Daoist feminist leadership for international peace: The case of Jeanette Rankin
Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2-2023
Abstract
Introducing the concept of Daoist–feminist hybridity to international relations (IR) scholars, this article makes a novel contribution to current debates over global feminism concerning the relevance and attractiveness of feminism in non-Western societies, the need to build transnational feminist solidarities, and the urgent need to decolonize feminism. Drawing upon the Daoist philosophy of Laozi’s Daodejing, which expresses an early and Indigenous form of non-Western feminism, the article constructs a model of Daoist feminist pacifist leadership as illustrated through the case of Jeannette Rankin (1880–1973), an influential women’s suffrage advocate and global peace activist who was the first elected congresswoman in the United States (US) and the only congressional representative to vote against US involvement in both World Wars I and II. As the article demonstrates, Rankin’s unwavering commitment to pacifism not only reflects core values of Daoist philosophy intermeshed with her twentieth-century feminism, but also illustrates the value of empathic engagement between Daoist thought and modern feminism, as making such connections can help to build alliances and partnerships among international feminist peace leaders today in the US, China, and elsewhere.
Keywords
Daoism, feminism, international relations, leadership, peace
Discipline
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Leadership Studies | Political Science
Research Areas
Political Science
Publication
International Feminist Journal of Politics
Volume
25
Issue
2
First Page
179
Last Page
200
ISSN
1461-6742
Identifier
10.1080/14616742.2023.2171898
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Citation
JOSHI, Devin K..(2023). Daoist feminist leadership for international peace: The case of Jeanette Rankin. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 25(2), 179-200.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3781
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/14616742.2023.2171898