Judith Butler: Gender Performativity

Question 1

What are ‘traditional’ feminists doing wrong?

Answer 1

Dividing society into ‘men’ and ‘women’.

Question 2

What are gender roles?

Answer 2

A performance - male and female behaviour is socially constructed, not the result of biology.

Question 3

What was the name of Butler’s book in which she outlined her points?

Answer 3

Gender Trouble

Question 4

Why is dividing society into ‘men’ and ‘women’ wrong:
It ________ a _______ using ________ values to assume ________ & ________ genders are understood through ______ & _______ bodies.
Allows no room for ______ & _______ an idea of _________ between the _____.

Answer 4

a) reinforces
b) divide
c) patriarchal
d) masculine & feminine
e) ‘male’ & ‘female’
f) choice
g) instills
h) differences
i) sexes

Question 5

According to Butler, gender is a _______ and something we ‘__’.
Gender being _______ is ________ and there is no link between ____, _______ traits or _________.

Answer 5

a) process
b) ‘do’

c) fixed
d) unnatural
e) sex, gender traits or sexuality

Question 6

What does Butler state about the ways of ‘doing’ identity?

Answer 6

There are ways of doing it that challenge existing binary oppositions, causing problems for those who benefit from these oppositions.

Question 7

What has happened regarding the concept of gender over time?

Answer 7

It has solidified over time so society believes it has always been there.

Question 8

How does the media relate to Butler’s ideas?

Answer 8

If gender is performative, we need to consider what influences the performance (the media).

Question 9

A______ M______ highlights the __________ ______ of _________ such as _________.
It is ___________, which fits into the idea of ___________ and challenges the ______ feminism of the ___.

Answer 9

a) Angela McRobbie
b) empowering
c) nature
d) magazines
e) Cosmopolitan
f) ‘popular feminism’
g) post-feminism
h) radical
i) 70s

Question 10

What are 3 counter-arguments of Butler’s ‘Gender Trouble’?

identity, impractical, belittles

Answer 10

Doesn’t acknowledge the struggle of women and how many women’s sense of identity is too fragile to take control and ‘do’ gender themselves.

Her theoretical & language based approach is impractical for solving real-world inequalities and it’s wrong to reduce gender to language as it ignores reality.

Her ‘hip quetism’ belittles the feminist quest for justice and is too American as feminism demands more.