Feminists Theorize the State PDF
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Feminists Theorize the State Feminists Theorize the State Johanna Kantola Research fellow, Department of Political Science University of Helsinki, Finland © Johanna Kantola 2006 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2006 978-0-230-00025-4 All rights reserved.No reproduction,copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced,copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988,or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,90 Tottenham Court Road,London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2006 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States,United Kingdom and other countries.Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-27956-2 ISBN 978-0-230-62632-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9780230626324 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 To my grandma, mummo, Toini Haapakoski Contents Acknowledgements ix List of Abbreviations xi 1. Gender and the State: Theories and Debates 1 Feminist theories of the state 3 Current debates about gender and the state 15 The arguments and structure of the book 18 2. Feminist Comparative Discourse Analysis 22 Discourse analysis 23 Feminist discourse analysis 27 Political discourse analysis 33 Feminist comparative discourse analysis 41 Conclusion 45 3. Feminists ‘in’ the State? Childcare Debates in Finland 47 Introduction 47 Agenda-setting and adoption: early feminist discourses 48 Implementation and evaluation: consolidation of childcare discourses 57 Feminist discourses in the 1994 parliamentary debate 64 Conclusion 71 4. Feminists ‘out’ of the State? Domestic Violence Debates in Britain 73 Introduction 73 Agenda-setting and adoption: early feminist discourses 74 Implementation and evaluation: consolidation of the discourses 82 Feminist discourses in the 1993 parliamentary debate 87 Conclusion 97 5. Comparisons of Feminist Discourses about the State 100 Introduction 100 Domestic violence debates in Finland 100 Childcare debates in Britain 111 Comparative conclusions for feminist perspectives on the state 123 Conclusion 128 vii viii Contents 6. Gender, State and New Institutions 129 Introduction 129 The Scottish Parliament 130 The European Union 143 Conclusion 154 7. New Directions for Feminist State Theory 156 Notes 166 Bibliography 171 Index 193 Acknowledgements This project was carried out in different places and universities. It started in Birmingham and continued in Bristol and Helsinki. In Birmingham, I learnt that I wanted to study feminism and the state. The way that I was doing it developed and changed thanks to the influence and inspiration of the people in these different contexts. The teaching and research conducted in the Department of Political Science and International Studies in the University of Birmingham were pivotal in making me interested in the topic. Colin Hay and David Marsh made me feel that my work was important; later, I came to see that this was not self-evident in a male-dominated Politics Department. At the University of Bristol, my PhD adviser, Judith Squires, was critical, demanding and encouraging, and constantly pushed me forward. Judith’s way of thinking, analysis and of discussing politics continues to inspire me. Our discussions about novels, walks in a snowstorm in Stockholm, confer- ence dinners in different parts of Europe and trips around Helsinki were invaluable. In Bristol, I had the privilege to be surrounded by bright women. The Politics Department was a vibrant centre for gender and politics research, evidenced in reading groups, seminars and conferences from which my work benefited. In particular, I would like to thank Jutta Weldes for her critical comments and helpful suggestions. While in Bristol, I got to know many people who were important to this work. I would like to thank Vicky Randall for her enthusiasm for my work and encouragement to get it published. Birte Siim was a visiting professor at Bristol and gave important feedback on my work and became an inspiring example. While doing my postdoctoral research, I worked with Mona Lena Krook and Sarah Childs. I thank both for their friendship and support. For some months, I shared an office with Mona, which was even better than spending time together in conferences around the world. At the University of Helsinki, Anne Maria Holli and Eeva Raevaara gave me a warm welcome. I thank both for all their support and critical comments. The way Anne and Eeva took me into various projects, meet- ings and seminars and shared with me the joys and horrors of Finnish university life was wonderful and important. I look forward to our femi- nist revolution. The Christina Institute at the University of Helsinki offered me a place in their National Graduate School, and I would like to ix x Acknowledgements thank the professors and the postgraduate students there for comments and feedback on my work. Joint projects in the research network GENUINE – Gendered Europe – Network in Comparative and EU Studies further developed my thinking. I thank Kevät Nousiainen, Anu Pylkkänen, Eeva Luhtakallio, Milja Saari, Outi Alarotu and Satu Sundström. Numerous friends and colleagues have commented on my work at con- ferences and seminars which have taken place beyond these three key contexts. Especially important have been the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) general conferences and joint sessions, which have had a strong gender section since the first general conference in Kent at Canterbury in September 2001. In particular, I would like to thank Karen Beckwith, Christina Bergqvist, Maria Bustelo, Karen Celis, Hanne Marlene Dahl, Emanuela Lombardo, Fiona Mackay, Amy Mazur, Dorothy McBride, Petra Meier, Tanya Olsson Blandy, Joyce Outshoorn, Shirin Rai, Malin Rönnblom, Birgit Sauer, Ann Towns and Mieke Verloo. Sometimes your influence has taken the form of critical comments and interest in my work, at other times friendship and inspiration. Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family in different parts of the world. Juha Jokela was there throughout and shared with me Birmingham, Bristol and Helsinki. The distances that we travelled together cannot be measured in miles or kilometres. Whilst Lili and Leo Chaligha and their family, Kathy Connelly and Golbarg Wedin-Bashi made Bristol welcoming for me, Piia Aho and Pilvi Torsti made my return to Helsinki wonderful and Anders Vacklin makes me want to stay there forever. I thank my brother Jussi Kantola for coming to Bristol and typing on my behalf when my hands refused to co-operate any longer. My father Pentti Kantola and my aunt Päivi Naskali have made me a feminist in their respective ways, given me my self-confidence and boosted my debating skills. My mother Anneli Kantola passed away before she could hold this book in her hands, but the love, support and encouragement that she gave me throughout my life have made this book possible. I am grateful for the British Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, Emil Aaltonen Foundation and Helsingin Sanomain 100- vuotissäätiö for providing funding for this research. Part of Chapter 6 was published earlier as ‘Transnational and National Gender Equality Politics: The European Union’s Impact on Domestic Violence Discourses in Finland and Britain’, in Sirkku Hellsten, Anne Maria Holli and Krassimira Daskalova (eds.) Women’s Citizenship and Political Rights(Palgrave Macmillan, 2006). List of Abbreviations DHSS Department of Health and Social Security EOC Equal Opportunities Commission EU European Union EWL European Women’s Lobby HE Hallituksen esitys– government proposal LEA Local Education Authority LTOL Lastentarhan opettajien liitto– the Association of Kindergarten Teachers MEP Member of the European Parliament MP Member of Parliament MSP Member of the Scottish Parliament NCC National Childcare Campaign NCCL National Council for Civil Liberties NGO Non-governmental organisation NWFA National Women’s Aid Federation OAJ Opettajien ammattijärjestö– Trade Union of Education PRCU Policing and Reducing Crime Unit SDP Suomen sosiaalidemokraattinen puolue– Social Democratic Party of Finland SKDL Suomen kansan demokraattinen liitto– Finnish People’s Democratic League SMP Suomen maaseudun puolue – Finnish Agrarian Party SNDL Suomen naisten demokraattinen liitto– Finnish Women’s Democratic League SNP Scottish National Party TANE Tasa-arvoasiain neuvottelukunta– The Council for Equality between Women and Men UK United Kingdom UN United Nations WAFE Women’s Aid Federation England WAS Women’s Aid Federation Scotland WAVE Women Against Violence Europe WHO World Health Organization WNC Women’s National Commission xi
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