“I never had a problem with anyone”: The benefits of a life course interview and ethnographic narrative for domestic violence survivors

Abstract

Feminist anthropologists have long emphasized the mutual transformation that occurs with ethnographic fieldwork; in particular, life course interviews can be one such powerful tool. Based on an ethnographic case study with a Uruguayan domestic violence survivor, I draw upon mental health research, feminist traditions, and anthropological scholarship to argue that a life history interview can offer therapeutic benefits when utilized by either practitioners or researchers working with survivors of gender-based violence. Ultimately, allowing space for survivors to share their narratives on their own terms opens up possibilities for knowledge production towards survivor-driven support.