Utmost Listening: Feminist IR as a Foreign Language

This article attempts to problematise the conventional notion of dialogue, proposing ‘utmost listening’ as an alternative approach in International Relations (IR) dialogue. More specifically, I argue that we need to regard IR as a foreign language; I particularly explore the proposed approach in ter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Millennium 2011-05, Vol.39 (3), p.861-877
Main Author: Park-Kang, Sungju
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic discipline
Alternative Approaches
Conceptualization
Dialogue
Discourse analysis
Epistemology
Feminism
Fictional Characters
Foreign languages
Intellectuals
International Relations
International relations studies
International relations theory
Keohane, Robert
Listening
Males
Men
Research methodology
Shareholder relations
Training
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Summary:This article attempts to problematise the conventional notion of dialogue, proposing ‘utmost listening’ as an alternative approach in International Relations (IR) dialogue. More specifically, I argue that we need to regard IR as a foreign language; I particularly explore the proposed approach in terms of feminist IR. Having a dialogue as a ‘non-native’ speaker demands hard work and consistent training. Most of all, a starting point would be to listen carefully to dialogue partners. This is different from the conventional approach in dialogue which presupposes that listening and speaking are situated almost equally in epistemological terms. In this sense, I reflect on myself as a ‘provisional-straight man’ researcher who engages with feminist IR. I also consider other men scholars, such as Robert Keohane. Finally, I introduce Momo — a fictional character in Michael Ende’s novel — as an ‘utmost listener’. What happens if we follow Momo in the IR community?
ISSN:0305-8298
1477-9021
DOI:10.1177/0305829811403024