Radikalisierung als weibliche Subjektwerdung? Die Bedeutung von Geschlecht im Kontext von Politisierung

Abstract

I argue that radicalization of women can be understood as female politicization. To fully grasp the process of politicization it is necessary to examine the interplay between constructions of feminity and masculinity. To this end, I deploy a hegemony theory framework – illustrated with female involvement in ISIS – to show that the politicization of women implies, on the one hand, becoming a subject through dynamic adaptation of the respective gender order. On the other hand, this adaptation threatens to depoliticize male ISIS members, who must – at least temporarily – share the area of terror with women of ISIS. The importance of gender and radicalization in the context of de-/politicization indicates, that there is an increasing simultaneity of depoliticization and politicization processes. Yet, there is the question of the normative desirability of politicization when it comes to radicalization.