Feminist Security Studies: A Narrative Approach

162 Pages·2010·2.477 MB·English

by  Annick T. R. Wibben

Feminist Security Studies
This book rethinks security theory from a feminist perspective—uniquely, it
engages feminism, security, and strategic studies to provide a distinct feminist
approach to security studies.
The volume explicitly works toward an opening up of security studies that
wouldallowforfeminist(andother)narrativestoberecognizedandtakenseri-
ouslyassecuritynarratives.Tomakethispossible,itpresentsafeministreading
ofsecuritystudiesthataimstoinvigoratethedebateandradicalizecriticalsecu-
rity studies. Because feminism is a political project, and security studies are, at
their base, about particular visions of the political and their attendant institu-
tions, this is of necessity a political intervention. The book works through
and beyond security studies to explore possible spaces where an opening of
security, necessary to make way for feminist insights, can take place. Although
it develops and illustrates a feminist narrative approach to security, it is also
intendedasaninterventionthatchallengesthepoliticsofsecurityandthemean-
ings for security legitimized in existing practices.
Thisbookprovidesanddevelopsacomprehensiveframeworkfortheemerg-
ingfieldoffeministsecuritystudiesandwillbeofgreatinteresttostudentsand
scholarsoffeministIR,criticalsecuritystudies,genderstudiesandIR,andsecu-
rity studies in general.
AnnickT.R.WibbenisAssistantProfessorofPoliticsandInternationalStud-
ies as well as Chair of the interdisciplinary Bachelor Program in International
Studies at the University of San Francisco (USF). From 2001 to 2005, she
wastheCo-InvestigatoroftheInformationTechnology,WarandPeaceProject
at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University.
Series: PRIO New Security Studies
Series Editor: J. Peter Burgess
PRIO, Oslo
Theaimofthisbookseriesistogatherstate-of-the-arttheoreticalreflexionand
empirical research into a core set of volumes that respond vigorously and
dynamically to the new challenges to security scholarship.
TheGeopolitics of American Insecurity
Terror, power and foreign policy
Franois Debrix and Mark J. Lacy, eds.
Security, Risk and theBiometric State
Governing borders and bodies
Benjamin Muller
Security andGlobal Governmentality
Globalization, governance and thestate
Miguel de Larrinaga and Marc G. Doucet
Critical Perspectives on Human Security
Rethinking emancipation and powerin international relations
David Chandler and Nik Hynek, eds.
Understanding Securitisation
Thedesign andevolution ofsecurity problems
Thierry Balzacq, ed.
Feminist Security Studies
Anarrative approach
Annick T.R. Wibben
Feminist Security Studies
A narrative approach
Annick T.R. Wibben
Firstpublished2011
byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN
SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
byRoutledge
270MadisonAve,NewYork,NY10016
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2011.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
ª2011AnnickT.R.Wibben
TherightofAnnickT.R.Wibbentobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhas
beenassertedbyhiminaccordancewithsections77and78ofthe
Copyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproduced
orutilizedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,
nowknownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,
orinanyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissionin
writingfromthepublishers.
BritishLibraryCataloginginPublicationData
AcatalogrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Wibben,AnnickT.R.
Feministsecuritystudies:anarrativeapproach/AnnickT.R.Wibben.
p.cm.
1.Security,International—Socialaspects.2.Nationalsecurity—Socialaspects.
3.Feministtheory.4.Women’srights.5.Womenandwar.I.Title.
JZ5588.W532010
3550.03300082—dc22 2010025338
ISBN 0-203-83488-7 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN13:978–0–415–45727–9(hbk)
ISBN13:978–0–415–45728–6(pbk)
ISBN13:978–0–203–83488–6(ebk)
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1 Feminist interventions: the politics of identity 10
2 Challenging meanings 27
3 Toward a narrative approach 43
4 Security as narrative 65
5 Feminist security narratives 86
6 The future of feminist security studies 107
Appendix 115
Notes 117
Bibliography 131
Index 150

