War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa

Gender roles are nowhere more prominent than in war. Yet contentious debates, and the scattering of scholarship across academic disciplines, have obscured understanding of how gender affects war and vice versa. In this authoritative and lively review of our state of knowledge, Joshua Goldstein assesses the possible explanations for the near-total exclusion of women from combat forces, through history and cross cultures. topics covered include the history of women who did fight and fought well, the complex role of testosterone in men’s social behaviors, and the construction of masculinity and femininity in the shadow of war. Goldstein concludes that killing in war does not come naturally for either gender, and that gender norms often shape men, women, and children to the needs of the war system. Illustrated with photographs, drawings, and graphics, and drawing from scholarship spanning six academic disciplines, War and Gender translates and synthesizes our latest understanding of gender roles in war. Joshua Goldstein Professor of International Relations at the American University. He is the author of Three Way Street (University of Chicago Press, 1990), a best-selling textbook, International Relations 4/e (addison Wesley, 2001), and many articles on international relations. The National Science Foundation has funded some of his recent research. In addition, he is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation grant, and awards from the International Studies Association and the American Jewish Congress. He has appeared frequently in national and international print and broadcast media.