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