Kimberly Theidon: Reconstructing Masculinities: The Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration of Former Combatants in Colombia
As you rightly pointed out in your reading prompts, Theidon uses a sophisticated gender lens to explore questions of alternative masculinities, the bodies, and emotion. Nevertheless, a deeper reflection on her article reveals important ways in understanding how different forms of masculinities and formed. Her observations are quite astounding because it is often difficult to see how violent forms of masculinity are produced in societies, which are then reproduced and used the context of conflict. Even though she used Colombia and DDR as her case study, her arguments are applicable to most societies and peacebuilding …show more content…
While I was reading the article, one episode in my peacebuilding experience keeps coming to my mind again and again. I will, therefore, reflect on Theidon’s article in relation to the episode I encountered during my work. Theidon suggests that there are different constructions of what it means to be a man in different social contexts. The understanding of how these processes of becoming a “man” in different societies have serious implications as to how peacebuilders intervene in a complex conflict. What this means is that as peacebuilders there is the need to understand each social context, the conflict we are trying to address, the parties involved, the forms of violence, and what are the characteristics of the perpetrators of the violence. And also, it is important to understand how a particular society perceives and valorizes certain kinds of behaviors. In northern Ghana for example, in some of the communities where there has been long protracted conflict, we (WANEP) got to realized that these communities have a measuring stick for identifying who is a “real man”. These yardsticks include the ability to own and fire a gun, the ability to witness …show more content…
The challenge, however, remains: how can we address structural issues such as the violent construction of masculinities that are embedded in individual and collective identities of people. Clearly, in the example I gave above, the people in the communities in northern Ghana see their practices as part of their collective identity of becoming a “real man”. A so-called rite of passage that has existed for generations. Transforming such practices will certainly be difficult but not
As you rightly pointed out in your reading prompts, Theidon uses a sophisticated gender lens to explore questions of alternative masculinities, the bodies, and emotion. Nevertheless, a deeper reflection on her article reveals important ways in understanding how different forms of masculinities and formed. Her observations are quite astounding because it is often difficult to see how violent forms of masculinity are produced in societies, which are then reproduced and used the context of conflict. Even though she used Colombia and DDR as her case study, her arguments are applicable to most societies and peacebuilding …show more content…
While I was reading the article, one episode in my peacebuilding experience keeps coming to my mind again and again. I will, therefore, reflect on Theidon’s article in relation to the episode I encountered during my work. Theidon suggests that there are different constructions of what it means to be a man in different social contexts. The understanding of how these processes of becoming a “man” in different societies have serious implications as to how peacebuilders intervene in a complex conflict. What this means is that as peacebuilders there is the need to understand each social context, the conflict we are trying to address, the parties involved, the forms of violence, and what are the characteristics of the perpetrators of the violence. And also, it is important to understand how a particular society perceives and valorizes certain kinds of behaviors. In northern Ghana for example, in some of the communities where there has been long protracted conflict, we (WANEP) got to realized that these communities have a measuring stick for identifying who is a “real man”. These yardsticks include the ability to own and fire a gun, the ability to witness …show more content…
The challenge, however, remains: how can we address structural issues such as the violent construction of masculinities that are embedded in individual and collective identities of people. Clearly, in the example I gave above, the people in the communities in northern Ghana see their practices as part of their collective identity of becoming a “real man”. A so-called rite of passage that has existed for generations. Transforming such practices will certainly be difficult but not