The Cultural Roots of Abuse (Political, Social, Religious) in the Works of Iraqi Novelists Samira al-Mana and Latifa al-Dulaimi: A Case Study

Abstract

This study highlights the cultural roots of abuse and its manifestations in fictional texts, as abuse is linked to culture through a dialectical relationship: it is not merely a reflection of societal themes, but is embodied in a set of values, beliefs, traditions, and customs that produce systems of power which legitimize abuse, and endorses its continuation, transforming it from an individual act into an accepted practice as part of the collective consciousness. Violative practices are transmitted through the cultural system and reproduced across generations. Abuse in the cultural sphere does not necessarily mean direct oppression; rather, it takes various forms depending on the context in which it is situated and planned it is far more dangerous than that, as it strikes at the very core of societal structures, causing culture to lose its fundamental purpose and transform from a means of liberation into an instrument of power.
The study revealed that the cultural entrenchment of violation goes beyond being a mere event or direct act; it becomes a deep-rooted cultural pattern reproduced by social, political, and religious systems when values, customs, and discourses are co-opted to serve power and normalize hegemony, thus transforming culture from a space for human protection into a medium that grants abuse its legitimacy and enforceability. The study concluded by exposing the manifestations of abuse in the cultural sphere, highlighting the narrative’s ability to deconstruct its structures and expose their falsity, and calling for the restoration of consciousness and the elimination of all manifestations of hegemony imposed by abuse.