de Beauvoir Sex and Gender: The Proto-Distinction in Feminist Thought Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is the key quotation from De Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’?
“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”
This quotation encapsulates De Beauvoir’s argument about the social construction of womanhood.
What paradigmatic shift does De Beauvoir’s aphorism signify?
From biological essentialism to existential constructivism
This shift emphasizes that identity is shaped by experiences rather than predetermined by biology.
How does De Beauvoir apply Sartrean existentialism to women?
Human identity is not given but made through lived experience and social inscription
This perspective suggests that identity is actively constructed rather than passively received.
What does De Beauvoir acknowledge about biological dimorphism?
She accepts the biological reality of sex difference but denies determinism
This means she recognizes differences in sex but challenges the idea that these differences dictate social roles.
What does De Beauvoir reject regarding biological determinism?
She rebukes the naturalisation of patriarchal roles
This rejection challenges the notion that social roles are a natural outcome of biological differences.
What are the sources from which femininity is constructed according to De Beauvoir?
Womanhood emerges from:
* Social institutions (e.g., family, education, religion)
* Economic structures (material dependence on men)
* Cultural mythologies (the ‘eternal feminine’)
These sources illustrate how societal factors shape the concept of womanhood.
How does De Beauvoir describe woman as a category?
A product of reiterated subjugation and ideological conditioning
This description highlights the systemic nature of women’s oppression.
What political consequence arises from De Beauvoir’s ideas?
Destabilising the essentialist notion of ‘woman’ opens space for feminist subjectivity
This allows for resistance and redefinition of womanhood in political contexts.
What does De Beauvoir argue womanhood becomes?
A political question, not a natural fact
This shift emphasizes the importance of social and political contexts in understanding womanhood.
What does de Beauvoir anticipate in her work regarding sex and gender?
The distinction between sex as biological difference and gender as social role, cultural inscription, and historical performance
De Beauvoir does not use these terms in their contemporary theoretical senses.
How does de Beauvoir frame the concept of gender?
As contingent, constructed, and mutable
This is part of her proto-constructivist lens.
What is the biological difference referred to in the context of sex?
Sex
Refers to the biological differences between individuals.
In de Beauvoir’s analysis, what does gender represent?
Social role, cultural inscription, historical performance
These aspects highlight the societal constructs around gender.
What does de Beauvoir emphasize in her analysis of gender?
Becoming rather than being
This concept aligns with later poststructuralist ideas of de-essentialisation.
True or False: De Beauvoir frames gender explicitly as performance.
False
She identifies gender as contingent and constructed but does not frame it as performance.
Who does Judith Butler cite as a foundational precursor in her work?
Simone de Beauvoir
Butler critiques the lingering humanist subject in de Beauvoir’s model.
According to Butler, how is gender constructed?
Gender is performed
It is a reiterative act that creates the illusion of stable identity.
What foundational idea does de Beauvoir provide for Butler’s theory?
Social conditioning constitutes womanhood
This idea is radicalised by Butler to include linguistic repetition.
What does Butler argue creates the illusion of a stable gender identity?
Linguistic repetition and normative citation
This contrasts with de Beauvoir’s emphasis on social conditioning.
What is the implication of Butler’s work for political theory?
Critique of identity politics
Butler extends the politicisation of the category of ‘woman’.
What does de Beauvoir’s existential feminism provide for contemporary theories?
Metaphysical scaffolding for queer theory and post-identity feminism
This shows the influence of de Beauvoir on later feminist theories.
What does De Beauvoir’s account of gender represent?
A proto-social constructivist framework that renders gender a mutable and political artefact
This framework is not yet performative.
How can The Second Sex be used in political essays?
To ground an argument about the origins of feminist epistemology
The work explores the construction of gender and its implications for knowledge.
Which text can be contrasted with The Second Sex to trace the evolution of feminism?
Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
This allows for a discussion of the shift from existential to poststructural feminism.
