Abstract

A woman did that? The general reaction to women's political violence is still one of shock and incomprehension. Mothers, Monsters, Whores provides an empirical study of women's violence in global politics. The book looks at military women who engage in torture; the Chechen 'Black Widows'; Middle Eastern suicide bombers; and the women who directed and participated in genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda. Sjoberg & Gentry analyse the biological, psychological and sexualized stereotypes through which these women are conventionally depicted, arguing that these are rooted in assumptions about what is 'appropriate' female behaviour. What these stereotypes have in common is that they all perceive women as having no agency in any sphere of life, from everyday choices to global political events. This book is a major feminist re-evaluation of women's motivations and actions as perpetrators of political violence.
‘It’s fascinating to see some myths bite the dust. Sjoberg and Gentry shake down the women-as-mostly-nonviolent-victims-of-men’s-wars myth with accounts of women war enthusiasts and perpetrators. More, they show how women’s violent activities can exhibit agency in international relations rather than pathology. Everyone will want to read this’ Christine Sylvester, Professor of International Relations and Development, Lancaster University 'Reading Mothers, Monsters, Whores underscores the urgency for us all to come to grips with the reality of women wielding militarized violence. Sjoberg and Gentry reveal graphically the way we construct media images that prop up patriarchal ways of explaining the world' Cynthia Enloe, Clark University, author of Globalization and Militarism: Feminists Make the Link 'An important contribution to writings on war and gender.' Peace News
Laura Sjoberg is Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Her first book Gender, Justice and the Wars in Iraq was published in 2006. She has published articles on just war theory in the International Journal of Feminist Politics, International Politics and International Studies Quarterly. Her research focuses on gender, just war theory, international security and international ethics. Caron E. Gentry is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Abilene Christian University, Texas. Her previous work has been published in the journal Terrorism and Political Violence. Her research interests are gender, terrorism and political violence.