This week’s readings offer us three different ways to think about the subject of

This week’s readings offer us three different ways to think about the subject of women, war, and peace. Joan Wallach Scott invites us to see how the language of gender shapes and frames politics and history. Jean Bethke Elshtain suggests we search for a conception of civic patriotism that is more inclusive—and more expansive—than that of the “Spartan Mother” (451). And last but not least, Cynthia Enloe asks us to consider the fate(s) of camp followers, in which she finds traces of both agency and oppression. My question for you this week is a rather simple one: which of these approaches seems best to you? Which author offers the best path forward for our investigation of the history of women, war, and peace? If you had to choose one of these authors as your guide to our subject, which one would it be and why?

Along these lines, I’d be curious to hear a little about the myths and symbols you have encountered in your own life when it comes to women, war, and peace. What myths and symbols have you noticed in the media you consume, in the discussions you have with family or friends, in the classes you take? What myths and symbols do you see in the news today, whether it comes from the United States or Europe, Asia, the Middle East, or the Americas?