Gender Dimensions in Geo-spatial Security Research: Disciplinary Confrontations

Several EU policy papers have called for an improved dialogue between security policymakers, social science researchers and science and technology researchers working on security (Pullinger, 2006). To increase the understanding of gender dimensions in security, the traditional technological response can be complemented by socio-political knowledge. Gender inequities in the socio-economic and political spheres can be analysed by such a comprehensive socio-political and technological approach. In the field of geo-spatial security research, Hyndman (2004) proposes to bridge a gap between gender studies and geographical analysis of security. In this paper, a workshop is used to illustrate both the potential and the difficulties of such a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach. The workshop aim was to define a geographical and spatial analysis of gender dimensions in security. This paper discusses the gender dimensions in geo-spatial analysis, as well as the pros and cons of an interdisciplinary approach. Integrating the overall complexity of gender dimensions as a spatial component in security monitoring is a promising challenge, but is still to be achieved by the technological community. This paper explains the epistemological and methodological issues and opportunities of this dialogue.

BURNLEY Clementine Ewokolo;  STEPHENNE MASSART Nathalie;  AGÜERA CABO Mercè; 

2009-01-08

Bridgewater State College

JRC47010

1539-8706,   

http://www.bridgew.edu/soas/jiws/May08/index.htm,    http://www.bridgew.edu/soas/jiws/May08/Security.pdf,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC47010,