Axiom of a Masculinist state and the Gendered Avowal: an Interdisciplinary Discourse
Keywords:
Feminist analysis, state, discourse, masculinist, patriarchy, intersectionality, genderAbstract
Discourses on the role of the state have been challenged and redefined in multiple mediums amongst vast civilisations. The overall image that emerges from these discourses often alludes to a protector, provider, and moderator - however, above all the state remains a manifestation of male dominance. Despite the vast research and feminist encroachment into the political sphere/male fortress on the patriarchal state that is doctored on ‘male interests’, this essay instead chooses to examine the pervasive and intersecting reaches of the state and its gendered manifestations beyond the binary of a biological sense of gender. Premised on the intertwining of Burstyn’s masculine dominance and Brown’s conceptualisation of the masculinist state, this critique explores the discourses on the ‘feminised other’ as subjugated through the masculinist praxis of colonisation and sense of ‘salvation’ within the context of Australian history. The epitome of masculinist dominance as examined exists in the veiling of inquisition as justified in the prioritisation of citizen protection. Thinning the demarcation between the private and public spheres, dominant discourses highlight the state as justified; executing its duties to the citizen with expressed intentions of preventative justice. Unconstrained by the confines of a ‘biologically male interests’ conceptualisation of a masculinist state, this essay adds nuance to the understanding of the pervasions of the state and problematises notions of the ‘feminised other’ as strictly a ‘womans problem’. This study is part of a growing body of research on feminist perspectives of the state and state power. Through the intersectional research of post-colonialist, feminist, and socio-political academics, this project will contribute to future research on similar topics.
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