Nationalism and Gender (Japanese Society Series)

Rating:
Summary: groundbreaking, paradigm shifting
Review: Leading (and controversial) thinker Chizuko Ueno broke new ground in Japan and the world with this provocative view of how nationalism works to usurp individual identity and its violent implications for human behavior in war, and also in reacting to and attempting to heal from war. Ueno speaks of the wars and war crimes of the twentieth century, including the "comfort women" of WW2 and the rape camps of Bosnia. Her analysis and argument are particularly relevant to us now, as in some western countries, speaking out against war is deemed "unpatriotic" and therefore "bad" - the unquestioned nationalized identifications which she argues need be rethought.