Feminist International Relations: An Unfinished Journey (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, Series Number 77)

In this book, Christine Sylvester examines the history of feminists' efforts to include gender relations in the study of international relations. Tracing the author's own 'journey' through the subject, as well as the work of other leading feminist scholars, the book examines theories, methods, people and locations which have been neglected by conventional scholarship. It will be of interest to scholars and students of international relations, women's and gender studies, and postcolonial studies. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 13 Part I Introduction......Page 15 1 Looking backwards and forwards at International Relations around feminism......Page 17 Enter feminism......Page 22 Feminist journeying......Page 29 Women and War......Page 32 Not a soldier......Page 33 To war fields......Page 37 Bananas, Beaches, and Bases......Page 43 Nationalism, ethnicity, and the military – and then women......Page 44 Happy hunting......Page 47 Gender in International Relations......Page 54 Gender, women, and feminism......Page 55 Becoming economically secure......Page 57 Echoes in the chambers......Page 62 Part II Sightings......Page 65 3 Handmaids’ tales of Washington power: the abject and the real Kennedy White House......Page 67 Feminists consider bodies, sex, gender, power......Page 71 Who is minding the corpo-real White House?......Page 75 Minders who are not handmaids......Page 77 Sighting the handmaids......Page 80 Kennedy’s difficult decisions......Page 83 Rational decision making......Page 85 Organizational decision making......Page 90 Bureaucratic politics......Page 93 Figures seeping......Page 97 4 Reginas in international relations: occlusions, cooperations, and Zimbabwean cooperatives......Page 99 Reginas and regimes: sites of occlusion......Page 101 Neo-realist minimalists......Page 102 Less minimalist, neoliberal institutionalism......Page 103 Less minimalist multilateralism......Page 105 Gendered cooperations?......Page 107 Cooperations in Zimbabwe?......Page 111 Local meanings of cooperation......Page 116 The outside and inside meet......Page 117 And so?......Page 118 5 The White Paper trailing......Page 120 Security among friends? Confession I......Page 123 (Post)colonial dilemmas: Confessions II......Page 127 Insecuring defense......Page 132 6 Picturing the Cold War: an eye graft/art graft......Page 136 Art and politics: the avant-garde......Page 141 The avant-garde goes “primitive”......Page 146 The avant-garde Cold War......Page 152 Unblinding......Page 159 7 Four international Dianas: Andy’s tribute......Page 161 I. Beautiful pink Diana......Page 163 II. Silver Diana......Page 165 III. Red Di......Page 166 IV. The Diana negative......Page 168 Part III Sitings......Page 171 8 The emperors’ theories and transformations: looking at the field through feminist lenses......Page 173 Neorealism and its precursors......Page 176 World-systems......Page 178 Feminist theorizing......Page 180 Feminist empiricism......Page 181 The single-society bias......Page 182 The bias of impersonal actors and processes......Page 184 The feminist empiricist contribution......Page 185 Feminist standpoint......Page 186 Reconstructing gender-structuring processes......Page 187 The feminist standpoint contribution......Page 190 Feminist postmodernism......Page 191 Smashing the stereotypes......Page 192 Transformations?......Page 193 9 Feminists and realists view autonomy and obligation in international relations......Page 196 Feminist issues of autonomy and obligation......Page 199 Autonomy and obligation in international relations theory......Page 204 Women in the interstices of realist autonomy and obligation......Page 210 Another recasting......Page 216 A chorus of concluding objections......Page 218 10 Some dangers in merging feminist and peace projects......Page 221 A case for merging feminist and peace projects......Page 224 Another way to look at the merger......Page 227 Feminist standpoint perspectives......Page 228 A plethora of standpoints......Page 230 Considering women warrior standpoints......Page 231 Women warrior contingencies of personal biography......Page 232 Women warriors and national contingencies......Page 234 Concludings......Page 237 11 Gendered development imaginaries: shall we dance, Pygmalion?......Page 238 Help......Page 241 Silveira House helps......Page 245 Siting more women in help......Page 247 Partnership for Productivity: Pygmalionesque gender help......Page 249 Imagining Development: the Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau......Page 252 Literature implicating development and gender......Page 254 12 Empathetic cooperation: a feminist method for IR......Page 256 Unempathetic denials of women in IR......Page 261 Empathetic cooperation and feminism......Page 265 Good mothers and good soldiers......Page 272 Walking “home”......Page 274 Good families get international funding?......Page 275 Getting going......Page 277 Part IV Citings......Page 279 13 Feminist arts of International Relations......Page 281 The avant-garde and progress......Page 283 Feminists prime canvases......Page 285 Feminist outlinings......Page 289 Getting into the landscapes......Page 290 Feminist inlining......Page 292 Blurring the lines......Page 293 In(out)lining......Page 295 Traveling to feminist arts......Page 296 Outlining the power......Page 298 A mermaidenly moment......Page 299 14 Internations of feminism and International Relations......Page 301 “Nations” of feminism and