Module 2 Blog - Feminist Geopolitics

 

Module 2

    I found that one of the most interesting topics in this chapter was the discussion around feminist geopolitics. I had never heard of such a thing, and the description was fascinating to me. Flint & Taylor (2018), speak of feminist geopolitics as challenging critical geopolitics in three main ways: it critiques the content for continuing to be state-centric, it reconceptualizes geography to different spaces as intertwined in vast ways, and they see critical geopolitics as “stopping at academic critique, rather than doing something. In other words, no normative geopolitical agenda is promoted” (p. 83). These ideas fascinate me – I especially enjoy that the content is challenged, considering that most still currently relates to the thoughts of old, white men. I also enjoyed the discussion around intimate geopolitics, which focuses on seeing violence and war in new ways, including how they impact the individual body and the home (Flint & Taylor, 2018). 

Due to the discussion on intimate geopolitics, I chose a discussion on the British Ministry of Defence website surrounding their current efforts to provide NATO with support and increase security in the Baltic Sea. Britain is part of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and as part of this, they are delivering military vehicles and equipment in order to resupply a NATO group in Estonia, that is led by the UK; this group includes troops from the UK that are there in an effort to strengthen the country’s eastern defense after Russia’s attack on Ukraine (Ministry of Defence, 2022). While I find it wonderful that they are providing aid to help secure Estonia’s borders, when I think about this from the perspective of feminist geopolitics, it brings about a few questions in terms of both the body and the home. Are the UK troops safe along the border of Estonia? They seem to have enough military supplies, but do they have other things they need, i.e. food, water, shelter, toiletries, etc.? How do the soldiers’ families feel about them being sent to Estonia? How do the people of Estonia feel about having these foreign troops inside of their borders? Are the people in Estonia safe and do they have everything they need? The list is endless. The official commentary only provides information about the military aspects of the situation; I would love to know how the other aspects are affected, and get some of my questions answered.

UK troops either leaving their home port or arriving in Estonia.

(Ministry of Defence, 2022)

Map of Estonia's borders, showing its close proximity to Russia.

(Map of Estonia)

Flint, C., & Taylor, P.J. (2018). Political geography: World-economy, nation-state and locality 

    (7th ed.). Routledge.

Map of Estonia (Eesti), Europe (n.d.). Nations Online. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from 

    https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/estonia-map.htm

Ministry of Defence (2022, March 28). UK delivers NATO supplies and conducts patrols with 

    JEF partners. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-delivers-           nato-supplies-and-conducts-patrols-with-jef-partners