Gendered Heroism, Limited Politics

Bibliographic Data

ID11367488
AuthorsAmy Fried (0000-0002-5230-3527, corresponding author)
Year1997
Volume17
Issue2
Pages43-75
Publication date1997-03-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueWomen & Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0195-7732 • E-ISSN: 1540-9473
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1300/j014v17n02_03
OpenAlexW1991807456
LanguageEN
References cited53

Although some feminists have argued that women's involvement in caring activities has fostered a distinctive point of view which should be applied to the political realm, others contend that this model could be used against women and is unsuiied for democratic citizenship and leadership. To better understand if maternalism and other gendered visions of politics are likely to be inclusive and democratic in contemporary society, this project investigated ordinary citizens' understandings of heroism, a contested concept that concerns excellence and greatness. The research strategy of intensive interviews and Q-methodology yielded four conceptualizations of heroism. The paper examines how these diverse views of heroism relate to traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, analyzes their mix of gendered attributes, and discusses implications for citizenship, political leadership, and political culture. Views of heroism rooted in both stereotypically masculine and feminine attributes provide limited visions for democratic politics

Citizenship · Democracy · Excellence · Femininity · Greatness · Masculinity · Political science · Politics · Realm · Sociology · Vision · Gender Studies · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Law · Leadership, Courage, and Heroism Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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