Theorist Judith Butler Explains How Behavior Creates Gender

Performative acts of gender do a similar kind of work, not only communicating to others some aspect of identity, but constructing that very ... OnlineCourses Certificates Degrees&Mini-Degrees AudioBooks Movies Podcasts K-12 eBooks Languages Donate TheoristJudithButlerExplainsHowBehaviorCreatesGender:AShortIntroductionto“GenderPerformativity” inGender,Philosophy| February7th,20185Comments 5.1kSHARESFacebookTwitterRedditSubscribeGoogleWhatsappPinterestDiggLinkedinStumbleuponVkPrintDeliciousBufferPocketXingTumblrMailYummlyTelegramFlipboard “Oneisnotborn,butratherbecomes,awoman,”wroteSimonedeBeauvoirinoneofthemostfamousarticulationsofthedifferencebetweensexandgender.Bythis,deBeauvoirdoesnotmeanustobelievethatnooneisbornwithreproductiveorgans,butthatthesocialroleof“woman”(orforthatmatter“man”)comesfromacollectionofbehaviorsintowhichwearesocialized.Thedistinctioniscrucialforunderstandingmostfeministandqueertheoryandthevarietyofhumanidentitymoregenerally,yetit’sonethattoooftengetslostinpopularusageofthewordssexandgender.Biologydoesnotdeterminegenderdifferences,culturedoes. Genderbecomesnaturalized,wovensotightlyintothesocialfabricthatitseemslikeanecessarypartofrealityratherthanacontingentproductionofhistory.Justhowthishappensiscomplicated—wedon’tinventtheseroles,theyareinventedforus,asJudithButlerarguesinheressay“PerformativeActsandGenderConstitution.” Genderidentity“isaperformativeaccomplishment,”shewrites,“compelledbysocialsanctionandtaboo….Genderis…anidentityinstitutedthrougharepetitionofacts.”Forasomewhatmorestraightforwardsummaryofhertheoryof“performativity,”seeButlerintheBigThinkvideoabove,inwhichshedescribesgenderasa“phenomenonthat’sbeingproducedallthetimeandreproducedallthetime.” Stillunclear?Well,it’scomplicated,butsoiseveryotherfacetofhumanidentitymanypeopletakeforgranted,especiallypeoplewhosegenderexpressiondoesn’tthreatenstrictsocietalnorms.Foramorethoroughoverviewoftheseconcepts,seethePhilosophyTubevideoabove,whichexplainsButler’stheoryandanumberofothertermscentraltothediscourse,suchas“genderessentialism”and“socialconstructivism.”OnethingtonoteaboutButler’stheory,asbothsheandourphilosopheraboveexplain,isthat“performativity,”thoughitusesatheatricalmetaphor,isnotthesameas“performance.”Genderisnotacostumeoneputsonandtakesoff,likeaShakespeareanactorplayingmalecharactersonenightandfemalecharactersthenext. Rather,thetechnicalterm“performative”meansforButleranactthatnotonlycommunicatesbutalsocreatesanidentity.Someexamplesofferedaboveofperformativespeechincludesaying“guilty”atatrial,whichturnsoneintoaninmate,orsaying“Ido”atawedding,whichturnsoneintoaspouse.Performativeactsofgenderdoasimilarkindofwork,notonlycommunicatingtootherssomeaspectofidentity,butconstructingthatveryidentity,onlytheydothatworkthroughrepetition.AsdeBeauvoirargued,wearenotbornaself,webecome,orcreate,aself,throughsocialpressuretoconformandthrough“reiteratingandrepeatingthenormsthroughwhichoneisconstituted,”Butlerwrites. Aswemightexpectofanyculturalconstruct,gendernormsvarywidelybothinter-andintra-culturallyandthroughouthistoricalperiods.Andgiventheirconstructednature,theycanchangeinanynumberofways.Therefore,accordingtoButler,“there’snotreallyanygrounds,”asourphilosophyexplainerputsit,“forsayingthatsomebody’s‘doingtheirgenderwrong.’” RelatedContent: Judy!:1993JudithButlerFanzineGivesUsAnIrreverentPunk-RockTakeonthePost-StructuralistGenderTheorist AnAnimatedIntroductiontotheFeministPhilosophyofSimonedeBeauvoir 11EssentialFeministBooks:ANewReadingListbyTheNewYorkPublicLibrary JoshJones isawriterandmusicianbasedinDurham,NC.Followhimat @jdmagness 5.1kSHARESFacebookTwitterRedditSubscribeGoogleWhatsappPinterestDiggLinkedinStumbleuponVkPrintDeliciousBufferPocketXingTumblrMailYummlyTelegramFlipboard byJoshJones|Permalink|Comments(5)| SupportOpenCulture We’rehopingtorelyonourloyalreadersratherthanerraticads.TosupportOpenCulture’seducationalmission,pleaseconsidermakingadonation.WeacceptPayPal,Venmo(@openculture),PatreonandCrypto!Pleasefindalloptionshere.Wethankyou! Comments(5) Youcanskiptotheendandleavearesponse.Pingingiscurrentlynotallowed. Ethansays: February9,2018at5:16pm Josh…Youcandobetter.Youfeedustwobloatedpassagesthataremeanttodescribehertheories,andactuallyencompassthem,butadmitthatJudith’stheoryistoocomplextodosoadequately.Eventhoughyoutried.Thenyouknewyouwerefailingandtuckedyourliterarytailbetweenyourlegsandessentiallysaid“screwit”andgaveup.“Don’tget?Idon’teither,”isallyousayforthreefourthsofthisarticle.You’reobviouslyatalentedwriter.Nowdrinksomecoffeeanddon’tbesolazywiththenextone. Reply Johnsays: May7,2019at11:31am Thiswholetheoryispurebunkum.Butlerherself,abutchwoman,hatedthegendernormswhichsheherselfcouldn’tperform.Thewholetheoryisanelaboraterusebasedonherownself-loathing. Reply Anonsays: February22,2020at3:14pm Damn,it’sironicthenthatIamherebecauseofaclassthatincludesteachinghertheory.Aliteratureclass.Thisisliterallythelinkourprofessorgaveus.I’vereadsomeprettypoorlywrittenarticlesforschoolbefore,butthishashonestlygottobetheworstone. Reply Leonardsays: March15,2021at3:40am Dittofolks,I’mherebecausethisarticlewasarequiredreadingformyliteratureclass.EvenifIagreedwiththetheory(whichIdon’t),Iwouldstillhavetoadmitthatthisapoorlywrittenargumentanddoesnotmaketheconceptseemanymoreplausible. Reply TylerDurdensays: February25,2022at6:53pm John,yousoundlikeyoucamerightoutofIdiocracy,themovie.Whydoyouthinkshecan’tperformfemininity?Idon’tthinkshewantsto.Whywouldsheloatheherselffornotembodyinginanity(whichiskindofwhatfemininity/tradwomanhoodis)?Areyouforreal?Lol Reply LeaveaReply Name(required) Email(required) Message Clickheretocancelreply. 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