ABSTRACT
Feminist international relations suffers from a lack of analytic theorizing about how women specifically, and gender roles generally figure into the symbolic associations that have been created by sovereign forms of power and authority. This chapter explores the significance of this theorization for feminist international relations (IR) in policy and academic settings. Two recent international events highlight a central problem for feminist international relations theorizing when it neglects symbolic formations; that is, those gender role associations most closely linked to sexuality, morality, and justice. The relationship between disciplinary IR and feminism mirrors the one between women and the democratic, capitalist state: as long as feminism can prove its use-value and demonstrate its social value to existing projects. It is imperative that feminism in IR not assume that the terrible invitation offered by individual sovereignty will deliver freedom for women in political life.
