2.2 The social constructedness of gender
As pointed out before, gender is at the centre of feminist IR scholarship. Gender is also a term with varying definitions especially when considering positivist and postpositivist studies. A positivist approach considers gender as the natural division between men and women, focusing on biological differences. On the other hand, a postpositivist approach recognises gender as socially constructed, meaning that gender is learned, disseminated and created through interactions within a society to maintain the dominance of the male.
Peterson and Runyan (1999) point out that gender is not biological, but socially constructed as a way to establish our status as real men and women. The authors emphasise that …show more content…
Women of every social category took part in the killings. The extent to which women were involved in the killings is unprecedented anywhere in the world.” UNICEF determined that by 1997 more than 5,500 women were in prison, most accused of crimes of genocide, and many with dependant infants (Rice, 2010, p240). To understand why women in the Rwandan conflict were both victim and villain, one must examine their participation in ethnic cleansing that constructs and sustains activist movements. According to Professor Lisa Sharlach of University of Alabama, “the nationalist radio broadcasters stressed that all Hutu, whether female or male, capable of killing Tutsi had the civic obligation of doing so . . . Additionally, the broadcasters demanded that all Tutsi, regardless of sex or age, must die.” (Rice, 2010, …show more content…
Femininity then is tied to passivity and submissiveness (Budgeon, 2013), and it highlights women’s roles as the intimate partners of men and as mothers (Seal, 2010). It also designates the appropriated jobs for women, clothes, language, places to be and not to be, behaviour, attitude (and especially lack of it). Gender discriminates against women and attributes to men the characteristics that are considered more important and more valuable. To be considered a feminine woman one cannot challenge gender
As pointed out before, gender is at the centre of feminist IR scholarship. Gender is also a term with varying definitions especially when considering positivist and postpositivist studies. A positivist approach considers gender as the natural division between men and women, focusing on biological differences. On the other hand, a postpositivist approach recognises gender as socially constructed, meaning that gender is learned, disseminated and created through interactions within a society to maintain the dominance of the male.
Peterson and Runyan (1999) point out that gender is not biological, but socially constructed as a way to establish our status as real men and women. The authors emphasise that …show more content…
Women of every social category took part in the killings. The extent to which women were involved in the killings is unprecedented anywhere in the world.” UNICEF determined that by 1997 more than 5,500 women were in prison, most accused of crimes of genocide, and many with dependant infants (Rice, 2010, p240). To understand why women in the Rwandan conflict were both victim and villain, one must examine their participation in ethnic cleansing that constructs and sustains activist movements. According to Professor Lisa Sharlach of University of Alabama, “the nationalist radio broadcasters stressed that all Hutu, whether female or male, capable of killing Tutsi had the civic obligation of doing so . . . Additionally, the broadcasters demanded that all Tutsi, regardless of sex or age, must die.” (Rice, 2010, …show more content…
Femininity then is tied to passivity and submissiveness (Budgeon, 2013), and it highlights women’s roles as the intimate partners of men and as mothers (Seal, 2010). It also designates the appropriated jobs for women, clothes, language, places to be and not to be, behaviour, attitude (and especially lack of it). Gender discriminates against women and attributes to men the characteristics that are considered more important and more valuable. To be considered a feminine woman one cannot challenge gender