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Abstract

This article examines the different concerns and perspectives of the residents and staff in a battered women's shelter. The staff's ideology was at variance with the residents' expectations of what the shelter would provide, while staff-imposed rules often contradicted the ideology. These differences in perception had consequences for everyday life within the shelter. The analysis suggests that understanding why so many women return to violent homes from shelters requires an awareness of the institutional processes within shelters themselves. More generally, this study emphasizes the conflicts that arise in situations where long-term service providers' interests and views differ from those to whom they provide service.

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References

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