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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 12 page paper discusses the field of international relations, which is traditionally male dominated, and suggests that the addition of feminist theory to the field is necessary to bring balance to the study. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
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12 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVFmIRRv.rtf
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perspective. This consideration of the broadest policies affecting international relations without womens input disenfranchises a majority of the population. This paper considers some of the ways in which feminist thinking
might be used to change the theory of International Relations to make it more accessible to women. Discussion At its most basic level, the problem under discussion here is the
lack of womens engagement and perspective in regard to international relations (IR), most particularly in the area of conflict and national security. Well begin with feminist scholar Ann Tickners critique
of Hans Morgenthaus six principles of international relations. Since Morgenthau wrote in 1948, his thinking has become the basis for much of the work in international relations since then.
Reading over his six principles shows a decided masculine bias. His first principle states that like society in general, politics "is governed by objective laws that have their roots in
human nature which is unchanging"; since it is unchanging, its possible to develop a "rational theory that reflects these objective laws" (Tickner, 1988, p. 429). In reformulating this principle from
a feminist viewpoint, Tickner suggests that such a viewpoint is hardly objective at all, and that since human nature is both masculine and feminine, both viewpoints should be represented if
balance is to be achieved (Tickner, 1988, p. 429). Morgenthaus second principle states that political realism is usually defined in terms of power, and stresses the "rational, objective and unemotional"
(Tickner, 1988, p. 429). Of course these qualities-rationality, objectivity and lack of emotion-are consistently seen as being masculine, so it can be argued that simply by formulating these principles as
he has, Morgenthau has skewed international relations in favor of the male viewpoint. Here, Tickners reformulation along feminist lines speaks to the fact that "national interest is multidimensional and
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