The Politics of Surviving: How Women Navigate Domestic Violence and Its Aftermath

A trauma revolution is quietly sweeping social services in the United States. For women who have experienced domestic violence, proving that you are a good victim is no longer enough when navigating these institutions. Women must also show that they are recovering, as if domestic violence were a disease: they must show that they are transforming from victims into survivors. Through archival research, life story interviews, and participant observation, The Politics of Surviving shows that becoming a survivor is full of contradictions, perils, politics, and pleasures. Using an intersectional lens, Paige L. Sweet reveals how the idea of resilience and being a survivor can become a coercive force in women’s lives. With nuance and compassion, The Politics of Surviving wrestles with questions about the gendered nature of the welfare state, the unintended consequences of feminist mobilizations for these programs, and the women who are left behind by the limited forms of citizenship we offer them.