Perceptions of female terrorism
Women involved and associated with terrorist groups particularly go against these gender stereotypes due to the shocking nature of their actions. As pointed out by Hoogensen (2005:122), the incidence of female terrorism does not only speak to the phenomenon of terrorism itself but equally challenges our culturally and socially constructed assumptions about gender roles. In fact, acts of terror perpetrated by women often create a sort of fascination and are often judged not only on the basis of terrorism but additionally on the basis of who committed the acts. This fascination is notably underlined in Bloom’s (2007:100) study of female terrorism where she estimates that the media reporting of acts committed by women is eight times more important than the coverage of similar acts orchestrated by men. Additionally, not only does the coverage of female terrorism differ from male terrorism but also the way stories are depicted. Violent women are indeed often being described in the media through the gendered archetype of the ‘monster’, ‘mother’ or ‘whore’ that emphasize their
The myth that sees women as more peaceful and men as more prone to violence is indeed still very embedded in our contemporary society. It is thus possible to question why, despite a clear history of women proving that they are as capable of violence as men, do female terrorists still appear as shocking and defying the conventional norms of gender roles? Why are our perceptions of gender roles not evolving? To what extent are these visions of the world influenced by the State and political discourses? Has patriarchy a role to play in sustaining this myth of peaceful women and violent
The article Gender, Class, and Terrorism by Michael Kimmel creates a convincing argument that makes the audience think about the effect of uniform unchanging expectations towards men in a quickly developing society. These effects are those relating to not only terrorism, but also towards the general consequences of the emasculation of men, past and present. This complex argument is accomplished by Kimmel using logos and pathos to appeal to the audience, giving several examples, and using the paper’s structure to his advantage. Despite his success in appealing to the audience through the methods previously listed Kimmel fails to show his credibility by not citing direct sources, as well as using fallacies to back his argument, which may leave
(Chermak, 2006) The media is one of the leading causes of stereotypes, and what influences our beliefs today. When you think of a terrorist, you may think of either a middle-aged Muslim male or a middle-aged white male with some sort of mental or social disorder. This isn't always the case. A terrorist can be of any race, age, and social class.
The decades' old Chechen conflict has not received much media coverage in the West; however, there has been one aspect of this struggle which has been reported upon: female suicide bombers, known as “Black Widows”. Various sources attribute their actions to being victims who suffered traumatic loss of loved ones, brainwashing by Islamist zealots, being rape and/or being drugged. In my paper, I sought to learn more about the motivations of these women to see if there is more behind than what I perceived to be stereotypical reasons for their actions offered in the media. I discovered that their reality and motivation is complex, based on past and recent history of Chechnya and the culture of indigenous Chechen society.
Wark, Wesley. (January 28, 2011). The sisterhood of death. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/bombshell-the-many-faces-of-women-terrorists-by-mia-bloom/article1886122/
Pre-existing gender relations become accentuated as the use of sexual violence reaffirms the patriarchal hierarchies between men and women. The strategic purpose of rape exhibits the militaristic masculinity of the perpetrator and subsequently feminizes the victim by physically controlling their body. Additionally, women's roles as central to constructing national borders and preserving or denying identities exposes the fact that the more patriarchal a system is, the more so is its vulnerability to an enemy attack exploiting such gendered roles.
The contribution of the feminist standpoint in IR theory definitely sparks discussion and debate bringing forth new perspectives which demand to be heard and considered from the more ‘orthodox’ IR theories, previously privileged assumptions and preconceived ideas. This grand entry for the feminists was towards the denouement of the Cold War in the 1980’s , Kirkpatrick; influential US ambassador of the UN during that period was noted to have said that she felt like a “mouse in a man’s world”. Is this still the case with women worldwide and particularly in the West? Tickner’s groundbreaking work set the foundation and key to early feminist IR. Whilst simultaneously interrogating the core issues in mainstream IR, particularly in peace and security, contingent on feminist bases for gendered grasp of issues that have defined it. In this essay we will firstly try to identify and comment on the emergence of feminism within IR in the 80’s. Secondly, we will pin-point and analyze which contributions were of the greatest importance, predominantly via Tickner and Keohane. Finally we will look at the impact and importance of the different types of feminist theories and whether or not they have achieved at enriching our understanding of IR theory.
