International Studies Compendium Project

Extract

Comment on this article   International studies is an interdisciplinary field interested in studying the theories and practices relating to international affairs. As an academic field of study, in its practical applications in international relations (IR), and as an academic profession, international studies has traditionally been a male-dominated field. Whether as practitioners or as scholars, women have had a difficult time entering and advancing in such male-dominated fields, both in the United States and around the world. Women's admittance and full acceptance in the profession has been hindered by laws and regulations, institutional practices and inertia, gendered stereotypes and customary expectations, overt discrimination and subtle biases, or benign neglect. In order to make their ways into such fields, women have adopted a number of different strategies, including working to expand the field to encompass questions of interest to women, developing new networks with other women for mentorship and resource development, and organizing themselves into distinct groups to promote women's professional interests and advancement. This essay discusses the formal and informal barriers to women's full equality in the international studies profession and the strategies women practitioners and scholars have developed to overcome those barriers according to their individual circumstances. ... log in or subscribe to read full text