“De-Facing” Power to Reduce Partner Violence and Enhance Psychological Well-being: Maasai Women and Land Ownership
Social Sciences
PSYC 195 Senior Thesis
Objective: This study examined the links between women’s land ownership, levels of partner power, experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV), and measures of psychological well-being. Method: Surveys were administered to 218 Maasai women living in rural, northeastern Tanzania who either owned land or did not own land. Results: Landowners reported significantly lower levels of partner power, fewer experiences with IPV, higher levels of self-esteem, and lower levels of depression than their non-landowning counterparts. Tests of the indirect effects suggest strong connections between all five variables. Conclusions: This study offers “de-facing” power as a framework for understanding power in IPV. “De-facing” power better captures IPV as having political and psychological manifestations and consequences. Implications include endorsing the study of psychological and socio-political processes involved in IPV research and interventions, as well as increased scholarship and reform on women’s land ownership worldwide.
