Femicide definitions

Abstract

Words constrain our perceptions and experiences. Our language builds our thoughts and is a powerful tool to describe the world. The words used in language represent an ambivalent tool that we can use to express our own perceptions, emotions and thoughts, and at the same time, they determine our experiences and social imaginary (cf. Castoriadis, 1975), using a previously established corpus of meanings and order. We can, however, do things and transform the world using language as a tool. Defining a social problem in a certain way leads to a specific possible solution, which is dependent on the way the problem is defined. Furthermore, we have to acknowledge that the perspective of those that pose the problem (such as individuals, groups, communities and so on) is affected by their view of the social system within which they perceive the problem (Foerster, 2003).