Although love is the hallmark of humanity, it is not widely discussed in social work and other related professions with respect to its potential connection to abuse. In this groundbreaking book the author argues that, while love and abuse should not co-exist, they often do.
Using a feminist narrative approach, stories about love, abuse, and social work are told with the purpose of understanding domestic violence and other forms of abuse. Based on interviews with 84 women of varying ages in Canada and Australia, the author shows how the pain and shame of intimate abuse can leave its mark on the bodies, minds, and souls of victims/survivors long after abusive episodes have ended. Additionally, Fraser also discusses the importance of hope, ""enlightened witnesses,"" income support, and educational opportunities for women who refuse to renounce love relationships altogether, but are instead trying to foster relationships that are respectful as well as erotic.
Preface: The Power of Love
Chapter 1: Woman, Abuse, and Social Work: What's Love Got to Do with It?
Chapter 2: Dominant Stories about Love: History (Never) Repeats
Chapter 3: Popular Stories about Love: Love, Love Me Do
Chapter 4: First and Second Wave Feminist Stories about Love and Abuse: All's (Not) Fair in Love and War
Chapter 5: Third Wave Feminist Stories about Love and Abuse: Pleasures and Paradoxes
Chapter 6: Using a Narrative Feminist Perspective: Analyzing Women's Stories of Love and Abuse
Chapter 7: Love and Abuse in Childhood: It's Not All Sugar and Spice
Chapter 8: Romance, Love, and Abuse in Early Adulthood: Cinderella's (Un)happy Ending?
Chapter 9: Love and Abuse in Adulthood: When Love Is (Not) the Answer
Chapter 10: Reviewing the Scripts for Loving: (Not) Losing Hope
Chapter 11: Revising the Scripts for Loving: Trying to Move On
Chapter 12: Still Wanting Love, But Not Wanting Abuse
Chapter 13: Changing Worlds: Future Possibilities for Professional Practice
