Stern, Maria and Marysia Zalewski. "Feminist Fatigue(s): Reflections on Feminism and Familiar Fables of Militarisation". Review of International Studies, Vol.35, No.3 (2009): 611-630.

Stern, Maria and Marysia Zalewski. "Feminist Fatigue(s): Reflections on Feminism and Familiar Fables of Militarisation". Review of International Studies, Vol.35, No.3 (2009): 611-630.

• Although certain political realities, such as the use of rape as a weapon of wartime and the relation of gender dynamics to militarization and conflict, demand that feminism continue to inform debates about international relations [IR], the contemporary discussions of feminist IR scholars are bland and pointless (612).
• The original intent of feminism in IR was to demonstrate how structures, institutions, and practices within the field of IR replicated theories and behaviors that were sexist and gendered -- primarily through the production of theories which allowed for the feminization of colonized territories and the creation of a 'masculine' identity for the West (614-615).
• Feminist theory in general was come under criticism for creating or attach gendered distinctions to phenomenon which were not previously based on sexist or gendered dynamics. This process creates more work for feminist scholars, but also creates the very gendered divisions that feminism seeks to erase (615-616).
• Within the field of IR, feminist narratives and theories about militarization are guilty of being involved in this counter-productive pattern. These theories claim -- without evidence -- that certain jingoistic behaviors or policies are masculine, and then constructed a gendered theory of militarization based on this claim. This creates new issues of sexist theory for feminists to 'solve' (619, 621).
• The application of these feminist theories of militarization by organization or governments are particularly dangerous, as their use of false assumptions about male and female behavior surrounding militarization is not only frequently incorrect, it creates artificial constraints on the behavior of men and women, thereby creating the sexist structures which feminism as a whole wants to destroy (619).
• The authors make a vague and confusing claim about Feminism being produced by women, and therefore based on different goals than the 'masculine' desire for permanent changes. Essentially arguing that feminism doesn't have to make a material difference to be important, feminism is important simply by existing -- seriously, the actual fuck, though? (626-627, 629).