IR 002: Lecture 12 Flashcards
What are the core assumptions of feminism?
-Gender is a system of symbolic meaning that creates social hierarchies based on perceived associations with masculine and feminine characteristics
-Gender involves higher value on the term which is associated with masculinity
-The international system is gender-hierarchical
What are the core assumptions of feminism in International Relations?
Security = not only War/military but also: Domestic violence, Rape, Poverty, Gender subordination
-Masculinism tends to dominate International relations discourses/representations/policies
-Understanding gender helps understand international relations (helps understand the international environment and its actors and identify the causes of conflict)
-International Relations as a discipline neglects gender
What are the two main schools of feminism?
-Liberal Feminist
-Radical Feminist
What do liberal feminist believe?
-They denounce women’s subordination (it is morally wrong, inhibits development, and causes international instability)
-They want to promote women in public positions
What do radical feminist believe?
-Concept of the patriarchy (society supports the power of men over women and their bodies)
-Importance of the private sphere (family and domestic violence, attacks on reproductive freedoms, etc.)
-Men and women are different due to biology or socialization
What are the main arguments for the feminist response to the debate women of ARE different from men
Yes, women are different:
-Less aggressive/competitive
-More nurturing
-Can express emotions more easily
-More nuanced (approach to complexity, etc.)
-“Mothers do not wage wars because they give life”
What are some of the reasons women can play a unique role in the prevention of violence?
-Central roles in many families and communities
-Central role in schools
HENCE
-Well-positioned to detect early signs of war
-Well-positioned to prevent the radicalization of the youth
What are the main arguments for the feminist response to the debate women of are NOT different from men
-Women are capable of violence (Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, etc.)
-Emphasizing men-women differences can perpetuate prejudices
What are the core focuses of feminist critical theory?
-Focus on gender norms/discourses/representations
-Connections between gender and real/material life conditions (race, class, ethnicity, etc.)
-Suspicion vis-à-vis dominant representations/discourses
What are critiques by feminists against International Relations as an academic discipline?
-International Relations keywords and definitions are male-oriented (ex. Statesman, Mankind, Power: “Man’s control over the minds and actions of other men”)
-“Masculine” concepts are viewed positively (ex. autonomy, rationality, initiative)
-“Feminine” concepts are viewed negatively (ex. cooperation dependency, emotionality, passivity)
-War coverage dismisses women (focuses on male state leaders and male soldiers)
-International Relations scholars do not write enough about gender
What are some examples of suffering and marginalization of women today?
-Leadership (ex. 2009 only 20% of elected leaders/parliamentarians worldwide are women)
-Economy (women earn 70% of men’s salary at equal qualifications, women = 70% of 1.3 billion poor people, Women suffer from negative “educational patterns and social attitudes”
-War (women represent the majority of civilian victims and women/children represent ~80% of refugees
Does the United Nations give a bigger role to women?
-In 2013 women occupied ~30% of the most senior positions
-In 2015 ~4% of United Nations peacekeepers were women
What is the feminist opinion on militaries and gender control?
-“All militaries have…regularly been rooted in the psychological coercion of young men through appeals to their (uncertain) manliness” (STIEHM)
-Masculine values (tough, strong, stoic, willing to use violence, etc.)
-Leaders’ obsession with masculinity (desire to appear manly)
In what years were all combat roles opened to women?
2015
What are the current statistics on women in the United Staes Military today?
-15% of active-duty force
-20% of the officer corps
-less than10% of the leadership positions
