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Moral masculinity: the culture of foreign relations during the Kennedy administration

Walton, Jennifer Lynn

Abstract Details

2004, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, History.
The Kennedy administration of 1961-1963 was an era marked by increasing tension in U.S.-Soviet relations, culminating in the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962. This period provides a snapshot of the culture and politics of the Cold War. During the early 1960s, broader concerns about gender upheaval coincided with an administration that embraced a unique ideology of masculinity. Policymakers at the top levels of the Kennedy administration, including President John F. Kennedy, operated within a cultural framework best described as moral masculinity. Moral masculinity was the set of values or criteria by which Kennedy and his closest foreign policy advisors defined themselves as white American men. Drawing on these criteria justified their claims to power. The values they embraced included heroism, courage, vigor, responsibility, and maturity. Kennedy’s focus on civic virtue, sacrifice, and public service highlights the “moral” aspect of moral masculinity. To members of the Kennedy administration, these were moral virtues and duties and their moral fitness justified their fitness to serve in public office. Five key elements of moral masculinity played an important role in diplomatic crises during the Kennedy administration. A discourse of heroism influenced Kennedy’s decisions during the Bay of Pigs crisis, while his meeting with Nikita Khrushchev in June 1961 hinged on notions of youth and vigor. The Kennedy administration made policy during the Berlin crisis with attention to the value of patriarchal responsibility. Kennedy’s conduct during the Cuban missile crisis demonstrates the importance of maintaining the image and ideology of moral masculinity as policymakers focused on deviance and danger. Finally, a discourse of maturity and modernity surrounded policymaking during the protracted crisis in the Congo. This dissertation is based on research at the John F. Kennedy Library, the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, and in the Department of State’s Foreign Relations of the United States series.
Michael Hogan (Advisor)
191 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Walton, J. L. (2004). Moral masculinity: the culture of foreign relations during the Kennedy administration [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1078327655

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Walton, Jennifer. Moral masculinity: the culture of foreign relations during the Kennedy administration. 2004. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1078327655.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Walton, Jennifer. "Moral masculinity: the culture of foreign relations during the Kennedy administration." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1078327655

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)