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Essays on global feminism
Feminist theory in international relations
Feminist theory in international relations
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The contribution of the feminist standpoint in IR theory definitely sparks discussion and debate bringing forth new perspectives which demand to be heard and considered from the more ‘orthodox’ IR theories, previously privileged assumptions and preconceived ideas. This grand entry for the feminists was towards the denouement of the Cold War in the 1980’s , Kirkpatrick; influential US ambassador of the UN during that period was noted to have said that she felt like a “mouse in a man’s world”. Is this still the case with women worldwide and particularly in the West? Tickner’s groundbreaking work set the foundation and key to early feminist IR. Whilst simultaneously interrogating the core issues in mainstream IR, particularly in peace and security, contingent on feminist bases for gendered grasp of issues that have defined it. In this essay we will firstly try to identify and comment on the emergence of feminism within IR in the 80’s. Secondly, we will pin-point and analyze which contributions were of the greatest importance, predominantly via Tickner and Keohane. Finally we will look at the impact and importance of the different types of feminist theories and whether or not they have achieved at enriching our understanding of IR theory.
In many ways, 1980’s feminist theories started to peel back the masculinist surface of world politics to address and bring to the surface these intricate gendered and racialized dynamics. Caprioli amongst many, not only asks that there be room for Tickner’s appeal for dialogue with feminist and IR scholars, but demands this to be necessary. Why is it essential for dialogue between these perspectives? Before answering that, we should first try to understand why it is that international politics was...
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Press (New York, 1992).
TICKNER, Anne, Gendering a Discipline: Some Feminist Methodological Contributions to International Relations, Signs, Vol.
30, No. 4, New Feminist Approaches to Social Science Methodologies, Special Issue Editors, Sandra Harding and Kathryn
Norberg (Summer 2005), pp. 2173-2188.
SYLVESTER, Christine, The Emperor's Theories and Transformations: Looking at the Field Through Feminist Lenses', in
Dennis Pirages and Christine Sylvester (eds.), Transformations in the Global Political Economy (London: Macmillan, 1989).
WALTZ, Kenneth, Theory of International Politics (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1979).
YOUNGS, Gillian, ‘Feminist International Relations: A Contradiction in Terms? Or: Why Women and Gender are Essential to
Understanding the World ‘We’ Live in’, International Affairs, Vol. 80, No. I, (2004) pp. 75-87.
Edkins, Jenny, and Maja Zehfuss. Global Politics: A New Introduction. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2009. Print.
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz. World Politics. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2013. Print.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Shiraev, Eric B., and Vladislav M. Zubok. International Relations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Silver, Larry.
Clayton-Dye, Amanda. “The Political Economy of Gender.” Lectures at University of Washington, Seattle, 8 April, 2014.
Lugones, Maria C. and Elizabeth V. Spelman. Have We Got a Theory for You! Feminist Theory, Cultural Imperialism and the Demand for “The Woman’s Voice.” Women and Values: Readings in Recent Feminist Philosophy. Edited by Marilyn Pearsall. Wadsworth Publishing Company: California. 1986. 19-31.
The study of gender and its historical analysis has, itself, evolved. Linda Kerber in her essay Seperate Spheres, Female Worlds, Woman’s Place: The Rhetoric of Women’s History argues that the metaphor of a separate women’s sphere which she traces back to the Victorian era and to de Tocqueville’s analysis of America—and which may, indeed, have been useful at one point, i...
This journal article, “Cultural Relativist and Feminist Critiques of International Human Rights - Friends or Foes?” by Oonagh Reitman seeks to rouse discussion about the similarities between two critiques of universal human rights: cultural relativists and feminists, despite the antagonistic position both groups tend to take against each other. In the beginning, he lays out the basis of critique of international human rights by each camp. Cultural relativists argue that the universal human rights which are earned simply ‘by virtue of being human’ (Donnelly in Reitman 1997, 100) are insensitive to the diversity of culture. Feminists, on the other hand, criticize that universal human rights guarantee only men’s rights and that ‘gender equality and freedom from discrimination for women is given a low priority in the international arena’ (Reitman 1997, 100).
