ANALYTICAL, EMPIRICAL AND NORMATIVE FEMINIST INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ANALYSIS

Let’s review some examples of True’s empirical, analytical and normative categories of feminist IR theory, as applied to the readings this week. NORMATIVE CHANGE The women in DRIVE THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL highlight this idea of RADICALLY changing the norms and principles by which society lives. The UNSC resolution that incorporates women into peacekeeping, is another example of normative change. ANALYTICAL FEMINISM Analytical feminism brings previously ignored analytical categories to light. An example of this, would be the legal response to war rapes.As Parker points out, it is a norm that war rape is immoral, but no compensation have been given to victims, and the perpetrators have gone unpunished. Parker is ensuring that war rape is to be analyzed in the legal arena, with practical results to follow. EMPIRICAL FEMINISM This simply means that after one has identified ‘invisibilized’ analytical categories, you compile data about them. How is this done? Authors of “Half the Sky,” Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, believe that universities should require all graduates to spend some amount of time in the developing world. This type of education in the West could lead to a future more focused on different types of “power” and seeing INTERNATIONAL POLITICS INVOLVE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS, PRIVATE LIVES, AND PERSONAL IDENTITIES.” (True, 2005)