Domestic Violence and the U.S. Welfare State

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Article Response: “You trade in a man for the man": Domestic Violence and the U.S. Welfare State” By Priya Kanadswamy
In the article “You trade in a man for the man”: Domestic violence and the U.S. Welfare State,” author Priya Kandaswamy argues that the Family Violence Act, which was passed to protect women in welfare who are vulnerable to domestic violence, failed to make real positive impact on the lives of women, especially those from ethnic minorities. This is because instead of holding the state responsible for the welfare of women and addressing racial discrimination in the workforce and economic inequalities, the FVA shifted the burden of survival to the victims seeking to promote personal responsibility through work and marriage. In this regard, this article portrays the state’s attempts to avoid its social responsibility to vulnerable citizens through legal legislations, and the welfare movements’ unwitting support of the state’s efforts to avoid social responsibility. For instance, the FVA’s support of programs aimed at getting welfare recipients to work as a means of enhancing their economic security suggests the state’s goal of making the beneficiaries of state aid responsible for their survival.
Analysis
On closer scrutiny, The Family Violence Act turns out to be the state’s exist strategy from its responsibility for the social welfare of vulnerable and marginalized families. On the surface, this approach seems to a well-intended measure for establishing a sustainable model for addressing the long term socioeconomic needs of unemployed women and dependent families. However, its demonstration of state failure becomes apparent when it is realized that the putting of welfare recipients into the work force does not address pertinent issues like economic inequalities and discrimination. Consequently, even after securing jobs the victims still remain dependent on welfare support because they do not earn enough money to sufficiently meet their needs.
Significant Quote
“The emergence, passage, and implementation of the FVO were shaped both
by how the battered women’s movement defined domestic violence and its
victims and by how it engaged state institutions (...