''Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics'' is a book by Cynthia Enloe. It was first published in 1990, with a revised edition published in 2014. The book focuses on feminist

international relations theory International relations theory is the study of international relations (IR) from a theoretical perspective. It seeks to explain causal and constitutive effects in international politics. Ole Holsti describes international relations theories as a ...

, deriving its title from "the gendered history of the banana" as exemplified by promotion of sales through images of

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The Br ...

, as well as gendered issues regarding tourism and

military base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

Content

The book describes how gender, ethnicity and class affect the everyday lives of women worldwide, using a variety of sources including historical and government documents, biographical literature, news media and interviews. The book features chapters on tourism, colonialism, nationalism, women and

s, diplomatic spouses,

and banana plantations, female textile workers, international bankers, migrant domestic workers and the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...

. In the revised edition, Enloe adds content on new manifestations of

militarism Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...

, gives new accounts of women in and affected by the military, and comments on the various ways women "have sought to resist the devastating effects of violence and war", noting the work of Syrian and Iraqi feminists and Afghan women.

Reception

Reviewing the book for the American Political Science Association in 1991, Anne Sisson Runyan described it as "groundbreaking", saying it offered a "refreshing, insightful, and critical departure from conventional, top-down treatments of international politics." In 1992, Judith Hicks Stiehm in '' Signs'' called it a "marvelously broad exploration of women and international affairs", praising its good use of photographs, breadth, "punchiness", and originality, concluding that it was "guaranteed" to be widely read. Writing for the American Sociological Association in 1993, Kathryn Ward called it "a must read" for people interested in any aspect of world economics or politics.

References

{{International relations theories International relations theory Feminist books 1990 non-fiction books University of California Press books