Citation

Agoff C, Castro R. Estud. Sociol. 2009; 27(80): 451-476.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Centro de Estudios Sociológicos de El Colegio de México)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

This is an analysis of testimonies by interviewers (surveyors) working for a national survey on domestic violence in Mexico carried out by the National Institute for Statistics, Geography, and Information Processing (INEGI). Two emotions repeatedly appear in these testimonies: powerlessness and indignation, which have a particular heuristic value, since they allow us to asses how the phenomenon of violence among couples is valued and represented. The analysis of the emotions enables a perception of the experiences elicited by the interview situation, and at the same time opens up a window on the subjective explanations that aim at attributing causes and responsibility of a domestic problem. Emotions, inextricably tied to thoughts and morality, have a particular socio-cognitive function because they cater for a communicative need: to manifest a rejection of violence; at the same time they reflect the gender determinations from where they are derived.