Originally published in 1998, The "Man" Question in International Relations looks the prevalence of man in the world of international relations. The book argues that, focusing on women as a way of changing the gender of international relations can position women as "the problem." The authors of this book suggest that the problem is not "woman" but "man." Rather than highlighting the absences and presence of women in the theories and practices of international relations, the authors concentrate on questioning the practices of masculinities, the hegemony of men, and the subject of "man." In this way, they hope to destabilize the field in ways that "adding women and stirring" has not.

The reality of international relations and its academic study are still almost entirely constituted by men. Rethinking the Man Question is a crucial investigation and reinvigoration of debates about gender and international relations. Following on from the seminal The Man Question in International Relations this book looks at the increasingly violent and 'toxic' nature of world politics post 9/11. Contributors including Raewyn Connell, Kimberley Hutchings, Cynthia Enloe, Kevin Dunn and Sandra Whitworth consider the diverse theoretical and practical implications of masculinity for international relations in the modern world. Covering theoretical issues including masculine theories of war, masculinity and the military, cyborg soldiers, post-traumatic stress disorder and white male privilege. The book also focuses on the ways in which masculinity configures world events from conscientious objection in South Africa to 'porno-nationalism' in India, from myths and heroes in Kosovo to the makings of Zimbabwe. This essential work will define the field for many years to come.

This edition provides a systematic introduction to the principle theories in international relations. It focuses on the main theoretical traditions - realism, liberalism, international society, and theories of international political economy. It also includes two chapters on social constructivism and foreign policy.

-- Political Science Quarterly

The realist theory of international relations is based on a particularly gloomy set of assumptions about universal human motives. Believing people to be essentially asocial, selfish, and untrustworthy, realism counsels a politics of distrust and competition in the international arena. What Moves Man subjects realism to a broad and deep critique. Freyberg-Inan argues, first, that realist psychology is incomplete and suffers from a pessimistic bias. Second, she explains how this bias systematically undermines both realist scholarship and efforts to promote international cooperation and peace. Third, she argues that realism's bias has a tendency to function as a self-fulfilling prophecy: it nurtures and promotes the very behaviors it assumes predominate human nature. Freyberg-Inan concludes by suggesting how a broader and more complex view of human motivation would deliver more complete explanations of international behavior, reduce the risk of bias, and better promote practical progress in the conduct of international affairs.

Publisher Description

This book offers a contemporary intervention in the field of feminism/international relations. Partly inspired by Surrealism, the book is written in a series of vignettes and draws on a variety of approaches inviting readers in to inhabit the text. It is a politically engaged book, though one which does not direct readers in conventional ways, visiting global politics, the classroom, poetry, institutional violence, cartoons, feminist violence, films, violent white men, angry black women, blood and ‘English’ puddings. Working imaginatively with epistemology and methodology, and embedding theory throughout the text, the book can be considered part of the current genre of scholarship which attends to complexity, uncertainty, disruption, affect and the creative possibilities of randomness. Feminist International Relations: Exquisite Corpse will be of interest to students and scholars of International Politics, Gender and Feminist Studies, International Studies, Political Theory, Globalization Studies and further afield.