Abstract
This study questions the “clash of civilizations” thesis. Referring to the cosmopolitanization process as defined by Beck and Sznaider (2010), I analyze the cosmopolitanization of feminism, that is, the gradual recognition of “the others’ others”, the women, through the evolution of their political rights—the right to elect and be elected—at a global level. In this context, the descriptive representation of women, their substantive representation, and their voices within civil society in the North and the South highlight the fact that feminism is undergoing a process of cosmopolitanization, albeit in a slow and sporadic way. I present this argument from a postcolonial feminist perspective and base my research on NGOs’ data and on data provided by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN-Women. First, I analyze the cosmpolitanization process as applied to feminism. Then, following Beck and Sznaider (2010), I describe how this process is articulated ‘from above’ (top-down cosmopolitanization), referring to electoral data from around the world and to international law. Further, I relate to the cosmopolitanization of feminism ‘from below’, referring to feminist theories, cyberfeminism and the global civil/feminist society. In conclusion, I discuss the common future of feminism and cosmopolitanism.
Highlights
In a significant book published in 2000, Can We Live Together? Equality and Difference, the French sociologist Alain Touraine posed one of the most relevant contemporary questions—the possibility of living together in equality and difference [2]
The descriptive representation of women, their substantive representation and their voices that are heard within civil society highlight the fact that feminism is undergoing a process of cosmopolitanization
As applied to feminism, which is understood here as the movement and ideas that promote women’s human rights, cosmopolitanization in the political sphere means that the rights and duties of women in this sphere—such as to elect and be elected—become institutionalized in social structures as well as in the mental structures of individuals as self-understood principles of society at various levels
Summary
In a significant book published in 2000, Can We Live Together? Equality and Difference, the French sociologist Alain Touraine posed one of the most relevant contemporary questions—the possibility of living together in equality and difference [2]. I use as an illustration the political sphere and its global transformation as a result of women’s “politics of presence” [13,14,15] in the second decade of the twenty-first century In this context, the descriptive representation of women (that is, an increase in the number of women elected, so their number better reflects the composition of the electorate), their substantive representation (women’s political representation that advances human rights, as reflected in the Beijing Platform for Action [16,17]) and their voices that are heard within civil society highlight the fact that feminism is undergoing a process of cosmopolitanization. I proceed to analyze the top-down and bottom-up cosmopolitanization of feminism
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
