Political Communications
Do we still need feminism?
In my essay I will evaluate whether we do still need feminism. Firstly, I will argue that feminism is a key international relations theory and is needed in order to combat patriarchy in the international system. Secondly, I will explain why we do still need feminism by highlighting the patriarchal system and how men need it as much as women do. I will then move on to evaluating the need for feminism in attaining gender equality, particularly in the third world. Additionally, I will then move onto explaining the need for feminism in order to stop gender violence and rape, which still affect many women in the world. After that, I will evaluate the need for feminism from different strands of feminism, notably Liberal, Marxist, Standpoint and Post-Structualist. Finally, I will then conclude by highlighting the key points and main arguments on why we still need feminism.
Feminism has been seen as a movement away from traditional international relations theories, such as realism and liberalism. Christine Sylvester argues that how we think, do not think, and avoid thinking about gender in IR. Sylvester argues women are separated from the on goings in IR, and are easily diminished to a domestic role in life. Feminist IR emerged in the 1980’s, partly a reaction to the end of the Cold War and the re-evaluation of traditional IR theories during the 1990’s. Sylvester states feminist thinkers questioned the different ideas and practices in IR, stating schools of IR were gender-biased, with concepts such as domination, power, anarchy, control and safety were stereotypical male concepts. Therefore, in order for women to be empowered in IR, feminism is still needed. (Sylvester, 1994: 84) Feminism can provide this. For example, Sylvester notes that feminism focuses on ideas such as security, which for Realism is military, however feminism argues that it security is protection from domestic violence and civil war. (Sylvester, 1994: 89) In this way,
In my essay I will evaluate whether we do still need feminism. Firstly, I will argue that feminism is a key international relations theory and is needed in order to combat patriarchy in the international system. Secondly, I will explain why we do still need feminism by highlighting the patriarchal system and how men need it as much as women do. I will then move on to evaluating the need for feminism in attaining gender equality, particularly in the third world. Additionally, I will then move onto explaining the need for feminism in order to stop gender violence and rape, which still affect many women in the world. After that, I will evaluate the need for feminism from different strands of feminism, notably Liberal, Marxist, Standpoint and Post-Structualist. Finally, I will then conclude by highlighting the key points and main arguments on why we still need feminism.
Feminism has been seen as a movement away from traditional international relations theories, such as realism and liberalism. Christine Sylvester argues that how we think, do not think, and avoid thinking about gender in IR. Sylvester argues women are separated from the on goings in IR, and are easily diminished to a domestic role in life. Feminist IR emerged in the 1980’s, partly a reaction to the end of the Cold War and the re-evaluation of traditional IR theories during the 1990’s. Sylvester states feminist thinkers questioned the different ideas and practices in IR, stating schools of IR were gender-biased, with concepts such as domination, power, anarchy, control and safety were stereotypical male concepts. Therefore, in order for women to be empowered in IR, feminism is still needed. (Sylvester, 1994: 84) Feminism can provide this. For example, Sylvester notes that feminism focuses on ideas such as security, which for Realism is military, however feminism argues that it security is protection from domestic violence and civil war. (Sylvester, 1994: 89) In this way,