earticle

영어

Throughout history, women have been regarded as peace-loving, nurturing, and opposed to the historically male dominated notions of war and violence. The association of women with peace and pacifism, and the results from that relationship, are known as the women and peace hypothesis. The women and peace hypothesis have been examined before; research supporting and challenging it is well represented in international relations research. This hypothesis, as the name suggests, speculates that women are more peaceful and cooperative in conflict situations than men are, and more likely to seek out a compromise or other alternative solution before resorting to violence. This hypothesis suggests that women are more likely than men to choose peace and compromise over violent conflict, whether as ordinary citizens or as government leaders. But what is the source of the gender differences on the attitude toward peace? Do women have pacifying characteristics as some of the previous research suggest? Or is the very asking such a question part of the alleged trap of oversimplifying the notion of “woman,” denying women’s differences with other women and commonalities with men, and thereby lessening her power? International relations scholars who study international peace from the feminism’s perspective have debated over this issue over the last several decades. Explanations based on gender-based experiences, social roles, basic value differences, and socioeconomic status are tested by many international relations scholars. One explanation for the gender gap involves inherent value differences between men and women based on biological differences. The contention is that female morality tends to be more cooperative, caring, and nurturing due to women's experience as a mother. A second explanation for gender differences in political attitudes is based on socioeconomic conditions. Women tend to earn less than men and are more likely to live in poverty. Women are the primary recipients of social welfare services Thus, their relative liberalism could stem from rational self-interest. The last explanation offered for the gender gap is feminist consciousness. According to the feminist interpretation of the gender gap, growing numbers of women since the 1960s have become both aware of the disadvantages and inequalities imposed on women and inspired to collective action to address those grievances. This paper examines the development of both empirical and theoretical research on the women and peace hypothesis in international relations and also explores the possibility of further developing the women and peace hypothesis.

한국어

여성의 영향력 확대가 국제 정치에 긍정적 효과를 일으킬 것이라 믿는 여성 평화가설은 여성이 남성에 비해 갈등을 비폭력적 수단을 통해 해결하길 선호하며, 국가의 무력 사용에 반대하는 경향이 높다고 주장한다. 여성 평화론은 1980년대와 1990년대를 거치면서 이론적, 경험적 방면에서 다양한 노력을 통해 발전해왔고, 국제 정치학에서도 여성 평화론을 통해 국가간의 관계를 설명하고자하는 노력이 시도되었다. 그런데, 21세기에 들어서면서 이론적, 경험론적 연구의 한계성에 봉착한 여성 평화론의 학문적 발전은 정체되었다. 하지만, 학문적 성과의 정체와 달리 국내외 현실 정치에서 여성의 영향력은 점차 확대되어왔다. 따라서 이 논문은 국제정치학에서 이같이 다양한 측면에서 발전되어온 여성 평화론 연구가 국제 정치학에 기여한 바는 무언이며, 그 한계는 어떤 것들이 있는지 그리고 현실정치에서 여성의 영향력 확대를 발판으로 학문적 이론으로서 국제 정치학에 기여할 수 있는 방안은 무엇인지를 탐구하였다.