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The Duty to Die and the Duty to Kill Haunting Article for ROS deposit.pdf (363.08 kB)

Grim reapers: ghostly narratives of masculinity and killing in drone warfare

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 04:34 authored by Lindsay ClarkLindsay Clark
This article embraces the spectral turn and sociological framework of “Haunting” to investigate the gendered implications of armed drones for the individuals who crew them. Introducing original interview data from former British Reaper drone crews and focusing on their experiences of conducting lethal operations, this article builds on feminist and queer theorizing to illuminate the instability of the binary distinction between masculinity and femininity as traditionally understood. Developing “Haunting,” I draw out three themes: complex personhood, in/(hyper)visibility, and disturbed temporality as the frames through which the intersection of gender and drone warfare can be examined. I draw upon the conceptual metaphor of the ghost to explore the dead that is also alive, the absent that is also present, and that silence that is also a scream. Through this, I argue that Haunting provides a framework for both revealing and destabilizing gendered binaries and is therefore a useful tool for feminist security and international relations scholars.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

International Feminist Journal of Politics

ISSN

1461-6742

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Issue

4

Volume

20

Page range

602-623

Department affiliated with

  • International Relations Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2022-09-01

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2022-09-01

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2022-08-31

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