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Patricia Lewis

Assistant Professor, Sacred Heart University
Chapter Member: Connecticut SSN
Areas of Expertise:

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About Patricia

Lewis' research focuses on gender and housing equity both in the U.S. and globally. Her dissertation research explores housing instability and intimate partner violence among American families. Overarching themes in Lewis' writing include the exploration of social structures and norms that perpetuate violence against women. Her writing also exposes housing policies that leave women and families vulnerable to eviction and homelessness. Lewis serves as a volunteer at New Reach Inc. in Connecticut where she facilitates a qualitative evaluation of their eviction prevention efforts.

Publications

"Development and Validation of the LoVI: The Laws on Violence Against Women and Girls Index" (with Kathryn M. Yount, Cari Jo Clark, Lori Heise, Ruchira T. Naved, and Lauren Maxwell ). BMC International Health and Human Rights, no. 13 (2020).

Serves to validate an index to measure Laws on Violence against women and girls. Presents as a concise, coherent, validated index to monitor the progress of nations on adopting comprehensive legislation to advance 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 5, to eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls.

"Intimate Partner Violence and Housing Instability among Mothers in U.S.," Emory University, Forthcoming.

Researches a mixed-methods project exploring the relationship between Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and housing instability among women living in urban centers in the U.S. Uses the qualitative portion of the project in-depth interviews to explore violence in the lives of mothers who access housing support services in Connecticut. Utilizes population level data to explore the pathways between IPV and housing insecurity.

"Gender Norms and Sexual Consent in Dating Relationships: A Qualitative Study of University Students in Vietnam" (with Irina Bergenfeld, Quach Thu Trang, , Jessica M. Sales, and Kathryn M. Yount). Culture, Health & Sexuality (2020).

Elaborates on gender norms and sexual consent in dating relationships: a qualitative study of university students in Vietnam. Explores this qualitative study and how university students in Vietnam perceived prevailing gender norms, and how these norms influenced men’s understanding of sexual consent in dating relationships. We found that, among university men in Hanoi, gender norms privileging men and growing expectations of premarital sex may be normalizing sexual coercion in dating relationships.

"Nonresident Fathers’ Spending on Children: Child Support Payments and Housing Instability" (with Sabino Kornrich). Journal of Family Issues (2019).

Mentions how financial support from nonresident fathers can help lower the risk of some forms of childhood housing insecurity. Discusses father's support is not protective against the most severe forms of housing instability, namely eviction and homelessness. Explains relying on child support alone is not sufficient to ameliorate the housing instability crisis that low-income mothers and children face in the U.S.