Acknowledgments
Thejourneytocompletingthebookhasbeenalongoneandmanypeopleand
institutions need to be acknowledged for their support of this project and its
author. To begin, I want to thank Cynthia Enloe, Vivienne Jabri, Christine
Sylvester, and J. Ann Tickner. They, along with other feminist scholars, have
notonlymadeitpossibleforyoungscholarssuchasmyselftoconsidersecurity
fromafeministperspectivebuthavealsoprovidedencouragementforthispro-
ject in concrete ways by commenting on my work and ideas. I also need to
thank Andrew Humphrys at Routledge, who had faith that the book would
be written eventually, and Peter Burgess at PRIO for selecting the book for
inclusion in the New Security Studies series.
When I began working on these topics at the University of Wales in Aber-
ystwythin1998,myresearchwassupportedbytheBritishEconomicandSocial
ResearchCouncilandanAberystwythPostgraduateStudentship.JennyEdkins
andMichaelC.Williamshadthetaskofhelpingmetofigureoutwhatexactly
the PhD project was going to be and how I could possibly tackle it, making
acontributiontothefieldofInternationalPoliticswhileatthesametimeques-
tioningitsveryfoundations,andtheydidsowithmuchpatience.Giventhatthis
wasalsothestartofaprocessofcomingtovoice—of‘‘carvingouttheintellec-
tual and political space that would enable me to be heard’’ (Collins 2000: xii),
the Department of International Politics at the University of Wales, with its
excellent faculty, varied research groups, and a continuing flow of speakers
and inquisitive students, provided an ideal environment for these explorations.
IamespeciallygratefulforthecontinuedfriendshipofJennyEdkinsandofMaja
Zehfuss—your work is an inspiration and our conversations keep me sane.
From2001to2005,IhadtheopportunitytoworkwithJamesDerDerianon
theInformationTechnology,WarandPeaceprojectattheWatsonInstitutefor
InternationalStudies,fundedbytheFordFoundation.Iwillforeverbegrateful
fortheintellectualstimulationandsupportiveatmospherethatcharacterizedthe
WatsonInstituteundertheleadershipofThomasJ.Bierstecker,whopersonally
ensured that everyone was able to do their best work. Working on a rapid
responsetotheeventsofSeptember11,2001,withmycolleaguesattheWatson
Institute (see http://www.infopeace.org) has profoundly shaped not only this
book but also my thinking about the limits of the discipline and its politics.
viii Acknowledgments
James—your ongoing encouragement and steadfastsupport canonlyberepaid
by paying it forward, as you once said, and I am working on that.
Inthefallof2003,IspentasemesterasaRockefellerHumanitiesFellowfor
Human Security at the National Council for Research on Women and the
Center for the Study of Women and Society at CUNY in New York City. I
would like to acknowledge the support of these organizations for my work
onhumansecurity.Althoughtheexaminationofprivilegewasalreadyaconcern
ofmine,participationintheweeklyseminarsandconversationswiththeother
fellows, Ratna Kapur and Uma Narayan, made the struggle with imperial
tendencies within feminism a central concern in my work. Thank you!
Asanassistant professor attheUniversity ofSan Francisco since2005,ithas
beenmuchhardertofindtimetowritebutnotforalackofsupport.Weekend
WritingRetreats,sponsoredbytheCollegeofArtsandSciencesunderthelead-
ershipofJenniferTurpinandrun,impeccably,byPamelaBalls-Organista,have
provided space for rethinking the research as a book. A sabbatical in 2008–9
allowedtimeforlargepartsofthebooktobecomposed.Theongoingsupport
of colleagues in the Friday Writing Warriors, especially the original members
TracySeeley,StephanieSears,andShawanWorsley,hasmadethecompletion
ofthemanuscriptpossible.Ialsoowethankstomystudentassistants,ErikaCarl-
sen,MarySolon,andMaggieBoylewhospentmanyhourscollectingmaterials
andenteringbibliographicdataintoEndnote.Mycolleague andfriend,Keally
McBride, commented on several parts of the final manuscript, and Kerry
Donoghue provided editorial assistance and pep talks through the very end.
I could not have done it without you!
Last,andmostimportantly,Ineedtoacknowledgethesupportfrommyfam-
ily, especially my mother, Sabine. Although sometimes puzzled by the path I
have chosen and wishing I were writing in German, so that it would be easier
forhertoreadmyresearch,shealwaystriestosupportmyendeavors.Iamded-
icatingthisbooktomyhusband,Ted,whodoeshisbesttokeepourlivesbal-
anced, and to our daughters, Klara and Luise, whose vocabulary included
‘‘mommy—work?’’ almost as soon as they could talk. They have lived with
this project for too long, and if anyone could be happier than I that this book
has been completed, it would be them.
Introduction
Ialwaysturnthenewson,andI’mnoteverwatchingit,I’mjusthearingit.Really,
I’m listening for theweather, OK? And I remember that being on there [the first
plane crashing] and not even associating it as being live. You know, I walked by,
‘‘C’mongirls. Wegotta getup,’’orwhatever. Icomeback,andIamdoingwhat
I’mdoing,gotoutoftheshower,andit’sstillthere.‘‘Oh.OK.’’Andthen,when
I seen the second plane hit, that made me stop for a second. Though, not like
‘‘Wow!’’ but it made me stop. ‘‘Oh. OK, what’s going on?’’ And then, that’s
when it sunk in that what was going on was actually happening in present time.
Andforsomereason,oncethathit,Iwasparalyzed.Ididn’twanttoleavethetele-
vision,althoughmyyoungerchildrenhadnoideawhatwasgoingon.Andthey’re
readyto,generallyit’smegoing,‘‘C’mongirls,I’vegottocombyourhair,’’andall
that. They’re knocking at the door going, ‘‘Mom, you’ve got to comb our hair.
We’reready.’’Ididmanagetobreakawaylongenoughtodotheirhairandwalk
themtodaycare.
(Moira,quotedinMattinglyetal.2002:746)
This narrative, recounting Moira’s experience of the events of 9/11, is quite
familiar. Against the backdrop of what seemed to be an ordinary New York
morning in September 2001,thecrashing oftwoplanes into theWorld Trade
Center and the immediate access to this event provided by the media consti-
tuted a breach of normality. Almost everyone in the United States, provided
they were old enough at the time and had some access to media, remembers
where they were and what they were doing when they heard ‘‘the news.’’
Moira’s narrative is of interest because it reveals what is considered normal,
thatis,‘‘accountsoftimeswhentheexpectedisflouted,orwhenthingssome-
howgoawry,rely onasharedunderstanding (betweennarrator and audience)
ofwhatthenormalandexpectedlooklike’’(Mattinglyetal.2002:745).What
happens when such a shared understanding does not exist? What if the breach
that constitutes an event as notable is not considered an exception because the
vision of normality from which it deviates is that of only a privileged few?
The question of a shared understanding, or normality, is central to feminist
interventions in international politics, generally, and in security studies, specif-
ically.Becausefeministtheorizingstartsfromwomen’sexperiencesofeveryday