27/The Risks of Psychologising Patriarchal Oppression (with Chuck Derry)

Jun 10, 2020

In this conversation, Chuck Derry, co-founder of the Gender Violence Institute, dives deep into his work against men's violence towards women. He critiques the notion that perpetrators are simply ‘losing control’, arguing instead that men benefit from violent behavior. Chuck discusses the real advantages men gain through control and challenges self-identified allies to recognize their roles in perpetuating systemic issues. He also emphasizes the importance of transforming awareness into action while addressing the normalization of misogyny throughout society.

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INSIGHT

Violence Is Functional, Not Just Psychological

Psychologising men's violence as "loss of control" obscures male entitlement and benefits gained from abuse.
Chuck Derry argues violence is functional, purposeful, and supported by cultural norms that reward men for dominance.

ANECDOTE

Choosing Where To Be Violent

Chuck Derry asked men if they'd ever killed or beaten their wives in public to show they choose where to be violent.
He found perpetrators calmly pick settings to exert control, proving violence is a deliberate tactic.

INSIGHT

Abuse Pays Off For Perpetrators

Perpetrators name many direct benefits from abuse, while costs are minimal, creating a favorable cost–benefit for violence.
This imbalance makes strong, consistent criminal justice responses crucial to deterrence.

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Trigger warning: gender-based violence is mentioned throughout the episode.

This is a conversation with Chuck Derry, co-founder of the Gender Violence Institute and the Minnesota Men’s Action Network: Alliance to Prevent Sexual and Domestic Violence.

Chuck has worked to end men’s violence against women since 1983. From 1983 to 1993, he worked with male offenders at the St. Cloud Intervention Project in St. Cloud, MN, and was the men’s program coordinator for six of those years. In 1994, he co-founded the Gender Violence Institute in Clearwater, Minnesota and through that organization provides training and technical assistance nationally and internationally on the dynamics of domestic violence, criminal justice system reform, effective coordinated community responses to domestic violence, law enforcement investigations, and rehabilitative programs for men who batter.

I wanted to talk to Chuck after reading his very interesting essay ‘psychologising oppression‘ in which he argues against the belief that men who are violent are “losing control” or about to “explode”. He instead argues that men who are violent do so because it is beneficial to them, and thus argues that this is what society should instead be tackling and facing.

In some ways this is an episode addressing men, especially cis men who benefit from patriarchal structures even if they’re often unaware of it. It is an exploration of the privileges that come with simply being a cis man in society, and especially a cis straight man, and how even men who consider themselves allies, the so-called ‘good guys’, need to also question why so many of us do not actively work to end gender-based violence, structural inequalities and patriarchal oppression more broadly.

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Music by Tarabeat.