Viaton uhri vai vahva nainen? : Väkivallan uhreina olleiden naisten sukupuolistunut identiteetti väkivaltakertomuksissa

The article analyses the discursive construction of gendered identities in narratives written by female victims of domestic and sexual violence. These narratives engage in the dominant discourses constructing gender and violence in Finland that position women as either innocent victims or as active agents responsible for their fate. The article identifies several discursive strategies used by the participants to position themselves, and notes the way this positioning often resists being seen as either responsible for the violence or for protection from it. Instead of assuming the subject position of an innocent and by implication helpless victim, the participants separate their past identities from the ones they hold today, constructing new subject positions as strong and responsible women. These gendered identity constructions are analysed as reflections of the way a socially acceptable womanhood is constructed in the seemingly gender neutral cultural context of Finland.Peer reviewe