The Newsletter 67 Spring 2014

Although the issue of violence against women (VAW) has received much attention, the scourge of violence in homes is far from being diminished. Though a universal phenomenon, VAW is also contextspecific. For the Focus in this issue of The Newsletter, seven scholars explore the question of family ambiguity within a comparative Asian context, especially as to how family norms and state laws in diverse national, cultural and religious settings interact to address or worsen the problem. By dealing with family ambiguity as a central critique of the domestic violence debate, they interrogate the gaps between concept, law and process.