Political Science & International Relations

- as Optional Subject and for General Studies of Prelims and Mains

Note Making

Political Science and International Relations is a very important subject and famous one to be taken as optional subject for UPSC Civils Mains exam. The topics of the subject are a must know for every civil servant as these form the core of what a civil service constitute. From Exam Point of view also, the syllabus of this subject covers prelims and mains – Indian Polity , constitution and International Relations. Here we strive to provide the notes for each topic of the syllabus which is helpful for optional subject as well as general studies of Prelims and Mains. Read On!

Topic–

1.     Gender in Global Politics

Questions for Discussion:

1.        How did feminism’s ‘second wave’ differ from its ‘first wave’?

2.        Why have some feminists rejected the goal of gender equality?

3.       Why is the distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’so important in feminist theory?

4.       Is ‘gender mainstreaming’ an effective strategy for tackling gender injustice?

5.       Are the key concepts of mainstream international theory based on masculinist assumptions?

6.       What implications do feminists draw from the gendered character of nations and states?

7.       Why and how have feminists criticized the conventional idea of national security?

8.       Why have feminists argued that war and gender are intrinsically linked?

9.       Has economic globalization benefited, or harmed, the lives of women?

10.    In What sense has gender justice become an urgent global concern today? (2007)

11.   Basic issues in movements for Gender Justice? (2005)

Summary:

·         Feminism can broadly be defined as a movement for the social advancement of women. However, it has taken a wide range of forms, with distinctions particularly being made between feminist traditions orientated around the goal of gender equality and those that place a greater emphasis on women being ‘woman-identified’.

·         The ‘gender lens’ of empirical feminism is primarily concerned to ‘add women’ to existing analytical frameworks, especially in the attempt to tackle gender gaps between women and men. Making feminist sense of international politics therefore means recognizing the previously invisible contributions that women make to shaping world affairs.

·         The ‘gender lens’ of analytical feminism is concerned, by contrast, to highlight the gender biases that pervade the theoretical framework and key concepts of mainstream international theory, and particularly realism. These are deconstructed to reveal masculinist biases that, in turn, help to legitimize gendered hierarchies and perpetuate the marginalization of women.

·         Feminists have drawn attention to the gendered character of states and nations. Patriarchal biases within the state dictate that states will be competitive and at least potentially aggressive, while nations and nationalism are commonly entangled with gendered images that may place a special emphasis on female ‘purity’.

·         Feminists have been critical of the conventional notion of national security, seeing the broader idea of human security as a better means of highlighting women’s concerns. War is often also viewed as a gendered phenomenon, reflecting tendencies such as the prevalence of men in senior positions in political and military life, and the impact of myths about masculinity and militarism and about the need for male ‘warriors’ to protect women and children.

·         Feminist theorizing on economic issues has tended to stress the ways in which the sexual division of labour serves the economic interests of capitalism as well as the extent to which the conceptual framework of conventional political economy has been constructed on a masculinist basis. Such ideas have influenced feminist thinking about both globalization and development.

Other important topics:

Preview

Key Issues

Feminism, Gender and Politics   - Varieties of Feminism

Feminists define gender

<Table> Global Actors – The Women’s movement

‘Gender lenses’ on global politics

Gendering Global politics – Gendered states and gendered nations

<Table> Approaches to Gender Relations

<Table> Global politics in action – gendered violence in anti-muslim riots in Gujarat.

Gendering Security, war and armed conflict

<Table> Focus on .. Human security : Individuals at risk?

<table> Debating...Would a matriarchal society be more peaceful?

Gender, globalization and development.

Key theorists in Feminist international relations

Jean Bethke Elshtain  - Cynthia Enloe  - J. Ann. Tickner

Using knowledge to inform policy practice