Contemporary feminist strategies to stop violence against women have revealed a profound conflict of interest among women. Feminists have mobilized moral outrage, built institutions to protect and nurture women, and demanded resources for policing and healing by drawing attention to the harms caused by violence against women. However, many women, especially young, heterosexual women, are alienated by a discourse of victimization that reflects neither their experiences nor their interests. They have developed a critique of contemporary feminism and its focus on violence against women. In this critique, accusations of moralism are used to paper over differences among women and thus obscure key questions of privilege and vulnerability. One theoretically and politically sustainable response is for feminists to combat the false dichotomization of economics and violence that characterizes the critique. I provide an example by analyzing violence against women in the context of welfare reform.
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