Wife abuse is defined as the use of physical force by a man against his intimate cohabiting partner. The force can range from pushes and slaps to coerced sex to assaults with deadly weapons. This volume is the first of its kind to bring together academicians and activists from a variety of disciplines who share an explicit commitment to feminist theories and practices. Four major dimensions are common to all feminist perspectives on wife abuse: (1) the explanatory utility of the constructs of gender and power; (2) the analysis of the family as a historically situated social institution; (3) the crucial importance of understanding and validating women's experiences; and (4) employing scholarship for women. The major conceptual and methodological debates between feminist and nonfeminist researchers and activists are addressed in detail in the chapters of this book.