About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

21 Brown J. World Aff. 81 (2014-2015)
Militarized Masculinities in International Relations

handle is hein.journals/brownjwa21 and id is 81 raw text is: Militarized Masculinities in International Relations MAYA EICHLER Professor of Political Studies and Women's Studies Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax) THE STUDY OF WAR AND peace in international relations must take seriously con- structions of masculinity, as well as the gender inequality they entail. Today, the ideal soldier is still defined as masculine and the warrior remains a key symbol of masculinity.' Across the world, men make up the vast majority of armed forces personnel and state leaders engaged in war. But as feminist international relations scholars argue, this does not mean that men are innately militaristic, and, by corollary, that women are naturally peaceful. Instead, the link between masculinity and the military is constructed and maintained for the purposes of 81 waging war. Militarized masculinity, at its most basic level, refers to the asser- tion that traits stereotypically associated with masculinity can be acquired and proven through military service or action, and combat in particular. When state and military leaders aim to display strength through the use of military force or hope to recruit male citizens through appeals to their masculine identity, they are relying on and reproducing militarized masculinity. While men are not inherently militaristic, militarized masculinity is central to the perpetuation of violence in international relations.2 This article draws on feminist international relations and critical masculini- ties scholarship on militaries and war.3 These literatures point to complexities and contradictions in the relationship between masculinities, militaries, and MAYA EICHLER is Canada Research Chair in Social Innovation and Community Engagement and Assistant Professor in the Department of Political and Canadian Studies and the Department of Women's Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax). Her research focuses on feminist international relations theory, gender and the armed forces, the privatization of military security, and post-Soviet politics. Her published work includes MilitarizingMen: Gender, Conscription, and War in Post-Soviet Russia (2012), recent articles in Critical Studies on Security, Citizenship Studies, and International journal, and an upcoming edited volume Gender and Private Security in GlobalPolitics (early 2015). She currently serves as an Associate Editor for the International Feminist Journal ofPolitics. Copyright @ 2014 by the Brown Journal ofWorldAffairs FALL/WINTER 2014 * VOLUME XXI, ISSUE I

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most