PapersFlow Research Brief
Gender, Security, and Conflict
Research Guide
What is Gender, Security, and Conflict?
Gender, Security, and Conflict is the interdisciplinary study of how gender dynamics intersect with armed conflict and security practices, encompassing sexual violence, gender inequality, military masculinity, feminist perspectives, war crimes, peacebuilding, UN Resolution 1325, wartime rape, women's roles in conflict, and gender-based violence.
This field examines the experiences of women and men in war-torn regions, the impact of conflict on gender identities, and challenges in addressing gender-based atrocities in post-conflict settings. It includes 43,809 works with a focus on keywords such as sexual violence, wartime rape, and peacebuilding efforts. Research highlights systematic comparative analyses of women's strategies under patriarchal systems, as in 'BARGAINING WITH PATRIARCHY' by Deniz Kandiyoti (1988).
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Wartime Sexual Violence Conflict Zones
This sub-topic documents patterns, perpetrators, and strategic uses of rape in armed conflicts. Research employs survivor testimonies and legal frameworks for accountability.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Women Peace Security
Researchers assess implementation of UNSCR 1325 in national action plans, focusing on women in peace processes. Evaluations measure participation and protection outcomes.
Gender-Based Violence Post-Conflict Settings
Studies examine GBV prevalence, trauma, and justice mechanisms in post-war reconstruction. Interventions target survivor support and societal reintegration.
Military Masculinities Armed Forces
This sub-topic analyzes how militarized gender norms shape violence, recruitment, and leadership. Ethnographic work critiques hegemonic masculinity in militaries.
Feminist Peacebuilding Approaches
Focused on women's agency in negotiation, disarmament, and reconciliation processes. Research validates inclusive frameworks drawing from feminist IR theory.
Why It Matters
Research in Gender, Security, and Conflict informs policies on preventing wartime rape and advancing women's roles in peacebuilding, drawing from UN Resolution 1325. Brownmiller's 'Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape' (1975, reviewed 1976) traces rape from biblical times to modern conflicts like Bangladesh and Vietnam, showing it as a tool of patriarchal control with 2768 citations. Koss et al. (1987) reported high rates of sexual aggression in a national sample of higher education students, revealing inadequacies in crime statistics that underestimate victimization, which applies to conflict zones. These studies support interventions against gender-based violence in security contexts.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
'Against Our Will. Men, Women and Rape' by J. B. Elshtain (1976) because it provides a foundational historical overview of rape as a societal and conflict phenomenon, tracing its use from ancient times to modern wars, making complex gender-security intersections accessible.
Key Papers Explained
'The Cultural Politics of Emotion' by Sara Ahmed (2013) establishes how emotions sustain power in politics, which 'Frames of war: when is life grievable?' (2009) builds on by analyzing media's role in gendering violence and grievability. 'BARGAINING WITH PATRIARCHY' by Deniz Kandiyoti (1988) extends this to women's adaptive strategies under patriarchy, while Koss et al. (1987) quantifies sexual aggression scope, and England's (1994) work adds reflexive methodology for field research.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current research continues to explore feminist perspectives on war crimes and UN Resolution 1325 implementation, with high citation counts indicating sustained interest in sexual violence and peacebuilding, though no preprints or news from the last 12 months are available.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Cultural Politics of Emotion | 2013 | — | 4.6K | ✕ |
| 2 | Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commerci... | 2018 | — | 3.3K | ✕ |
| 3 | Frames of war: when is life grievable? | 2009 | Choice Reviews Online | 2.8K | ✕ |
| 4 | Against Our Will. Men, Women and Rape | 1976 | Telos | 2.8K | ✕ |
| 5 | BARGAINING WITH PATRIARCHY | 1988 | Gender & Society | 2.8K | ✕ |
| 6 | Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape | 1978 | The Family Coordinator | 2.7K | ✕ |
| 7 | Protecting Soldiers and Mothers | 1992 | Harvard University Pre... | 2.4K | ✕ |
| 8 | The scope of rape: Incidence and prevalence of sexual aggressi... | 1987 | Journal of Consulting ... | 2.3K | ✕ |
| 9 | Violence and social orders: a conceptual framework for interpr... | 2010 | Choice Reviews Online | 2.0K | ✕ |
| 10 | Getting Personal: Reflexivity, Positionality, and Feminist Res... | 1994 | The Professional Geogr... | 1.9K | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What role do emotions play in gender and security politics?
Sara Ahmed's 'The Cultural Politics of Emotion' (2013) argues that emotions define identities and shape political actions, keeping individuals invested in power relationships. This applies to security contexts where emotions sustain gender hierarchies during conflicts. The work has 4610 citations.
How does media portrayal affect perceptions of violence in war?
'Frames of war: when is life grievable?' (2009) by Judith Butler examines how media representations of state violence and gender influence modern warfare perceptions. It highlights resistance forms and whose lives are deemed valuable. The paper has 2794 citations.
What are women's strategies under patriarchal systems in conflict?
Deniz Kandiyoti's 'BARGAINING WITH PATRIARCHY' (1988) shows women strategize coping mechanisms based on cultural and temporal contexts, providing a grounded view of patriarchy beyond abstract theory. This informs gender dynamics in security and conflict settings. It has 2757 citations.
What is the scope of sexual aggression in populations relevant to conflict studies?
Koss, Gidycz, and Wisniewski (1987) found high incidence and prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of higher education students, due to limitations in standard crime statistics. Their study revealed rates not captured by official records. It has 2302 citations.
How does reflexivity improve feminist research on gender and conflict?
Kim England's 'Getting Personal: Reflexivity, Positionality, and Feminist Research' (1994) advocates researcher reflection on power relations in fieldwork for more inclusive methods. This addresses feminist challenges to objectivist approaches in security studies. The paper has 1950 citations.
Open Research Questions
- ? How do emotional investments in power relationships exacerbate gender-based violence in ongoing conflicts?
- ? In what ways do media frames of grievability influence international responses to wartime rape?
- ? What specific bargaining strategies do women employ in diverse patriarchal conflict settings?
- ? How can improved measurement methods reveal the true prevalence of sexual aggression in war-torn higher education contexts?
- ? What positionality adjustments are needed for reflexive feminist analysis of post-conflict peacebuilding?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 43,809 works with no specified 5-year growth rate, reflecting steady accumulation around core themes like wartime rape and gender inequality.
Top-cited papers from 1976 to 2013, such as Ahmed's (2013, 4610 citations) and Buolamwini and Gebru's (2018, 3309 citations), show persistent influence without recent preprints or news coverage.
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