Why old movies are domestic violence training films

June 6, 2012

Very productive day today. I woke at 6am and headed to work. Every day I pass by a tree (other than my happy mango attack tree) that has these odd shaped things hanging. I haven't been fortunate enough to find one on the ground until this morning. Luckily this morning there was one laying there so I scooped it up and took it to work to see if someone could tell me what it was called. I asked Noella and found out it is a kamani nut. The kamani tree is Calophyllum inophyllum. That link will take you right to the tree so you can see what it looks like, the flowers it produces and learn about it. The site is also very handy for looking up trees found in Hawaii.

After my nut finding and identification was over I settled in to work. I drafted a consent form for my project and went over that draft with Ann. We edited it and I made changes. The consent form is finished.I entered more cases into the Hawaii State Domestic Violence Fatality Review (HSDVFR) database until lunch. Before we had lunch Ann brought out an artichoke crab dip she had made and heated it up to share. It was artichoke hearts, cream cheese, some chopped greens from the garden, crab meat (not canned), herbs, and parmesana romano cheese. It was very tasty.

I have many blisters on my feet so I didn't want to walk far for lunch. Today is Wednesday though, which means the Leahi Hospital Thrift Store was open. Noella, Ann and I walked over there and looked through the store briefly. They got a few items but I didn't buy anything today.

On our way back we stopped at a food truck. Here they call them "lunch wagons" and they are all over the island. This one sold sub sandwiches and was called Subpreme. The owner of the truck was there and telling us about his food. He doesn't use any processed lunchmeats. He brines and smokes his own turkey for his sandwiches. He prepares all the meats and smokes or cooks them himself. I ordered a sweet and spicy pulled pork banh mi (top picture) which comes with pickled daikon and carrot shreds, cucumber, cilantro and siracha aioli. It was very good and pretty cheap for food here at only $6.50. Ann got a turkey pesto BLT (bottom picture) which comes with macadamia nut pesto aioli, bacon (lots of bacon), lettuce, tomato and provolone for $7.50. Both came on a mini french baguette. The pictures don't do these sandwiches justice.

After lunch Ann and I went over the National Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) from the CDC. We narrowed it down and selected questions to ask on my project. In addition, we had a college based domestic violence survey that the University of Hawaii had used in 2000 that we looked over also. We decided on our questions for our draft and which demographics we wanted. I used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) demographic variables, combined with some from the UH survey, and some from the NISVS to determine our demographic variables. I put it all together into a draft survey, along with some basic coding for the survey for when I turn it into an online survey later. Ann and I will go over it tomorrow to do a bit more editing. Once we have done that and I have the formatting a little nicer we will send it to the UH Violence Prevention folks to get input on any suggestions they may have. We will also work with them for recruitment for the survey, mainly drafting up a paragraph or so to use in e-mail and social media to invite students to participate.

We basically also have the IRB paperwork done. Consent form is done. Recruitment letter/paragraph will be developed within the week. We are editing the survey itself but that is well on its way. Once we have the final draft completed of the survey we will put it all together and submit it to the University of Hawaii IRB. It should only take about 2 weeks to run through since it is all anonymous and the nature of the survey makes it exempt. YEA for fitting into the easy category! So the project is moving along splendidly. While we are waiting on IRB approval I can start entering the survey into Survey Monkey to get it ready to go. We can make any changes necessary for IRB consent if hey deem it necessary. Otherwise, as soon as we get consent it is ready to go.

While we were in the conference room earlier today Lori (our invaluable administrative assistant) was eating some sort of soupy noodles with shreds of greens from the garden out back. She put a packet of liquid into the broth for seasoning. Apparently this is some sort of Japanese noodles (other than the Ramen we have at home). I always ask about food people eat here that I am unfamiliar with and she was describing it to me. Before the end of my workday she came to my office and brought me a package of it so that I could try it myself. She is so incredibly sweet and nice.It is apparently a Ramen type noodle but with a liquid seasoning packet that contains chili oil and the seasonings. It looks very interesting, I'll have to try it soon! I can't read most of the package, but around here usually if you look on the back there are instructions in English somewhere in addition to Japanese and other languages.

Everyone here has been so generous and helpful. They seem to think it is really fun that I am eager and willing to try the foods here that are new to me and go all sorts of places to really maximize my time here. I keep telling them that to them it may be a boring pack of noodles they see every day but for me it is new and exciting, so I'm the lucky one that they are willing to share their knowledge with me.

I finished my day and left to come home. Along the way I saw this interesting plant. I think it is just a weed of some sort but it looked really interesting so I took a picture.

A little farther on I smelled star jasmine. If you have never smelled it then try to find some. It is an incredibly wonderful fragrance. I haven't seen any here before this. Star jasmine is Trachelospermum jasminoides and you can go to the Wikipedia link I used there to see more pictures of it.

I came home, changed clothes, and sprawled on my bed to get off my feet. I chatted with folks from home and got caught up with Kate (BIG hugs and so good to hear from you!). I had a small cup of corn with lemongrass soup with the last of my roasted garlic baguette from the farmer's market last Saturday.

I put on a Netflix movie and found myself increasingly annoyed. The movie is a 1941 film called A Yank in the R.A.F. with Tyrone Power and Betty Grable. About a hotshot American pilot who wants to win the girl and in the process figures out how not to be an ass. However, he is constantly following her, pressuring her to go out with him, grabbing her by the arm and jerking her around, and kissing her forcefully even when she keeps telling him no and to leave her alone. I know it's a movie and all but I keep wanting to yell "STALKER!!!" and "Get your hands off her!!!". So it's really diminishing my enjoyment of the film. 
 
I have actually noticed these things a lot in the old films I have been watching of late. The combination of the "gentlemanly" way to be around ladies with the chivalry, politeness and protectiveness is mixed with a dose of manhandling, treating them like ignorant children, and flat out lying to "protect them". The ones with physicians are even worse, where they don't even tell women what is wrong with them or that they are dying or ill. I know from researching medical ethics that this was all too common. As a female, I am thankful I was born in the here and now instead of the past.

As for the manhandling and whatnot in the movies I keep reminding myself:

1. It was a different time and they had to make things obvious for the camera. Though if this was the example of what was supposed to be romantic with all this manhandling then it is no wonder we have had and continue to have such domestic violence. 
2. "Playing hard to get" was a little different in that time period. Today, I'd punch a guy in the nose who grabbed my arm, dragged me around, followed me home and pushed his way into my house, and kissed me against my will. Actually, he'd be lucky getting off with a punch in the nose. Felony charges more likely.
3. I am working with violence data, especially intimate partner violence and sexual violence. This makes me notice things like this a lot more. It just makes me shudder to think that this sort of thing was ever portrayed as a perfectly fine way to treat someone.

So that is it. I will get off my soapbox and get myself to bed. Another busy day tomorrow.

Aloha po, (Good night)
~Melissa