Is gender a variable 2014 Cynthia Weber Learning aims 2014 Cynthia Weber Last week Constructivism 2014 Cynthia Weber Gender Flashcard 2014 Cynthia Weber Gender as a variable ID: 271476
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Slide1
Chapter 5: Gender
Is gender a variable?
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide2
Learning aims:
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide3
Last week: Constructivism
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide4
Gender Flashcard
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide5
Gender as a variable
What would it mean for gender to be a variable? (box 5.1)
Gender could be placed and contained in some distinct thing called a variable
This “gender variable” would itself be outside of gender. It would be free of gender
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide6
How
have feminists made use of the gender variable? (table 5.2)
Topic/theme
Feminist argument
Contribution to IR?
Opposed
dualisms
Male and masculine structures privilege
men and exclude women. These structures must be supplemented by “incorporating the gender variable”, thereby creating more opportunities for women
No,
because it blames men and masculinities for how the world is
Realist state
The state as either
masculinist or male (radical feminist argument)
“The personal is political” (liberal feminist argument)
No,
because it is an extreme and essentialist view of the state
Yes, and it should be added to the three other levels of analysis: individual, state and internationalRational-actor modelLabels of Western-style rationality as a peculiarly male/masculine phenomenon reflecting and perpetuating patriarchal power. Can be corrected with stereotypical “Mother Earth” essentialist ways of thinking about actorsNo, because the argument boils down to men and masculinity are essentially bad, and women and femininity are essentially goodRealist conceptions of power and securityExpand the range of power relationships that realism considersRedefine powerYes, because gendered power relationships should be included in realismNo, because it sneaks in a feminist normative agenda by adding in prescriptions about what power should be rather than a description of what power is
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide7
Jones’s vs. Peterson’s definitions of feminism (table 5.4)
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide8
The “wrong” questions feminism asks of traditional IR theory (box 5.3)
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide9
Theory activity:
Feminism and the implications for IR
Aim:
To understand different kinds of feminisms, questions they ask and the implications this has on
IR
What did you think about feminism BEFORE and AFTER
reading this chapter and listening to the lectures
. Note responses together and group under before and after (
5
min.)
In smaller groups discuss the following questions (
10 min.):
What are the difference between Jones’ and Peterson’s feminisms?
What
are the implications of these two understandings of feminism:
For IR
For women and men
What are the implications for IR when feminists raise epistemological, ontological and methodological critiques and ask difficult questions? © 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide10
The place of women in
Fatal Attraction
The place of women
in Fatal Attraction (table 5.5)
Legitimate
women
(Beth
Gallager
)
Illegitimate women
(Alex
Forest)
Place
Within the heterosexual nuclear family
Outside the heterosexual nuclear family
Characteristics
Good wife
Good motherIndependent personally and professionally. This independence is coded in the film as barrenness and failureBehaviorRationalIrrational© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide11
What is typical and what is deviant in the world of
Fatal Attraction? (table 5.6)
© 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide12
Fatal Attraction
and IR
Gendered perspectives in Fatal Attraction
and traditional IR theory (table 5.7)
Fatal
Attraction
Traditional IR theory
Point
of view
Dan
Gallager’s
Adam
Jones’s
Perspective
Traditional – legitimate meaning is based on the legitimacy
of the heterosexual nuclear family
Traditional – legitimate
meaning is based on the legitimacy of the classic IR tradition’s treatment of questions of war and peaceHow feminine/feminist “excesses” are managedAdded through an illegitimate affairIgnoredKilledAdded through the “gender variable”Feminist work inconsistent with Jones’s characterization of the “gender variable” is ignoredFeminine/feminist “gender variable” replaced by (killed off with) a more “balanced” gender variable that reemphasizes men and masculinities © 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide13
Film activity:
Fatal Attraction and feminism in IR
Aim
:
To read
“gender
as
variable”
myth through
Fatal
Attraction
I
n groups, using
lecture notes, slides and the book,
discuss
the following
questions (7 min.):
What is the relationship between the Fatal Attraction and the role of feminism in IR?How similar is Dan’s world to the world of traditional IR? Can we see similarities between Beth (reasonable) and Alex (unreasonable) and particular types of feminism in IR (Jones vs. Peterson)? Present your findings to the other groups Continue the discussion by considering the following questions (7 min.):What is the politics of Fatal Attraction? Could the film be made today? What would need to change/what could remain the same? © 2014 Cynthia WeberSlide14
Next week: Globalization
© 2014 Cynthia Weber