New Books in Critical Theory

Jennifer Greenburg, "At War with Women: Military Humanitarianism and Imperial Feminism in an Era of Permanent War" (Cornell UP, 2023)

Jan 11, 2025
Jennifer Greenburg, a political geographer and lecturer at the University of Sheffield, discusses her book, which examines the intersection of military humanitarianism and feminist discourse post-9/11. She reveals how U.S. military strategies transformed to incorporate women in combat roles, raising questions about imperial feminism. Greenburg critiques the romanticized narratives around women's rights in warfare and highlights the conflicting dynamics between gender, military training, and humanitarian efforts, emphasizing the need to reconsider traditional feminist perspectives.
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ANECDOTE

Development as Anti-Terrorism

  • Jennifer Greenburg worked for American NGOs and in international grant making in the mid-2000s.
  • She was struck by how post-9/11 wars reframed development as anti-terrorism.
INSIGHT

Shift in Strategy

  • In 2006, the US military admitted its strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan were not working and were fueling insurgency.
  • They then turned to development as a weapon to win hearts and minds, viewing NGOs as force multipliers.
ANECDOTE

Resistance to Armed Social Work

  • During training, soldiers resisted adapting to the "NGO with guns" approach, viewing it as a threat to their combat masculinity.
  • Contractors teaching development were often feminized, regardless of gender, further fueling this resistance.
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