practice. The empirical data are based on semi-structured telephone-interviews with six respondents who have a degree in social work and who are working with women exposed to domestic violence. Three research questions guided our investigation: What reasons do the social workers ́ identify to why some women stay in heterosexual relationships where they are subjected to violence? What characterizes social workers ́ understanding of women's choice to stay in a violent heterosexual couple relationship? Do social workers ́ understandings of women's choices have significance in client-centered work and if so how? The study deals with theories about gender, the concept of identity and the normalization process. This study has a hermeneutic approach because of it ́s purpose to investigate social workers ́ understanding of why some women stay with men who exposes them to violence. By interpreting the social workers ́ understanding for the phenomenon, one can increase knowledge of how the social work with women who are subjected to violence, is shaped in practice. Due to previous research and the social workers ́ answers there are many reasons why some women stay in a violent relationship. Two main themes could be distinguished: practical and emotional dependencies. The analysis focuses on social workers ́ understanding of an individual-oriented problem, gender- and identity-based problem, and that social workers ́ see the problem based on the normalization process. This means that the social workers ́ understanding of the problem contributes to characterize the social work in practice, by attempts to denormalize the woman from her vulnerable situation which has been shaped into something normal for her. The findings that this study has reached, we think can contribute to the state of knowledge about the problems of women who are exposed to men ́s violence. Based on the fact that social workers’ central tools in the client-centered work are characterized by knowledge and understanding, we think it's important to elucidate social workers’ understandings of the problem, as these parts can influence a woman's choice to stay or leave.