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Caring feminist states? Paternalistic feminist foreign policies and the silencing of Indigenous justice claims in Sweden and Canada

Bergman Rosamond, Annika LU ; Cheung, Jessica and de Leeuw, Georgia LU (2023) In International Feminist Journal of Politics p.1-24
Abstract
The self-identification of Sweden and Canada as exceptionally caring and ethical states committed to the goal of global gender justice has been reinforced through their adoption of feminist foreign policies (FFPs). However, despite the enthusiasm surrounding the potential of feminism as an ethical approach to foreign policy making, critics have drawn attention to the many failings of FFPs that hamper their ability to bring about transformative change. This article posits that the shortcomings of Swedish and Canadian FFPs are rooted in an unacknowledged legacy of colonial power relations. It is from within this history of violence that Swedish and Canadian practices of feminism both “at home” and “abroad” can be seen as a re-articulation of... (More)
The self-identification of Sweden and Canada as exceptionally caring and ethical states committed to the goal of global gender justice has been reinforced through their adoption of feminist foreign policies (FFPs). However, despite the enthusiasm surrounding the potential of feminism as an ethical approach to foreign policy making, critics have drawn attention to the many failings of FFPs that hamper their ability to bring about transformative change. This article posits that the shortcomings of Swedish and Canadian FFPs are rooted in an unacknowledged legacy of colonial power relations. It is from within this history of violence that Swedish and Canadian practices of feminism both “at home” and “abroad” can be seen as a re-articulation of colonialism. Through two illustrative narrative readings of reconciliation efforts, the article examines state provisions of hierarchically imposed, paternalistic expressions of care that silence Indigenous “articulations of self-care.” As such, it addresses a significant gap in the literature on FFPs by highlighting the risk of self-proclaimed “caring” feminist states reproducing colonial power relations within and beyond borders. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Feminist foreign policy, Indigenous justice, care, narratives, coloniality
in
International Feminist Journal of Politics
pages
24 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85177041261
ISSN
1461-6742
DOI
10.1080/14616742.2023.2274407
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ad21a72a-5d9d-4acf-a10c-dbe5bdb0e850
date added to LUP
2023-11-17 14:53:33
date last changed
2024-01-08 15:47:02
@article{ad21a72a-5d9d-4acf-a10c-dbe5bdb0e850,
  abstract     = {{The self-identification of Sweden and Canada as exceptionally caring and ethical states committed to the goal of global gender justice has been reinforced through their adoption of feminist foreign policies (FFPs). However, despite the enthusiasm surrounding the potential of feminism as an ethical approach to foreign policy making, critics have drawn attention to the many failings of FFPs that hamper their ability to bring about transformative change. This article posits that the shortcomings of Swedish and Canadian FFPs are rooted in an unacknowledged legacy of colonial power relations. It is from within this history of violence that Swedish and Canadian practices of feminism both “at home” and “abroad” can be seen as a re-articulation of colonialism. Through two illustrative narrative readings of reconciliation efforts, the article examines state provisions of hierarchically imposed, paternalistic expressions of care that silence Indigenous “articulations of self-care.” As such, it addresses a significant gap in the literature on FFPs by highlighting the risk of self-proclaimed “caring” feminist states reproducing colonial power relations within and beyond borders.}},
  author       = {{Bergman Rosamond, Annika and Cheung, Jessica and de Leeuw, Georgia}},
  issn         = {{1461-6742}},
  keywords     = {{Feminist foreign policy; Indigenous justice; care; narratives; coloniality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  pages        = {{1--24}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Feminist Journal of Politics}},
  title        = {{Caring feminist states? Paternalistic feminist foreign policies and the silencing of Indigenous justice claims in Sweden and Canada}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14616742.2023.2274407}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14616742.2023.2274407}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}