Family affairs in comparative perspective

Project period: 2025-2028

The term “family affair” is often used to describe matters that concern only the family, thereby demanding that third parties and the law not become involved. This understanding is well-known to several legal systems and has, inter alia, led to violence being classified differently depending on whether it happens within a close family environment or among strangers. We thus differentiate between “normal” violence and “domestic” violence, and we make our assessments accordingly. This enduring double standard is rooted in tradition and a certain conception of family affairs.

Focusing on legal developments in Germany and the People’s Republic of China, this comparative research project aims to study the correlation between legal understandings of domestic violence and societal understandings of family and privacy.

The project makes the assumption that societies attribute different values to individualism and autonomy and understand them in different ways, which in turn influences a society’s perception and appreciation of privacy.

At the same time, the comparative analysis undertaken will consider the effectiveness of available legal mechanisms protecting against violence in the respective jurisdictions and examine potential societal, cultural, and intra-legal hindrances.