Violência Doméstica e Masculinidades: Uma Análise Geográfica.

This paper analyzes the different meanings given to gender by men involved in domestic violence in the municipality of Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil. To reach this objective, a group dynamics was carried out with nineteen men convicted of domestic violence, whose sentence includes taking part in a course organized by the non-governmental organization 'Melhor Viver' (Better Living), where they must reflect upon acts, values and ideas that generate violence against women. With legal authorization and the support of a professional in the psychology area, a focus group dynamics was developed, inspired in the idea put forward by Selltiz et al. (1987), in which the representations of masculinity, femininity, family and domestic spaces were discussed, classified and recorded. The research evidenced the permanence of traditional gender values that praise men as workers and family providers, and portray desirable women as those that fulfil the role of welcoming and maternity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]