...action with others… especially men. This supplies final substantiation of the authors' argument, that women continue to be oppressed by their male-dominated societies. It is a bold undertaking for women to ally and promote a world movement to abandon sexist traditions. Although I have never lived in a third world or non-Westernized country, I have studied the conditions women suffer as "inferior" to men. In National Geographic and various courses I have taken, these terrible conditions are depicted in full color. Gender inequality is a terrible trait of our global society, and unfortunately, a trait that might not be ready to change. In America we see gender bias towards women in voters' unwillingness to elect more females into high office, and while this is not nearly as severe as the rest of the world, it indicates the lingering practice of gender inequality.
Holland, Catherine A. “After Antigone: Women, the Past, and the Future of Feminist Political Thought.” American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 42, No. 4. October 1998. JSTOR. http://links.jstor.org/s. 8 Dec 2004.
Feminist perspectives began to enter the discipline of international relations since the end of the Cold War, gaining increasing recognition. However, the voice of women is still scarce within the discipline, especially in the US and the West where mainstream international relations theories such as neorealism and neoliberalism still dominate. This essay will postulate that Tickner’s aim is not to make classical realism into a straw man, but instead that her critique of Morgenthau is apt because what she strives to do is to offer a feminist perspective to the field of IR to make it more accessible to women practitioners and scholars. Moreover, Tickner’s main contention throughout is that she does not view Morgenthau’s political realism as incorrect and invalid through the way in which he depicts the international system, but believes that he only offers a partial account of international politics because its assumptions of human nature favours the male perspective. A female perspective is required to make this account whole. To do so, this essay will discuss why international politics is male-dominated. Furthermore, it will analyse how Tickner critiques Morgenthau’s political realism and discuss briefly why she chooses to use Morgenthau to highlight the relative lack of feminist approaches within the discipline. This essay will come to the conclusion that Tickner’s critique of Morgenthau is useful and apt because it promotes the incorporation of feminist approaches, allowing for multiple perspectives especially within the dominant fields of international relations and consequently, allows us to have a better understanding of the international system. Her critique hardly invalidates or defeats Morgenthau’s teachings but merely ...
Balaam, David. Introduction to International Political Economy, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Education, 2005.
This essay will aim to discuss the relationship between Western Feminisms and International Feminisms as explored by various non-Western Feminists. It will aim to investigate the origins of this 'relationship ', the complexities/complications within it, evaluate how effective both paradigms are in the third wave and ultimately what is still needed to be done to create a transnational, intersectional feminist movement irrespective of the backgrounds of all women.
The 20th century has been an unusual one for British women. During its first three decades, they struggled to obtain the vote and in 1928, finally won this key right of citizenship on the same terms as men. During the last three decades of that century, Margaret Thatcher became the leader of the Conservative Party and later in 1979, the first female Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. This dramatic shift from lacking the vote to holding the highest executive office is indicative of profound changes having occurred in women¡¯s position and status, where few could possibly deny the key role feminism has played. Much material has, however, revealed the other side of the story. Under the glorious veil, women, the feminists included, remain subordinate in many spheres of the real life, the predicament of which has thus attracted the interest of many to become a battleground of rival views and interpretations. There is the widespread one that vigorously maintains as the cause the fundamental differences between men and women while acknowledging the equal human value or individual worth of them. It is, however, essentially based on the biological interpretation of gender roles while adopting a m...
Feminism encompasses diverse perspectives that are liberal, radical, and postmodern versions. Feminism is placed as a separate critique or even the understanding of conventional international relations theory that offers an alternative perspective and starting point for both theory and also practice (Viotti & Kauppi 2011).
McLaughlin, J. (2003). Feminist social and political theory: Contemporary debates and dialogues. Hampshire, Great Britain: Palgrave Macmillan.