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The Duty to Protect: Gender in the Swedish Practice of Conscription

Kronsell, Annica LU and Svedberg, Erika LU (2001) In Cooperation and Conflict 36(2). p.153-176
Abstract
In this article, we turn first to a brief discussion of feminist contributions in the field of security, defense, and collective identity, and then argue that Swedish nationalism is tied to a particular form of collective identity formation through the practice of conscription. Drawing on Elshtain's notions of 'just warriors' and 'beautiful souls', we go on to spell out how women, historically, have been situated within the discourse of militarism. Finally, we look at how the contribution of women to the military has been perceived and argued, and then point out how a small number of female soldiers may be instrumental in exposing a particular value system of gender, citizenship, and collective identity.



Demilitarization... (More)
In this article, we turn first to a brief discussion of feminist contributions in the field of security, defense, and collective identity, and then argue that Swedish nationalism is tied to a particular form of collective identity formation through the practice of conscription. Drawing on Elshtain's notions of 'just warriors' and 'beautiful souls', we go on to spell out how women, historically, have been situated within the discourse of militarism. Finally, we look at how the contribution of women to the military has been perceived and argued, and then point out how a small number of female soldiers may be instrumental in exposing a particular value system of gender, citizenship, and collective identity.



Demilitarization isn't any more automatic than militarization. Indeed, it may be a far stickier process because it goes against the grain of the feminine and masculine conventions and political strategies now prevalent in so many societies. (Enloe, 1993: 259) (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
military, Gender, conscription, feminism, Sweden, citizenship
in
Cooperation and Conflict
volume
36
issue
2
pages
153 - 176
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:84996207876
ISSN
0010-8367
DOI
10.1177/001083601400422379
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3519ca2a-0bda-4479-a863-3b566b3576f9 (old id 156387)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:43:04
date last changed
2022-04-23 00:01:13
@article{3519ca2a-0bda-4479-a863-3b566b3576f9,
  abstract     = {{In this article, we turn first to a brief discussion of feminist contributions in the field of security, defense, and collective identity, and then argue that Swedish nationalism is tied to a particular form of collective identity formation through the practice of conscription. Drawing on Elshtain's notions of 'just warriors' and 'beautiful souls', we go on to spell out how women, historically, have been situated within the discourse of militarism. Finally, we look at how the contribution of women to the military has been perceived and argued, and then point out how a small number of female soldiers may be instrumental in exposing a particular value system of gender, citizenship, and collective identity.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Demilitarization isn't any more automatic than militarization. Indeed, it may be a far stickier process because it goes against the grain of the feminine and masculine conventions and political strategies now prevalent in so many societies. (Enloe, 1993: 259)}},
  author       = {{Kronsell, Annica and Svedberg, Erika}},
  issn         = {{0010-8367}},
  keywords     = {{military; Gender; conscription; feminism; Sweden; citizenship}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{153--176}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Cooperation and Conflict}},
  title        = {{The Duty to Protect: Gender in the Swedish Practice of Conscription}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001083601400422379}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/001083601400422379}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}