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CRIMES OF HONOR:
AN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE
ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SOUTH ASIA
by
Archana Agarwal
_________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(POLITICAL SCIENCE)
December 2008
Copyright 2008 Archana Agarwal
Object Description
| Title | Crimes of honor: an international human rights perspective on violence against women in South Asia |
| Author | Agarwal, Archana |
| Author email | archanaa@usc.edu; agarwal.archana@gmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Political Science |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2008-10-17 |
| Date submitted | 2008 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2008-12-04 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Renteln, Alison D. |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Dekmejian, Richard H. Lutkehaus, Nancy |
| Abstract | This dissertation examines the phenomenon of honor related violence beyond honor killings as I argue that honor crimes do not always amount to murder but can take various manifestations and should be recognized as such. I do so with the help of three case studies: honor killings in Pakistan, acid attacks against women in Bangladesh and use of rape as a weapon of war during the internal conflict in Gujarat, India.; In this study, I propose a reconceptualization of the categories usually employed by the literature in order to broaden our understanding of honor related violence. I explore the origins of the crime, the concept of suitor rejection, honor and shame, their societal and legal implications and the responses of the legislative and judicial systems of these nations. I demonstrate that these crimes are manifestations of unequal power relations that reinforce men's control and domination over women. I look at the socio, cultural, political and economic reasons for the perpetuation of honor crimes against women in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India while attempting to shift the focus from associating honor crimes with Islamic cultures. I also analyze the legal framework and the ways in which existing laws, meant to protect women from violence, are interpreted and implemented by the courts. There are flaws in the legal framework, which contribute to impunity for the perpetrators of human rights violations. Therefore, I argue that international human rights law provides the framework for expanding the rights and protections available to women.; The purpose of this study, therefore, is to look at different forms of violence against women through the lens of honor crimes. It provides a comparative analysis honor crimes while suggesting that these crimes are not unique to Islamic countries or Third world cultures. It is a part of our patriarchal society that sees women in certain roles and their bodies as repositories of honor or the property of men. Religion and culture, as a result, just become tools to enforce these roles and to assure compliance. Law, thus, must play a more important role in protecting women from violence. |
| Keyword | human rights; women's rights; violence against women; South Asia; women in South Asia |
| Geographic subject (city or populated place) | Gujarat |
| Geographic subject (country) | Pakistan; Bangladesh; India |
| Geographic subject (continent) | Asia |
| Coverage date | 2000/2008 |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1868 |
| Rights | Agarwal, Archana |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | http://www.usc.edu/isd/libraries/services/ask_a_librarian/email/ |
| Filename | etd-Agarwal-2534 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume32/etd-Agarwal-2534.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Full text | CRIMES OF HONOR: AN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SOUTH ASIA by Archana Agarwal _________________________________________________________________ A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (POLITICAL SCIENCE) December 2008 Copyright 2008 Archana Agarwal |
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