Gender and Internaitonal Relations: An Introduction — Occult Philosophy

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🕯️ Occult Philosophy

Gender and Internaitonal Relations: An Introduction

Name: Gender and Internaitonal Relations: An Introduction
Price: 38.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780813525136

✍️ Steans, Jill

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$38.95

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Jill Steans bridges the critical gap between gender studies and political science, offering a robust framework for understanding how binary identities shape global structures. This text does not impose a single dogma but rather surveys the diverse insights feminism brings to IR. It dissects nationalism, statecraft, citizenship, and security through a feminist critique, revealing how these concepts are inherently gendered. By grounding abstract theory in tangible political realities, Steans provides an accessible yet rigorous introduction to how gender operates as a fundamental organizing principle in world politics, challenging traditional realist narratives.

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Occult Philosophy

🏛 Rutgers University Press 📖 232 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780813525136

Fun Fact

Steans delivers a masterclass in making feminist theory accessible without diluting its critical edge. It excels in connecting abstract gender dynamics to concrete political issues like security and economics. However, readers seeking a radical manifesto or a unified feminist doctrine may find its pluralistic approach frustrating. It sits firmly as a foundational textbook for the feminist IR canon, essential for anyone willing to look beneath the surface of traditional political science.

📝 Description: Gender and Internaitonal Relations: An Introduction

Until relatively recently, little had been written about gender issues in international relations despite the increased importance of the study of gender in other areas of the social sciences. Gender and International Relations fills that gap, providing a clear and accessible guide to the study of gender issues, feminist theories, and international relations. Steans illustrates how gender is central to nationalisms and political identity, the state, citizenship and conceptions of political community, security, and global political economy and development. Drawing on feminist scholarship from across the social sciences, she demonstrates the uses of feminism as critique. She also introduces readers to contemporary theoretical debates in international relations using concrete concerns and easily understandable issues to ground the discussion. The book does not construct a single feminist theory of international relations nor does it advance a particular perspective of how gender can best be understood in an international or global context. Rather, the book argues that feminist theories have collectively produced insights crucial to the study of international relations and that these insights can be used to challenge conventional approaches to the discipline.

💎 Expert review

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💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Steans provides a necessary and scholarly bridge between gender studies and political science, offering a robust critique of how traditional international relations concepts are inherently gendered. The text excels in its accessible yet rigorous approach to challenging realist narratives, making complex theoretical frameworks understandable without imposing a single dogma. However, it does NOT suit readers seeking definitive policy solutions or those who prefer traditional, unperturbed realist political science texts that ignore social constructionism. It is a critical academic survey rather than a practical guide for immediate geopolitical action.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking to dismantle the patriarchal foundations of global power will find profound value in this essential feminist lens on international relations. It is ideal for scholars and activists who wish to understand how binary identities shape statecraft, citizenship, and security without being forced into a single dogmatic framework. By surveying diverse feminist insights, Steans offers an accessible yet rigorous introduction to these complex dynamics. Those eager to ground abstract theory in tangible political realities will appreciate the text’s robust framework for dissecting nationalism and state power through a critical gendered perspective.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Scholars seeking to deconstruct traditional IR theory, activists analyzing the political roots of gender inequality, and students requiring a clear, non-dogmatic entry point into feminist political theory.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Steans provides a necessary and scholarly bridge between gender studies and political science, offering a robust critique of how traditional international relations concepts are inherently gendered. The text excels in its accessible yet rigorous approach to challenging realist narratives, making complex theoretical frameworks understandable without imposing a single dogma. However, it does NOT suit readers seeking definitive policy solutions or those who prefer traditional, unperturbed realist political science texts that ignore social constructionism. It is a critical academic survey rather than a practical guide for immediate geopolitical action.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, Steans avoids prescribing a single theoretical framework. Instead, she showcases the collective value of diverse feminist perspectives for critiquing and understanding international relations.

Yes, it uses concrete political issues to ground complex theories, making it an ideal introductory resource for those new to feminist IR without sacrificing academic rigor.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Gendered National Identity

Steans explores how nations construct their identities through masculine and feminine metaphors, showing that political loyalty and border security are deeply tied to gendered notions of protection and purity.

Feminist Security Critique

The book redefines security beyond military might, examining how gender dynamics influence conflict, peacekeeping, and the personal safety of citizens, arguing that true security requires dismantling patriarchal power structures.

Political Economy of Gender

Analyzing global development, the text demonstrates how economic policies and international trade disproportionately affect men and women differently, highlighting the hidden labor and economic dependencies that sustain global capitalism.

📜 Historical context

Emerging from a period where social sciences increasingly recognized gender as a category of analysis, this work addresses the longstanding neglect of gender in International Relations. It stands as a pivotal text in the feminist turn of political science, moving beyond marginal commentary to integrate gender as a central analytical tool for understanding state behavior and global power dynamics.

📚 Glossary

Feminist Critique
Political Identity
Global Political Economy

📔 Questions to reflect on

How do the gendered expectations of your own culture influence your perception of national security or political leadership?
In what ways might the concept of 'citizenship' exclude or marginalize individuals based on gendered assumptions?
How does the global political economy rely on invisible gendered labor to sustain its current structures?