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The influence of gender on foreign policy beliefs and behavior : a literature review

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since feminist approaches to international relations (IR) first made their appearance in
the late 1980s, efforts to explain the 'gender gap' have proliferated. Gender studies
within IR in particular have been focused on foreign policy opinion, seeking to
discover whether men and women have different views on foreign policy simply due
to the fact that they are of different genders. The correlate of this is that if women
believe differently than men, in which way do they believe differently and if this were
then taken to its logical end, what would happen if they were more equally
responsible for foreign policy decision-making?
As an illustration of the varying approaches to feminist IR, this research project
undertakes a brief overview of the history of feminist IR, showing how the tools and
language of traditional IR do not encompass the needs of feminist IR study.
The research article then reviews the literature of gender, feminism and foreign policy
beliefs and behavior, examining its research core and evolution to date. Three
research questions are covered. Firstly, is gender a relevant variable in foreign policy
analysis? Secondly, if yes, does it make a difference to the foreign policy beliefs of
women? Thirdly, where women play a significant role in foreign policy decisionmaking,
are countries more pacific on the international level? Dealt with separately,
foreign policy beliefs are found to have a clear gender-based breakdown. Foreign
policy behavior is less simple to approach since the dataset of countries led by women
during international disputes is limited.
The research project and literature review also looks forward, pointing toward the
future, not only of gender and foreign policy studies but also to the implications that
future developments in feminist IR may have for the study of IR. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Pogings om die geslagsgaping te verduidelik het vermenigvuldig sedert die
feministiese benadering tot Internasionale Verhoudinge die eerste keer in die laat
1980's sy verskyning gemaak het. Geslagstudies binne Internasionale Verhoudinge
het veral gefokus op opinies oor buitelandse beleid om sodoende vas te stelof mans
en vroue verskillende sienings oor buitelandse beleid huldig bloot as gevolg van die
feit dat hulle verskillende geslagte is. Die keersy hiervan is dat indien vroue anders
glo as mans, op watter manier hulle anders glo, en - indien dit dan tot 'n logiese
uiteinde gevoer word - wat sou gebeur indien daar meer gelyke verantwoordelikheid
vir buitelandse beleidsbesluite sou wees.
As 'n illustrasie van die verskillende benaderings tot feministiese Internasionale
Verhoudinge, onderneem hierdie navorsingsprojek 'n oorsig van die geskiedenis van
feministiese Internasionale Verhoudinge om sodoende te toon dat die gereedskap en
taal van tradisionele Internasionale Verhoudinge nie aan die behoeftes van
feministiese Internasionale Verhoudingstudies voldoen nie.
Hierdie navorsingsartikel gee dan 'n oorsig oor geslagsliteratuur, feminisme en
buitelandse beleidsopinies en -gedrag deur sy navorsingskern en evolusie tot datum te
ondersoek. Drie navorsingsvrae word behandel. Eerstens, is geslag 'n relevante
veranderlike in buitelandse beleidsanalise? Tweedends, indien ja, veranderdit die
buitelandse beleidsopinies van vroue? Derdens, is lande meer passief op
internasionale vlak waar vroue 'n wesentlike rol in buitelandse beleidsbesluitneming
speel? Afsonderlik beskou, is daar gevind dat daar 'n duidelike geslagsonderskeid in
buitelandse beleidsopinies is. Dis egter minder eenvoudig om buitelandse
beleidsgedrag te bestudeer, aangesien slegs beperkte inligting oor lande wat
gedurende internasionale dispute deur vroue beheer is beskikbaar is.
Die navorsingsprojek en literatuuroorsig kyk ook vorentoe met spesifieke verwysing
na die toekoms van nie net geslag en buitelandse beleidstudies nie, maar ook na die
implikasies wat toekomstige verwikkelinge In feministiese Internasionale
Verhoudinge 'n vir die studie van tradisionele Internasionale Verhoudinge kan hĂȘ.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53130
Date12 1900
CreatorsJohnsen, Kristen Brooke
ContributorsNel, Philip, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format61p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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