Monthly Archives for October 2013
Halberstam argues that masculinity itself cannot be fully understood unless female masculinity is taken into account. I find this idea intriguing as we have grown up in a society that has found it difficult to acknowledge gender uncertainty and has been very ready to either ignore it, or acknowledge it in using pejorative terms such … Continue reading → Continue reading →
22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
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As I progressed through the readings this week, I found a few similar themes that caught my attention – particularly this idea of binary constructions that continue to be upheld. It’s becoming clear to me that this idea is not only a common theme throughout these readings, but also throughout this entire course. These binary […] Continue reading →
22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
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What is sex and what is gender? In this week’s reading one thing that stood out to me was Judith Butler discussion about sex and gender. Here she sites Beauvoir saying that s she: “Claims that “woman” is a historical idea and not a natural fact, she clearly underscores the distinction between sex, as biological […] Continue reading →
22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
Comments Off on Gender studies!
What is sex and what is gender? In this week’s reading one thing that stood out to me was Judith Butler discussion about sex and gender. Here she sites Beauvoir saying that s she: “Claims that “woman” is a historical idea and not a natural fact, she clearly underscores the distinction between sex, as biological […]
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22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
Categories: Butler |
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I decided this week to reflect on Sedgwick’s text, despite of my love for Foucault…but maybe love blinds us and my questions about Epistemology of the closet will be more accurate because I did not get it as well as Foucault’s text (Ah, Michel <3) The first thing that I noticed was the title. Epistemology […] Continue reading →
22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
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Butler began by discussing John Searles “speech acts” and then transitioned into her belief that “gender is an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts” (900, Rivkn and Ryan). But of course before talking about this shouldn’t we ask what is gender? I believe sex refers to being male or female biologically where as gender refers to what you perceive yourself to be either man or woman or even a mix. Once you have identified your gender, which I don’t believe is a choice but is something you have come to accept about yourself, you then go on to live and function within society.
I think Butler would agree that the moment you wake up (an act), choose your outfit (an act), and make your way out the door (an act), you have already managed to express yourself or your “gender” in several ways and repeatedly every day. My question is what acts are considered male and female? Why have they been categorized as such? Are they also functions of what society has put in place?
For instance, just a couple of years ago, men were accustomed to wearing shirts (t-shirts/dress shirts) of certain colors whether it was red, white, blue, or black (“masculine” colors). Now, it is not unusual to see men dressed in “feminine” colors such as purple, pink, or “salmon” (which I think is just another version of pink but that’s a whole other story). The same can be said of children. Babies’ rooms used to be painted either blue or pink (why blue or pink?) and now many parents are going the neutral route with pretty beiges, greens, and yellows. It seems that these acts started out from the child’s birth in which they had no choice on the matter until they mature and regain control. But yet, this no choice has an affect on them whether people believe it or not.
Near the end, Butler suggests that we must try and live in a world in which acts express nothing. I don’t know if I agree with that or if I just don’t really understand what she means. Expressing oneself through acts is not a negative thing nor is it something to hide or be ashamed of (unless those acts are against the law). It is what it is and all we need is for people to be more accepting of others.
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22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
Comments Off on Acting out our Gender
Butler began by discussing John Searles “speech acts” and then transitioned into her belief that “gender is an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts” (900, Rivkn and Ryan). But of course before talking about this shouldn’t we ask what is gender? I believe sex refers to being male or female biologically where as gender refers to what you perceive yourself to be either man or woman or even a mix. Once you have identified your gender, which I don’t believe is a choice but is something you have come to accept about yourself, you then go on to live and function within society.
I think Butler would agree that the moment you wake up (an act), choose your outfit (an act), and make your way out the door (an act), you have already managed to express yourself or your “gender” in several ways and repeatedly every day. My question is what acts are considered male and female? Why have they been categorized as such? Are they also functions of what society has put in place?
For instance, just a couple of years ago, men were accustomed to wearing shirts (t-shirts/dress shirts) of certain colors whether it was red, white, blue, or black (“masculine” colors). Now, it is not unusual to see men dressed in “feminine” colors such as purple, pink, or “salmon” (which I think is just another version of pink but that’s a whole other story). The same can be said of children. Babies’ rooms used to be painted either blue or pink (why blue or pink?) and now many parents are going the neutral route with pretty beiges, greens, and yellows. It seems that these acts started out from the child’s birth in which they had no choice on the matter until they mature and regain control. But yet, this no choice has an affect on them whether people believe it or not.
Near the end, Butler suggests that we must try and live in a world in which acts express nothing. I don’t know if I agree with that or if I just don’t really understand what she means. Expressing oneself through acts is not a negative thing nor is it something to hide or be ashamed of (unless those acts are against the law). It is what it is and all we need is for people to be more accepting of others.
Continue reading →
22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
Comments Off on Acting out our Gender
The Perverse Implantation” by Foucault looks at the history of sexuality and how western culture has been narrowed down to …
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22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
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As pointed out by Foucault, since the nineteen century we have witnessed a multiplication of expressions of sexualities, especially of irregular sexualities, ranging from homosexuality who has certainly earned and developed its own discourse, to the once taboo topic: the sexuality of children, in short, all the forms of perverse sexualities that had been repressed […] Continue reading →
22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
Comments Off on From repression to multiplication: a discourse of sexuality by Foucault
As pointed out by Foucault, since the nineteen century we have witnessed a multiplication of expressions of sexualities, especially of irregular sexualities, ranging from homosexuality who has certainly earned and developed its own discourse, to the once taboo topic: the sexuality of children, in short, all the forms of perverse sexualities that had been repressed […]
Continue reading →
22. October 2013 by Syndicated User
Categories: Foucault |
Comments Off on From repression to multiplication: a discourse of sexuality by Foucault
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