Ethical/Philosophical Considerations Within the Battered Women's Movement

摘要

Numerous ethical and philosophical issues related to organizing and operating shelters for battered women are presented. Discussions of strategies and actions to eliminate violence against women usually place priority on survival and crisis issues and do not take the time and risk to discuss subjects related to long - range planning for women's emancipation. Philosophical differences can cause delays in actions, however. Among organizational matters that merit discussion are whether a shelter should have a traditional hierarchy, a collective structure, or some other combination of organizational structures. Another issue is whether salaries should be equal, contain small incremental differences, or be sharply differentiated. Job qualifications and division of labor should also be discussed. Several types of issues relate to culture and lifestyle. Among these are which holidays and cultural traditions to celebrate, whether to educate clients about negative consequences of makeup or hair dye, whether subtle cultural biases act against women and children who have limited vocabulary or are afraid to speak, and whether the shelter staff and board reflect cultural and class diversity. Among nutritional decisions are whether to provide health foods or more commonly used foods, whether donated canned goods should be used instead of more expensive purchased groceries, and whether foods prohibited by major religions should be purchased. Issues related to the shelter's role concern whether the shelter should provide simple sanctuary or whether it should provide a wholistic approach to countering violence. The role of men in shelter organization and staffing, worker burnout, and sexual counseling and homosexual and heterosexual preferences of clients and staff members are additional issues that need to be addressed.