Violence and Care- a wrap up

Throughout the semester, violence has been a hot topic. Carter and I have incorporated this important issue of violence into our final papers, as well as into many blog discussions, as it can be exemplified in all areas of life. Women are victims of violence in many different ways. Virginia Held discusses violence in her article titled "The Ethics of Care." I believe that this article was a great way to end a semester where violence was a large amount of discussion. On Page 139 she discusses those who use violence as having morally failed to develop a need to avoid violence. We have discussed violence as happening often, but have failed to address the situation of the ways in which we can avoid it. Held addresses this issue and the example of a mother reacting to a child screaming was discussed in class. Responding back with yelling or violence will only perpetuate the problem, rather than solve it. She touches on the fact that women have the right to counter violence, just as men do, and that the practice of the ethics of care should recognize these rights. I agree with Held's analysis of violence, and the ways in which she understands that care is a valuable practice in everyday society, especially in terms of violence. This discussion of violence, and the ethics of care which are attached to violence, shows the importance of the need to realize the alternative to violence, and the desire for people to use these alternatives, as they express care, rather than being hurtful.