Tita Yanez

Mrs. Greene- 7th Period

Source Analysis 7
Citation:
Moser, Caroline O. N., and Cathy McIlwaine. "The Family as a Violent Institution and the
Primary Site of Social Violence." Encounters with Violence in Latin America: Urban

Poor Perceptions from Colombia and Guatemala

. New York: Routledge, 2004. 99-116.

Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

Source Validation: I believe this is a valid source because it is written by Caroline O.N. Moser
who is a specialist in social policy and urban anthropology. The other author, Cathy McIlwaine,
is a professor of Geography in London.
How I Found This Source: I found this source on Google Scholar.
Intended Audience: The intended audience for this source is people interested in the many
forms of violence that are highly prevalent in Latin America and how they have shaped societyspecifically in Colombia and Guatemala.
Arguments/Topics This Source Discusses: This sources discusses the strong presence of
domestic violence in Colombia and Guatemala. Domestic violence is so prevalent in Latin
American culture that is considered a norm rather than a problem. Most people in these nations
dont even consider these acts as violence because of the fact that it occurs within a family
setting. Surprisingly, despite how everydaydomestic violence is in these areas, children are the
ones that realize the damage and disruption this violence causes in their lives. Although the
perpetrator is usually male, when a female is the perpetrator the victim is usually a child. This
chapter says that children face greater dangers within their own homes rather than on the streets.
This chapter also includes several graphics in order to further explain the points made.
Quotes:
In both countries... family by its very nature was often perceived as a violent institution.

Women everywhere were more candid than men, partly because men were more likely to be
perpetrators than victims, but also because men were less likely to recognize this as a form of
violence.
A twenty-five year old Colombian woman from Bucaramanga noted: Here it is an everyday
thing that husbands beat their wives. Some have been wounded with knives and bottles.
Sexual violence was also widespread, although it was discussed less frequently. This was
mainly because rape within marriage was widely accepted and condoned and often seen as part
of womens sexual duty to their husbands.