A tipping point in feminist foreign policy in Europe? A constructivist analysis based on the norm life cycle model

Herrmann J (2023)


Publication Type: Book chapter / Article in edited volumes

Publication year: 2023

Publisher: De Gruyter

Edited Volumes: Turning Points

Series: De Gruyter Contemporary Social Sciences

Book Volume: 37

ISBN: 9783111272900

DOI: 10.1515/9783111272900-009

Abstract

This article examines the phenomenon of feminist foreign policy (FFP) in Europe. Following the adoption of so-called "feminist" foreign policies in Europe (e.g., in France, Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, and Sweden until 2022), a growing debate has emerged regarding the extent to which this global trend presents a sustained normative shift. By applying norm life cycle models designed by constructivist scholars, this article systematically assesses the tipping point that a norm must exceed to diffuse successfully on the international stage. Steady path directions of FFP norms and the motion of gravitational forces are considered as potential key indicators for such a tipping point. Discourse analysis revealed a gap between rhetoric (promoting a progressive and structurally disruptive concept of FFP) and practice (revealing a narrow understanding of FFP comparable with gender mainstreaming). Nevertheless, FFP continues to raise awareness regarding gender issues in international politics, and it represents a new normative dimension that is seeking gradual acceptance.

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How to cite

APA:

Herrmann, J. (2023). A tipping point in feminist foreign policy in Europe? A constructivist analysis based on the norm life cycle model. In Holger Janusch , Witold Mucha , Julia Schwanholz , Alexander Reichwein, Daniel Lorberg (Eds.), Turning Points. De Gruyter.

MLA:

Herrmann, Julia. "A tipping point in feminist foreign policy in Europe? A constructivist analysis based on the norm life cycle model." Turning Points. Ed. Holger Janusch , Witold Mucha , Julia Schwanholz , Alexander Reichwein, Daniel Lorberg, De Gruyter, 2023.

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