Examining the most common characteristics of a violent offender, simply being a man can be considered a risk factor. The male gender is characterized by traits like strength, and a natural willingness to defend what is theirs. Such behaviors are driven by male hormones, which are utilized in the regulation of human aggression. Though girls comprise a smaller overall portion of adolescent arrests, the murder of Reena Virk in 1997, in which seven girls and one boy brutally assaulted and drowned a fellow classmate , shifts focus back onto juvenile female violence. While male offenders, often choose to act as individuals; the “girl-gang” phenomenon has recently caught the attention of researchers. Institutes from Canada, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany have published studies, emphasizing increasing female violence and the issue of “girl-gangs”. After exceptionally violent murders, the public tends to be very sensitive and biased regarding these issues, influenced heavily by the media. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between ordinary myths and statistics. Theories such as the Liberal Feminist View, as well as the Power-Control Theory approach female violence as it being the result of a constantly changing society. To fully comprehend the nature of female violence, however, a combination of social, economic, biological and psychological factors have to be taken into consideration. Commonly boys use violence to solve a conflict and to protect their honor girls instead, see it as a way of emancipation, to prove that they are not the weaker sex.
Terrorism has been around for centuries and religion-based violence has been around just as long. (Hoffman, 2). The violence was never referred to as terrorism though. Only up to the nineteenth century has religion been able to justify terrorism (Hoffman, 2). Since then, religious terrorism became motivated and inspired by the ideological view (Hoffman, 3). Therefore, it has turned against the main focus of religion and more towards the views of the extremist and what is happening politically (Winchester, 4).
NACOS, B. (2002). Mass-Mediated Terrorism: The central role of the media in terrorism and counterterrorism. Oxford and New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Fawcett, Barbara, Brid Featherstone, Jeff Hearn, and Christine Toft. Violence and Gender Relations Theories and Interntions. London: Sage Publications, 1996. 12-13. Print.
The American media has a tendency to portray Muslims in a negative light. Some pity Muslims while others feel pure disdain for them. This statement made by Ann Coulter (2001) following the September 11th terrorist attacks demonstrates the disdain for Muslims, “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity” (as cited in Arab American National Museum, 2011). While this particular statement was directed at all Muslims, there are also many misconceptions directed solely at Muslim women. In this essay, I will discuss the issue of Muslim women and some of the ways in which their reality contradicts the common media representations of women in that area.
[…] leaving their violent partners and telling their life stories – women are able to identify and isolate the view of women as abject and identify its dangers, while they simultaneously resist this reading of women’s roles and worth of their own individual lives.
The rise of terrorism and extremism in the Middle East during the time this piece was composed prompted Mohi-Ud Din to engage in a passionate argument about how these terrorists have ruined the image of Muslims. He explicitly highlights the main points of his argument by using transitional words such as firstly, secondly, and thirdly. He initiates his argument by proposing that the media’s one-sided focus on Muslim extremists prevent the viewers from recognizing that the majority of Muslims are not violent. Next, he debunks the stereotypes Americans have about Muslims and then he shifts his concern to how America’s political and military actions have exploited Muslim countries. He concludes his argument by explaining why Islam is not a threat to
In an advertisement published in Vogue Paris in February 2009, Steven Klein photographs fashion model Lara Stone in a manner that brought much controversy to the world about women and violence. In the photograph, a fashionably clad woman in lingerie is forcibly held down by a naked man, while a police officer poses suggestively on her legs and points a gun in her face. This advertisement seems excessively violent for a fashion magazine that young girls and the majority of the mainstream world idolize. By condoning and making the type of violence that is popular in fashion magazines ‘cool’, people begin to recreate the scenes in these photographs in real life because they are constantly exposed to it. Furthermore, this constant exposure to violence
The role and place of Women in Islam has changed drastically, in a positive way, over the past millennium: the changes can be greatly attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, and the Qur’an. To understand the changes in women’s rights and freedoms, one must understand their role and place before Islam was created, which happened in the Arabia Peninsula, now Saudi Arabia (Angha). Before Islam was formed women lacked many of the basic human rights, and they were treated as more of a burden in their culture then someone who should be respected, but that is not the case today. Though women in Islam have gained many rights, there is still some controversy over whether or not women are still being oppressed and treated like second class citizens compared