Globalization and Militarism: Feminists Make the Link

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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Militarism is being globalized today not only in war zones such as Ukraine and Syria, but in peaceful arenas such as families and football stadiums. Ideas and practices of masculinities and femininities are fuel for this global militarization. Who is presumed to be weak and who tough Who is the protector, who the grateful protected Written by one of the worlds leading feminist scholars, this masterful and provocative newly updated edition tracks how womens desires to be patriotic yet feminine and mens fears of being feminized each have been exploited to globalize militarismand thus what it will take to roll back militarization anywhere. Here are explorations of how governments shrink the meaning of national security, how Nike and Adidas rely on militaries to keep women workers wages low, how ideas about feminization were used to humiliate male prisoners in Abu Ghraib, and of why camo became a fashion statement. Cynthia Enloe offers readers a practical gender analysis tool kit with which to expose militarisms blatant and subtle workings. Focusing her lens on the big picture of international politics and on the not-so-small picture of womens and mens complex everyday lives, Enloe challenges us to chart militarism in all its forms in this updated edition.

Reviews

Cynthia Enloe continues her quest to investigate the patriarchal dimensions of militarization and globalization. Using feminist curiosity she skillfully guides the reader in a series of insightful analyses that unravel the relations between globally militarized structures and the personal, even trivial, constructs of everyday lives. With brilliance and clarity, she shows how masculinities and femininities are tied to processes of militarization and demilitarization in diverse locations across the globe.This book is a must read for students and scholars seeking to understand how women's and men's lives shape global politics. -- Annica Kronsell, Lund University
Cynthia Enloes vibrant and inspiring prose takes us on a global journey of the everyday to uncover the gendered dynamics of militarization in all sorts of unexpected placesfrom the militarized politics of the sneaker to the wielding of masculinity in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo to the rise of camouflage as fashion to women peace activists mobilizing in Japan. Enloe uses her sharp feminist curiosity to remind us that we should always beware of the adjectives natural or trivial, for these often obscure how militarization works. As always, Enloes work is essential for anyone who wants to question the status quo in global politics and is a call to action for those who want to promote change for a more peaceful, just, and feminist world. -- Daniel Conway, University of Westminster, author of Masculinities, Militarisation and the End Conscription Campaign: War Resistance in Apartheid South Africa

Author Bio

Cynthia Enloe is research professor in the Department of International Development, Community, and Social Change and the Department of Womens Studies at Clark University. Her books include the updated edition of the groundbreaking Bananas, Beaches, and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics.