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Gender In International Relations Theory - Essay

Gender In International Relations Theory

When we regard the views of liberals and conservatives (or realists) in international relations (henceforth IR), we think of their respective viewpoints as purely politically motivated. We rarely see these viewpoints as embedded in gender constructs, and the quest for masculine superiority. However, in "Masculinity and the Fear of Emasculation in International Relations Theory," authors Lucian M. Ashworth and Larry A. Swatuk make a very compelling case for the power of culturally embedded gender roles in shaping international policy for both liberals and conservatives. They believe that each approach has its own version of masculinity that it regards as superior. Realists/conservatives ...

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is rational masculinity.
Ashworth and Swatuk believe that gender is a social construct, and not an absolute. "It varies significantly in time and space and within and mong cultures. Gender is not dichotomous but is rather a continuum of undisclosed shape and size." (p. 76). Thus if masculine and feminine are not simply biological characteristics, individuals have to prove their masculinity and femininity-according to a cultural standard. Back in the Middle Ages, conservatives felt a hierarchy was necessary, and that the warrior-aristocrat was a father figure protecting his "family." When European sovereigns went to war, they were still governed by codes of honor. This system of shard values made the aristocrat a "man".
The authors contend that "the twin pillars of conservative society-tradition and order-drew on this model of the family." In interstate relations, the warrior was allowed to be uncontrolled, hypermasculine. The goal of war was to preserve the hierarchal ...

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Gender In International Relations Theory. (2015, October 11). Retrieved February 1, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Gender-In-International-Relations-Theory/105064

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 10/11/2015 06:03:16 AM
Category: Social Issues
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 780
Pages: 3

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