Question

critically discuss gender research in the popular press

Answer 1

Page | 1

Critically discuss the construction of gender within the context ofpolitical crimes and women as perpetrators of violence.

(i)

Introduction

This essay will discuss the two topics of Gendered War Crimes and Women WhoKill. I was particularly interested with these topics because I found myself questioning howgendered roles affect the way in which we perceive the operation of violence arising fromthese areas.

Originally, I was intrigued and fascinated by a woman?s culpabilit

y in the participation of violence, and could not understand how women could be capable of this typeof behaviour. Consequently, I began to realise the extent to which social constructions ofgender had shaped my rather stereotypical opinions and I started to delve more deeply intoexploring why I had initially rejected the notion of women as perpetrators of violence. Thisessay will seek to address my earlier attitudes by challenging the preconceptions surroundinggendered stereotypes and violent behaviour.Firstly, I will outline definitions of gender and the traditional concepts of masculinityand femininity. It will be argued that such concepts inform stereotypical viewpoints about

perpetrators of violence and aggressive behaviour. Aggression can