Lived Religion and intimate partner violence: A qualitative empirical study of the practice of spirituality and connected world views of partners in relation to intimate partner violence against Thai women in Belgium.

The research project is a qualitative study of the impact of the practice of spirituality and the world views connected to these practices of both Belgian men who have been or are likely to be violent towards their Thai partners, and their Thai migrant women victims. The research looks at the effect of the couple’s diverse spirituality practices on their relationship dynamic. The research will focus on the interaction of mainly non-congregational religious practice (Buddhist and secular/cultural Catholics) in the context of migration, violence and trauma. There are few studies on the intersectional conflicts that arise in this context, and the research will add to this specific area of understanding. The research will comprise of semi-structured interviews with Belgian men who have been violent towards their now ex-partner and also, separately, with their Thai migrant ex-partner.