The Relationships between Ethnic Nationalism and the Body - Essay Example

The Relationships between Ethnic Nationalism and the Body Nationalism is a part of categorical identities in the obsolete traditional order (Roginsky 6). This is to say that it is one of the aspects of life that define societies. As a categorical identity, nationalism plays a big role in shaping everyday life and offering a means for grasping homogeneity. It is virtually impossible to dissociate nationalism from ethnicity. Ethnic nationalism is a form of identity where a nation is defined in terms of its ethnicity (Cockburn 1998 46). Every individual has an ethnic identity. In most instances, the strongest ethnic group tends to have a bigger role in the establishment of nationalities. Ethnic nationality and the individual’s identity are closely interrelated. Roginsky (34) points out that nations are comprised of sexed objects, a statement which means that sexuality has an important role to play in the social construction of national as well as gender identities. The author argues that the interrelationship between gender, nationalism and sexuality is amoral code which is beneficial one gender, nation, and sexuality over others. In ethnic nationalities, the leaders are normally men, while women normally are given roles to stay in the background and let men run things. According to Roginsky, individuals normally contest or construct “their ascribed ethnicity within specific social contexts of power and domination based on class and gender inequalities” (44). When looked at from a gender point of view, this statement means that individuals, both men and women, all have a role to play in the creation of states and their ethnic identities. These roles are shaped by the individuals being citizens or members of a nation, or by being members of a certain ethnic group. Nationalism has been known to function with masculine imperatives (Eisenstein 66). Women have so far had very little chance to play national roles, which have all been left to men. When it comes to ethnic nationalism, it is evident in many communities that men call the shots. Men chart their own paths, but they also play a big role in deciding the roles that should be played by women. Ethnic nationalism has in many cases led to conflict and sometimes violence that has seen many people loose lives. The main cause of these conflicts is the lack of inclusion of certain groups of people in the region in the general leadership structures. Ethnicity has the negative effect of dividing people and thus making it hard for them to collaborate to achieve a common objective (Sofos 42). Ethnic nationalism has been one of the main reasons why women have not been given a voice on matter concerning them and their societies. However, the tide is slowly changing as more and more people open their eyes to the injustices inequalities brought about by ethnic nationalism. People and especially women are getting empowered to fight against what is considered to be restrictive ethnic nationalism in favor of new ways of doing things. A case in point is the gender revolution that occurred in Post Yugoslavia states in which women protested against violence, war and divisive politics of ethnic nationalism (Ivekovic 104). In the Middle East, where ethnic nationalism is still strong and where women are still repressed, a few individuals have stood up against the status quo associated with this kind of life (Denitch 132). Gendered Nation Ethnic nationalisms are ruled and constrained by the patriarchal system. Traditions found in nations are create and recreated in a patriarchal manner. In this regard, patriarchy as a expression of society and culture is constantly undergoing reformulation, just like nationalism is always changing (Nagel 246). This therefore is reason enough to explain ethnic nations such as the Former Yugoslavia are normally used to symbolize traditional gender codes, whereby patriarchy is prominent. The feminist movement usually critiques the old order for undermining the role that women play in nation building (Yuval-Davis 2). Women make up more that half of the entire world’s population. Due to their numbers, their contribution to the development of their societies and nations is also more than half. However, their roles in the general social and economic development are normally overlooked due to culture and norms that define a woman’s place (Eisenstein 70). In many states around the world, the roles of women are usually depicted as being fundamentally important to the development of a nation. However, there are many times when this important role takes a dehumanizing element which involves transforming the bodies of women into commodities or machines, or simply tools that can be sued to realize more reproduction all in the interest of the nation. Women have thus been defined by their capability to reproduce for the country. This has led to the devaluations and largely invisibility of the unique values associated with their gender identities (Wilson and Frederiksen 92). There are instances where women have dared to reject these restrictive roles, and many times they have been seen to be opposers rather than supporters of national interest. The representation of women in the political sphere is minimal. The situation was worse a few years back when it was almost impossible to find a single woman in any nation’s political leadership structure. Yet women, through their dual roles of productive and reproductive beings, contribute so much to the well being of nations (Cockburn, 2000 625). When it comes to making decision affecting the use of resources by both men and women in society, the voice of women is rarely heard. According to the United Nations, the current representation of women in legislative structures all over the world is only 15 percent. This is a small percentage considering the spirited campaigns to have more women representation in political decision making in different countries across the world. The call to gender equality remains a distant dream for