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- Towns, Ann E., 1970-
(author)
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Carrying the load of civilisation : The status of women and challenged hierarchies
- 2014
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In: Millennium. - : SAGE Publications. - 0305-8298 .- 1477-9021. ; 42:3, s. 595-613
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article explores some ways in which the condition of women has been articulated as a standard of civilisation, focusing on articulations by a range of European and non-European political thinkers and political actors in the 19th century and the present, two important periods marked by intense discussions of the status of women and civilisation. In short, the status of women is used by a broad range of actors to draw up civilisational boundaries and to mobilise for action. The standard also functions as an arena of contestation in which alternative visions of a good society are debated. However, whereas the alleged link between sexual equality and "the West" was highly disputed in the 19th century, this claim is much less contested today. The article ends with a discussion of the problematic implications of using the status of women as a standard of civilisation for feminisms around the world. © The Author(s) 2014.
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- Towns, Ann E., 1970-, et al.
(author)
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The equality conundrum : Gender and nation in the ideology of the Sweden Democrats
- 2014
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In: Party Politics. - : SAGE Publications. - 1354-0688 .- 1460-3683. ; 20:2, s. 237-247
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article examines the gender ideology of the parliamentary radical right populist party (RRPP) – the Sweden Democrats. More specifically, the article analyses how the party integrates old nationalist ideas about the importance of traditional gender roles and male superiority for the stability and welfare of the nation with new nationalist ideas about Sweden as the most gender-equal nation in the world. Prior studies suggest that RRPPs have integrated gender equality as a policy measure against multiculturalism and immigration. Our analysis shows this to be true also of the Sweden Democrats. However, unlike prior scholarship, we argue that the integration of gender equality is a tenuous and difficult one, as nationalist ideologies generally rest on ideas of sexual difference and male superiority. While the Sweden Democrats claim to support gender equality in discussions of multiculturalism and immigration, the party is a fierce critic of gender equality in all other contexts.
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