ABSTRACT

Chapter 2 outlines the theories and methods applied in this research project. It outlines feminist and constructivist theories and highlights the male subject, substance, and methods of law that are a product of, and produce, realities. Following Martha Finnemore and Peter Katzenstein, it also emphasises the relevance of state and non-state actors as well as of international and national normative structures in international relations. The shortcomings of feminism and constructivism are discussed, leading to the use of a combined theoretical approach that mitigates some of them. After discussing the main preoccupations and limitations of qualitative research methods, Chapter 2 establishes a link to the theoretical basis of this project by explaining and illustrating the feminist research method of asking ‘the woman question’. In addition, the chapter discusses the foundational literature and document analysis, the semi-structured interviews conducted for this research project, and the methods of analysis and synthesis of research findings.