ABSTRACT
From a feminist perspective the nation-state never enjoyed a good reputation, because it cemented gender hierarchies and thus privileged masculinity (Kreisky 1992). The transformation and opening of the nation-state in the course of globalization, however, has by no means been welcomed as a desirable alternative to the existing model, as a globalization propelled by economic and political elites is not free of male supremacy (cf. Sauer 2003). Furthermore, projects aimed at global market-building or regional integration, such as within the framework of the EU, have sometimes been identified as male projects of neo-liberalism contributing to gender hierarchies being reinforced even more – this time, however, with the assistance not of the state, but of the market (Brodie 1994).
