THE GLOBALIZATION OF BEHAVIORAL-SCIENCE EVIDENCE ABOUT BATTERED WOMEN- A THEORY OF PRODUCTION AND DIFFUSION

A theoretical framework is proposed for understanding how the innovati ve use of behavioral science evidence is both produced and diffused am ong members of the global legal community. Using case law analyses and interviews with key individuals involved in selected cases,we examine how battered woman syndrome (BWS) is produced and diffused: between a nd among Australia, Canada, England, and the United States. The follow ing diffusion mechanisms are proposed: (1) The availability and access ibility of credible dissemination sources; (2) characteristics of the overall practice environment operating in each legal culture; (3) the attitudes and knowledge of attorneys and judges about the use of scien tific evidence; (4) political and social support for the use of the ev idence in the legal culture; and (5) the level Of structural equivalen ce, communication, and ''neighbor effects'' between and among legal cu ltures. Each mechanism is discussed and supplemented with information from interviews with individuals involved in key cases involving BWS e vidence. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.