Author: Katie Smith

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in Essays, Identity Politics, North America, Regions

Nationalism is often used in times of war; it calls people to serve a higher cause and legitimises mass human sacrifice in the name of the state. In this essay I will examine the changes in the nationalism of President George W. Bush over the period of 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Is Torture ever Morally Acceptable? If so, Under what Circumstances? If not, why not?

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in Essays, Global Ethics

Torture can be defined as, ‘the officially sanctioned infliction of intense suffering, aimed at forcing someone to do or say something against his or her will.’ (Rodley, 2000: 7) Under international law it is illegal to use torture in any situation whatsoever. Although torture undoubtedly continues throughout the world, the moral argument prohibiting it was…

Assess the Impact of Feminist Thought on Contemporary Politics

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Feminism is a relatively new force in politics. It addresses the underlying assumptions that make politics a male-dominated discipline and seeks to improve the position of women within it. In recent decades feminism has been present throughout the world in varying forms and has begun to make an impact in many regions.

In What Ways does the Distinction between Masculine ‘Just Warriors’ and Feminine ‘Beautiful Souls’ Reflect the Patriarchal Structure of International Relations?

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Gender is one of the most crucial aspects of individual identity and it is closely linked to ideas of war. Elshtain’s ‘Just Warriors’ and ‘Beautiful Souls’, her portrayal of the ideal gender types for western society, make clear the war roles that each of us is encouraged to aspire to in peace-time society. Patriarchy refers…

Has the Study of Gender been Conceptually too Focused on the Category of ‘women’? What is at Stake in the Analytical Categories we use in Gender Theory?

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Gender categorisations are an inherent part of our culture; we accept them as an essential part of our identity and use them continually. To challenge the ‘truth’ or desirableness of concepts such as ‘woman’ or ‘man’ is a radical proposal but one which is increasingly put forward by post-structuralist feminists and queer theorists.

Pierre Bourdieu – Challenging Symbolic Violence and the Naturalisation of Power Relations

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For Bourdieu, ‘The only way to bring about organisational change that does not entail merely replacing one modality of domination with another is to address specifically and to undo the mechanisms of dehistoricisation and universalisation – “always and everywhere has it been this way” – whereby arbitrary workings of power are enabled to continue.’ (Emirbayer…

How Important was the So-called ‘domino theory’ in Forming US Policy Towards Indochina During the Cold War? Were Other Factors More Important?

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in Essays, Foreign Policy, International History, International Security

Indochina was a central battleground of the Cold War for more than two decades in which poorly-armed Vietnamese guerrillas fought successfully against the USA. Some saw it as an ideological struggle between capitalism and communism, and others, as a misinformed US attack on anti-colonial nationalism. The reasons for American involvement are unclear and have led…

Do Nuclear Weapons Still Have a Role in International Relations in the Post-Cold War Era?

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in Essays, International History, International Security

For those that lived through the Cold War, nuclear weapons are synonymous with the superpower rivalry of the USA and USSR. Although never used, they were central to the conflict. Now, in the post-Cold War environment, this rivalry has been removed and the question of the utility of nuclear weapons is being reviewed.

Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of Securitising Poverty

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in Essays, International Security, International Theory

The idea of poverty as a security issue has been fairly commonplace since the end of the Cold War. In 1993, the United Nations sought to redefine security with individuals as the referent object; a framework in which poverty is one of the principal security threats as it significantly reduces quality and quantity of life.…

Framing the War in Croatia: Propaganda, Ideology and the British Press

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