A Shelter: An Organization Like Any Other?

Abstract

Shelters for battered women have been idealized as collectivist organizations that empower residents and staff alike. Qualitative research at a battered women's shelter indicates that despite an implicit philosophy of empowerment , a shelter is indeed an organization like any other. Two separable organizational structures were identified: an egalitarian, collectivist structure for the relationships among staff members and a hierarchical structure for the relationships between staff members and residents. To prevent an inadvertent return to traditional patriarchal structures that oppress women, feminist social workers must continuously assess how ideology affects the organizational environment in which services are delivered.