many who are yet to achieve any significance, even in the running of their own lives. A UN report shows that only 12 countries in the world have achieved 33% or more women representation in their legislatures (Bari 11). The predicament of women in terms of leadership opportunities is made even more complicated by ethnic nationalism which is present in many countries. Most ethnic societies in the world today are controlled by structures set up by men (Wilford and Miller 22). Masculinity in these communities is normally associated with strength, power and leadership, while feminism is normally almost not recognized at all. Any form of ethnicity is therefore normally considered depending on the structures that have been put up by men in that society. Nationalisms normally tend to be ethnic by nature, which means that the men in the leading ethnic groups are at a better to offer leadership and dictate social and economic development (Calhoun 212). Women normally have little to say even when they are from the stronger ethnicities. However, there is an increasing attempt to recognize women’s historic exclusion of societal structures of power (Nagel 248). This has seen many attempts been made to address the issue of gender inequality especially is societal leadership. The challenge facing the advocates of more women participation in general decision making is the ever widening gap between international policies and national values. These values differ from international policies mainly because nations tend to be ethnically structured. Ethnic differences make it almost impossible for minority groups and women to be at the same level as men in leadership (Wilson and Frederiksen 102). While ethnic nationalism tends to create barriers for women seeking to have a stronger role to play in society, there is not enough being done to create equal opportunities for both men and women (Cockburn, 2000 626). This kind of situation used to be seen in countries that were undergoing transition, but even developed countries are still centuries behind when it comes to recognizing the important role that women have played and continue to play in nation building. When surveying the relationship between nationalism and women, it is obvious that the conceptions available on nationalism and national identity are those that have been created by men. Eisenstein (76) observes that states tend to be gendered male while nations are gendered female. This is to say that are normally seen as seen as the symbols representing the nation while men are seen to be the chief agents. This is the reason why phrases such as mother land and mother country were coined (Yuval-Davis 17). When statehood is achieved, it is not the women who benefit as they are just symbols. Males are the sole beneficiaries since they are the self-created chief agents of the nations. Militarism, Nationalism and Gender Ethnic nationalism always tends to result in violent eruptions and when the conflict cannot be solved, martial values are normally prized and marginalization is hard to avoid. The system of armed patriarchy that evolves from such a situation marginalizes women. Militarization normally brings people together in the name of unity against a common enemy and this invariably silences women whoa re critical of ethnic nationalism that is propagated by the patriarchal system (Wilford and Miller 58). Ethnic nationalism, in which militarism thrives, encourages the development of values which in the long run undermine women (Wilson and Frederiksen 227). This means that even if women are as important as men, their role in the development of the social order is greatly underestimated. The exclusion of women in the social order is likely to continue even after a militarized situation is restored to normalcy, this is to say that if there is a conflict that brought about the oppressive militarization in the first place, when peace is restored, women are likely to continue to be repressed by the patriarchal system that is in control (Yuval-Davis 23). This can be seen in how, during the Israel-Palestine peace pact, the voice of women was conspicuously silenced by the masculine powers that were in charge of politics then. Conclusion Gender and ethnic nationalism are intertwined in many ways. Ethnic nationalism, which is embodied in the strict patriarchal system, marginalizes women whose contribution to the nation is undermined by the structures that have been put in place by the male dominated system. A system of male domination that is embodied in patriarchy is instrumental in shaping the participation of women in politics and overall leadership. In the patriarchal system, the woman has no place whatsoever in national issues. Her place is strictly in the privacy of home where she is expected to play the role of mother and wife while males engage in public affairs. If the woman wants to enter a male domain, she has to negotiate her entry and this can only be done according to the opportunities and structures created by males in that society. These restrictive structures make it impossible for women who are more than the male population to have their potential repressed and capabilities disregarded. However, many women have found their voice and fought against the repressive male dominated ethnic nationalism and some have been able to contribute fully to the wellbeing of their nations. Works Cited Bari, Farzana. Women’s Political Participation: Issues and Challenges. United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), 2005. Print. Calhoun, Craig. Nationalism and ethnicity. 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Roginsky, Dina. “Nationalism and Ambivalence: Ethnicity, Gender and Folklore as Categories of Otherness”. Patterns of Prejudice (2006), Vol. 40, no. 3 pp. 237-258 Sofos S, 1996. Inter-ethnic violence and the gendered construction of ethnicity In former Yugoslavia Social Identities, 2:1, 37-72. Wilford, Rick and Robert L. Miller. Women, ethnicity and Nationalism: The Politics of Transition. London: Routledge, 1998. Print. Read More