International Relations......Page 304 Boundaries and “nations”......Page 307 IR exceeded......Page 311 Feminism exceeded......Page 315 World-traveling the universals......Page 317 World-traveling to internations through fiction......Page 321 Hallucinating Foucault......Page 323 Behind the scenes at the museum......Page 325 The Information......Page 326 What does it mean?......Page 327 References......Page 331 Index......Page 360 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Acknowledgments 13 Part I Introduction 15 1 Looking backwards and forwards at International Relations around feminism 17 Enter feminism 22 Feminist journeying 29 2 Introducing Elshtain, Enloe, and Tickner: looking at key feminist efforts before journeying on 32 Women and War 32 Not a soldier 33 To war fields 37 Bananas, Beaches, and Bases 43 Nationalism, ethnicity, and the military – and then women 44 Happy hunting 47 Gender in International Relations 54 Gender, women, and feminism 55 Becoming economically secure 57 Echoes in the chambers 62 Part II Sightings 65 3 Handmaids’ tales of Washington power: the abject and the real Kennedy White House 67 Feminists consider bodies, sex, gender, power 71 Who is minding the corpo-real White House? 75 Minders who are not handmaids 77 Sighting the handmaids 80 Kennedy’s difficult decisions 83 Rational decision making 85 Organizational decision making 90 Bureaucratic politics 93 Figures seeping 97 4 Reginas in international relations: occlusions, cooperations, and Zimbabwean cooperatives 99 Reginas and regimes: sites of occlusion 101 Neo-realist minimalists 102 Less minimalist, neoliberal institutionalism 103 Less minimalist multilateralism 105 Gendered cooperations? 107 Cooperations in Zimbabwe? 111 Local meanings of cooperation 116 The outside and inside meet 117 And so? 118 5 The White Paper trailing 120 Security among friends? Confession I 123 (Post)colonial dilemmas: Confessions II 127 Insecuring defense 132 6 Picturing the Cold War: an eye graft/art graft 136 Art and politics: the avant-garde 141 The avant-garde goes “primitive” 146 The avant-garde Cold War 152 Unblinding 159 7 Four international Dianas: Andy’s tribute 161 I. Beautiful pink Diana 163 II. Silver Diana 165 III. Red Di 166 IV. The Diana negative 168 Part III Sitings 171 8 The emperors’ theories and transformations: looking at the field through feminist lenses 173 Mainstream international relations and political economy 176 Neorealism and its precursors 176 World-systems 178 Missing 180 Feminist theorizing 180 Feminist empiricism 181 Rationality as bias 182 The single-society bias 182 The functional bias 184 The bias of impersonal actors and processes 184 The feminist empiricist contribution 185 Feminist standpoint 186 Constructing woman-culture 187 Reconstructing gender-structuring processes 187 The feminist standpoint contribution 190 Feminist postmodernism 191 Smashing the stereotypes 192 The feminist postmodernist contribution 193 Transformations? 193 9 Feminists and realists view autonomy and obligation in international relations 196 Feminist issues of autonomy and obligation 199 Autonomy and obligation in international relations theory 204 Women in the interstices of realist autonomy and obligation 210 Another recasting 216 A chorus of concluding objections 218 10 Some dangers in merging feminist and peace projects 221 A case for merging feminist and peace projects 224 Another way to look at the merger 227 Feminist standpoint perspectives 228 A plethora of standpoints 230 Considering women warrior standpoints 231 Women warrior contingencies of personal biography 232 Women warriors and national contingencies 234 Concludings 237 11 Gendered development imaginaries: shall we dance, Pygmalion? 238 Imagining development help 241 Help 241 Silveira House helps 245 Siting more women in help 247 Partnership for Productivity: Pygmalionesque gender help 249 Imagining Development: the Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau 252 Literature implicating development and gender 254 12 Empathetic cooperation: a feminist method for IR 256 Unempathetic denials of women in IR 261 Empathetic cooperation and feminism 265 Hands-on empathetic cooperation in IR 272 Good mothers and good soldiers 272 Walking “home” 274 Good families get international funding? 275 Getting going 277 Part IV Citings 279 13 Feminist arts of International Relations 281 The avant-garde and progress 283 Feminists prime canvases 285 Feminist outlinings 289 Getting into the landscapes 290 Feminist inlining 292 Blurring the lines 293 In(out)lining 295 Traveling to feminist arts 296 Representations 298 Outlining the power 298 A mermaidenly moment 299 14 Internations of feminism and International Relations 301 “Nations” of feminism and International Relations 304 Boundaries and “nations” 307 “Nations” of IR and feminism struggle to be 311 IR exceeded 311 Feminism exceeded 315 World-traveling the universals 317 World-traveling to internations through fiction 321 Hallucinating Foucault 323 Behind the scenes at the museum 325 The Information 326 What does it mean? 327 References 331 Index 360 Christine Sylvester examines the history of feminists' efforts to include gender relations in the study of international relations. Tracing the author's own "journey" through the subject, as well as the work of the other leading feminist scholars, the book examines theories, methods, people and locations which have been neglected by conventional scholarship. It will be of interest to scholars and students of International Relations, Women's and Gender Studies, and Postcolonial Studies.