Gender and the War System: An Analysis

The text discusses how gender and the war system influence each other, focusing on the book "War and Gender" by Joshua Goldstein. Goldstein argues that there is a universal dichotomization of the masculine aggressor against the feminine peacemaker, despite changing approaches to war and gender. The text analyzes different aspects of the war system in relation to gender, including the numerical make-up of armed forces, perceptions of combatants and peace activists, sexual violence, military training, war rhetoric, and portrayals of war in popular culture and literature. It also explores feminist perspectives and recent changes in gender perceptions in the war system. The discussion highlights the pervasive gendering of the war system and its impact on various elements, including recruitment, training, and portrayals in popular culture. The text brings out the gendered implications of war rhetoric and the portrayal of warfare in popular culture, emphasizing the masculine/aggressive and feminine/passive nexus as central to the interactions between gender and the war system.