Possessions and Self in the Identity Work of Survivors of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence has serious consequences for survivors, including severe effects on psychological well-being and identity. This article reveals the previously hidden possession experiences and identity work of domestic violence survivors. Using a novel visual research method that features material objects as visual stimuli to elicit data, we found possessions were critical in the complex identity work undertaken by survivors. Emergent themes detailing the role of possessions in coping with ongoing self-threats by an intimate partner provide empirical support for the conceptualization of diametrically opposed selves, the Prescribed Self and Agentic Self. These opposite and compartmentalized selves enabled survivors to cope with extreme disintegration and destabilization of self by the abuser. As well as the conceptual and methodological contributions we make to the possessions-self literature in consumer research and psychology, this research is valuable for designing social service programs to help survivors cope with the effects of domestic violence on identity.