Clinical Sociology Review

Article Title

Sociological Strategies for Developing Community Resources: Services for Abused Wives as an Example

Authors

Mary C. Sengstock, Wayne State UniversityFollow

Abstract

There has been increased concern for the problem of family violence in recent years, and an accompanying interest in providing services to meet the needs of victims. This has led to research efforts, as well as to the development of new community services. Clinical sociologists can do much to assure that the development of community resources and empirical research in this area precede hand in hand. This article reports on the work of a committee, chaired by the author, which used social research and knowledge of sociological principles in the development of services for battered wives in a major metropolitan area. Three major intervention strategies were employed in the committee setting: provision of information about social structure and its consequences to enable members to develop more effective plans; use of sociological principles and data to make people aware of aspects of the situation of which they had not been aware; and involvement of group members and other individuals in the planning process to maximize the likelihood of an investment in the outcome. Committee activities are discussed as a means of indicating both successes and difficulties with these strategies.

Recommended Citation

Sengstock, Mary C. (1987) "Sociological Strategies for Developing Community Resources: Services for Abused Wives as an Example," Clinical Sociology Review: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 13.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/csr/vol5/iss1/13