Empowering Perspectives: Women, Power, and Politics in Canada

In the context of Canada, the threat of violence has increased during the outbreak scenario of the coronavirus pandemic. However, intelligence agencies, as well as the police, are taking steps in order to detect the extremists in this regard, along with preventing them from carrying out the attacks (Scott-Dixon, 2006). Here it is worth mentioning that the government needs to emphasize working proactively in order to counter extremism in the first place. Some previous research has stated that by testifying before the national security committee as well as the public safety, the Canadian Security Intelligence Services has depicted the rise of the ideological motivation towards extreme violence over the past years (Simpson, 2016). The current study aims to discuss the issue of violence in Canadian politics. Considering the liberal theory and the radical theory, the issue study will tend to understand the said issue in a broad manner.

 

The Liberal theory, also known as mainstream feminism, is defined by gender equality. In the context of legal as well as political reform within the framework of the liberal democracy, the approach of the concerned theory basically focuses on the suffrage of women in a wide manner (Zimmerman, 2017). Taking into account the issue of violence in Canadian politics, it can be stated that according to the approach of this theory, the canonical texts in global relations aim to define peace as the absence of violence. However, it is evident that considering the philosophy of 'Peace' it can reveal a more complex relationship in accordance with the issue of violence. The approach of the Liberal Theory also considers violence as a tool for deploying particular purposes. As for example, researchers frequently can measure direct violence by utilizing the deaths on the battlefield, the rate of homicides, or the other forms of the counts of the body (Kraft & Furlong, 2019). Here the indirect violence tends to mediate via the societal structure, like famine and poverty, which can produce a high rate of death.

 

In both understandings, it is worth to mention that the concept of violence in accordance with the theory involves some causal relationship between the victims and the agents. As a consequence, the empiricists who are strict can typically be concerned about the efforts of the violence in both measurable and visible manner. However, Liberal theorists' observations basically appeared at odds with the violent turmoil of the particular time (Bettcher & Styker, 2016). Here the crucial global relation scholars contested the liberal accounts to expand the peace along with pointing to the refugee crisis, the devastation of ecology, collapse of finance, the proliferation of nuclear, warfare of drones, police violence, and the broad spread repression of the government. Based on the discussion made above here, it is worth to mention that the Liberal Theory does not refer to such kind of understanding of violence as indirect or direct that can be fully accounted for the said, pervasive experiences as well as the violence structure at the same time.

 

 
The concept of the Radical Theory aims to consider the criminal law as an instrument through which the affluent and powerful coerce can get into the patterns of poor behaviour in order to preserve the status quo. On that note, the approach of this theory is also known as the 'Peacemaking Theory' (Stryker & Bettcher, 2016). Some recent research has stated that the theory of self-control helps to retain an emphasis on restraints. In order to refrain from engaging in crime, the approach of the concerned theory shows as internal in a primary context. In relation to the issue of violence, it can be stated that individuals the poor self-control could be appeared as insensitive and impulsive to others. As per the concept of this theory, they tend to get engaged on a physical basis rather than enhancing their mental activities while taking risks. The approach of the concerned theory here is seen to be oriented toward short-term prospects rather than long-term prospects (Simpson, 2016).

 

Based on the discussion made above, it can be argued that the concept of the Radical Theory advocates rearing the child-rearing practices along with coalescing in the people by the stable throughout their life. Also, in relation to the issue of violence, the Radical theory focuses on power; however, it anchors the economic and political structure of the society. For instance, the theory is seen to explain both criminal justice and crime at the same time, considering capitalism as well as exploring the substitute systems for generating more harmonious relations in the societal context (Hooks, 1986). In addition to the above, the Radical Theory aims to view the criminal law as an instrument depending on the premise that violence is created by violence. By advocating this theory herein, it can be argued that criminal justice policies are capable enough to constitute state-sanctioned violence in order to suppress criminal violence in this regard.

 

Comparing the Liberal Theory and the Radical Theory, it can be stated that according to the theory, the victims and the perpetrators of violence have some kind of informal interaction. As a result, stringent empiricists are often able to concern the effects of violence in a quantifiable and obvious way. However, the observations of liberal theorists essentially ran counter to the violent unrest of the moment. As for example, the movement of 'Black Lives Matter can be considered in this regard. As such, against the approach of violence, there is a growing number of Black Lives Matter activists who include women behind the original hashtag. They have refocused on the attention regarding the way police can be impacted brutally over the black women as well as others over the contemporary national conversation related to poor, elder race, Trans and gay people (Asoka, 2015). On the other hand, the concept of Radical Theory supports establishing secure child-rearing practices and lifelong coalescence in individuals. The Radical Theory also emphasizes power in relation to the problem of violence, but it also firmly establishes the social, political, and economic framework. For instance, the theory is said to explain both criminal justice and crime while also taking capitalism into account and researching alternative systems to create more harmonious relationships in the social setting. Radical feminists' content regarding the discourse of motherhood to be developed as per the ability to transcend nature. Here some research has claimed that children are born as the result of transcending nature (Dhruvarajan & Vickers, 2002). Radical feminists contended to develop the scientific knowledge in a sexiest, racist, hetero-sexiest and sociocultural content that can be used to perpetuate as well as hierarchical relationships. For instance, such an environment is evident to influence the variety of the scientific discoveries that are to be made under the undertaken scientific research.

 

It can be concluded that as the coronavirus pandemic outbreak scenario has played out in Canada, the threat of violence has grown. However, intelligence agencies and the police are taking action to find the extremists in this area and stop them from carrying out assaults. It is important to note here that the government must place emphasis on acting proactively to prevent extremism in the first place. According to some prior studies, the Canadian Security Intelligence Services have demonstrated the development of the ideological drive towards extreme violence over the past few years while appearing before the national security committee and public safety. The concept of Radical Theory has been prioritized in this study as its approach firmly establishes the social, political, and economic foundation; the Radical Theory also emphasizes power in relation to the issue of violence. For instance, the theory is supposed to explain both criminal justice and crime while also taking capitalism into account and studying alternative systems to produce more harmonious connections in the social setting.

 

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Asoka, K. (2015). Women and Black Lives Matter: An Interview with Marcia Chatelain. Dissent, 62(3), 54-61.

 

 

Dhruvarajan, V., & Vickers, J. (2002). Gender, race, and nation: A global perspective. University of Toronto Press.