An Introduction
摘要
Over the last few decades, the issue of domestic violence against women has received considerable attention in western nations. In order to better understand domestic abuse among Arab populations, a deeper understanding is needed, since Arab populations throughout the Middle East have similar perspectives and attitudes about women, which can contribute to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) victimization. The situation in GCC nations is not different from the Arab world. In Qatar, keeping one’s social identity continues to be seen as the most crucial aspect in sustaining the traditional family unit and its strong relationships. Like many other GCC countries, Qatar’s social identity is shaped by triple belief systems, which constitute the basis of the family (Alshawi & Gardner, 2013). It contributes to the process of creating the basis for more non-Western conceptions involving intimate life partners. The traditional culture of Qatar is typical of an Arabic community that is collectivist (Al-Haj, 1987; Barakat, 1993), There is a historical preference for communal good over individual benefit and for social stability over social change in these societies. People tend to adhere firmly to social norms and values, as well as gender segregation rules (Al-Attiyah & Nasser, 2016).