Man and International Relations

Paper Summary:

This paper briefly examines the book which makes a very compelling case for the power of culturally embedded gender roles in shaping international policy for both liberals and conservatives. The paper summarizes the main points of the book and explains how the authors use examples from recent history to back up their points.

From the Paper:

"Ashworth and Swatuk believe that gender is a social construct, and not an absolute. "It varies significantly in time and space and within and mong cultures. Gender is not dichotomous but is rather a continuum of undisclosed shape and size." (p. 76). Thus if masculine and feminine are not simply biological characteristics, individuals have to prove their masculinity and femininity according to a cultural standard. Back in the Middle Ages, conservatives felt a hierarchy was necessary, and that the warrior-aristocrat was a father figure protecting his "family." When European sovereigns went to war, they were still governed by codes of honor. This system of shard values made the aristocrat a "man"."

More papers on Man and International Relations:

• Analytical Essay # 143468 : "Women And World Leadership"
• Book Review # 53908 : "Man, the State, and War"
• Analytical Essay # 141792 : "Opening Relations Between the US and China in 1972"

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