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The Search for a Coherent and Universal Feminist Theory of International Relations

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The Search for a Coherent and Universal Feminist Theory of International Relations THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL The search for a coherent and universal feminist theory of International Relations: a critical assessment. Being a thesis submitted for the degree of PhD Department of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Hull by Fiona Judith Ritchie BA (hons), MA June 2015 Fiona Ritchie 200605652 Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................5-15 Method................................................................................................................................................11-15 Chapter One: Cynthia Enloe - Where are the Women? The Concept of Patriarchy in International Relations Theory....................................................16-74 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................16-19 Early conceptions of patriarchy...............................................................................................19-23 Public and private spheres........................................................................................................24-28 Enloe’s extension of patriarchy to the international......................................................28-32 Enloe on the militarisation of society....................................................................................32-40 Where are the women?................................................................................................................40-45 The concept of patriarchy in International Relations....................................................45-66 The concept of ‘Silence’ in feminist theory.........................................................................66-70 Reflections.........................................................................................................................................70-74 Chapter Two: Jean Bethke Elshtain – Sovereignty and Chastened Politics...........................................................................................................................75-128 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................75-77 The concept of sovereignty........................................................................................................78-88 St. Augustine and ‘the self’, ‘human nature’ and ‘society’.............................................88-96 St. Augustine and ‘just war’.....................................................................................................97-100 Just war in a modern age.......................................................................................................100-112 Women and war........................................................................................................................112-117 Elshtain and feminism...........................................................................................................118-125 1 Fiona Ritchie 200605652 Reflections...................................................................................................................................125-128 Chapter Three: Christine Sylvester – Forming a ‘Conversation’ using Postmodern Feminist method in International Relations Theory.........129-170 Introduction................................................................................................................................129-134 Sylvester and the argument for a Postmodern Feminist Theory........................134-145 Forming a ‘conversation’.......................................................................................................145-152 Chantal Mouffe: on the political.........................................................................................152-163 Sylvester: utopian values or ‘mature’ Politics?............................................................163-166 Reflections...................................................................................................................................166-170 Chapter Four: Non-Western Feminism – An argument for contextual thinking in International Relations Theory.....................................................................171-227 Introduction................................................................................................................................171-176 Islamic feminisms.....................................................................................................................177-179 A defence of Islamic feminism............................................................................................180-183 The case against Islamic feminisms..................................................................................184-186 A defence of ‘Islamic feminism’ once again: the politics of piety........................187-191 Black and African feminisms...............................................................................................191-200 Indian feminisms......................................................................................................................200-204 Indian feminism and the law...............................................................................................205-209 Indian feminism and the caste system............................................................................209-211 Indian feminism and religion..............................................................................................211-213 Indian feminism and globalisation....................................................................................213-214 Indian feminisms in theory..................................................................................................214-215 2 Fiona Ritchie 200605652 Overarching themes: A discussion on commonality.................................................215-217 A defence of universal thinking..........................................................................................217-222 Reflections...................................................................................................................................222-227 Chapter Five: Neo-Conservative Thought – A necessary background to the U.S female emancipation project in Afghanistan.................................................228-250 Introduction................................................................................................................................228-240 A defence of neo-conservatism...........................................................................................240-244 The case against neo-conservatism..................................................................................244-249 Reflections...................................................................................................................................249-250 Chapter Six: Caught in the Crossfire – women in Afghanistan..................251-289 Introduction................................................................................................................................251-255 Historical context......................................................................................................................255-268 An opportunity lost? How the West lost its way.........................................................268-274 Afghan Women: A backlash?................................................................................................275-285 Feminist International Relations Theory: what have we learned?....................285-287 Reflections...................................................................................................................................287-289 Chapter Seven: Reframing Feminism within International Relations Theory.........................................................................................................................290-316 Introduction................................................................................................................................290-290 The incorporation of the autonomy of the political...................................................291-293 Incorporating prudence and practical wisdom into feminist theorising about International Relations..........................................................................................................294-302 3 Fiona Ritchie 200605652 Incorporating greater sensitivity to diverse cultural and political contexts into feminist theorising about International Relations.....................................................302-312 Incorporating the concept of ‘Essential contestability’ into feminist theorising about International Relations.............................................................................................312-316 Conclusion..................................................................................................................317-319 Bibliography..............................................................................................................320-368 4 Fiona Ritchie 200605652 Introduction This thesis has three interlocking aims. The first is to examine the extension in recent decades of feminist theory to International Relations. The second is to consider the challenge of some leading non-Western feminist thinkers to key assumptions about International Relations made
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