Queer theory / post structuralism 2 Flashcards
who was Foucault influenced by?
Nietzsche
what did Nietzsche challenge? (2)
the universal human nature and the idea that history was a progression
what is an episteme?
periods with different underlying assumptions and rules about how to think about things in the world
what is genealogy?
The point of a genealogical analysis is to show that a given system of thought was the result of contingent turns of history, not the outcome of rationally inevitable trends.
what did Foucault say contemporary types of punishment harmed compared to torture?
the soul rather than the body
in contemporary societies, what is punishment used for?
social control
what did Foucault point out about schools and prisons?
resemble each other
what does Foucault point out about modern prisons? how does this relate to genealogy?
the modern prison has had a limited effect, and so what seems normal for us right now will likely in the future seem ridiculous
how did the Victorians change sex?
they codified it and made it empirical
what does Foucault argue modern ideas of sexuality are?
largely a 19th century invention
why does Foucault wish to bring attention to power?
by naming it and considering it, it can be questioned and therefore checked
how does Foucault recognise that power can be good?
makes sense in certain circumstances where an individual knows more and so can take charge to inform others
what does Butler point out about the category of women? who created it?
no longer a stable idea, formed by the patriarchy
why does gender differ across time and space?
as it intersects with other characteristics
what does the sex/gender distinction suggest?
a radical discontinuity between sexed bodies and culturally constructed genders
how does Butler relate the Simone de Beauvoir quote to her analysis?
compulsion to become a women doesn’t come from sex but instead from culture, no guarantee that the ‘one’ becoming a woman needs to be female
when did Rich write Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence?
1980
how does Rich argue that heterosexuality operates?
as a structure, not “natural”
how does Rich see lesbianism? (2)
an act of resistance (but choice), bonded only to women emotionally and sexually
what is the lesbian continuum for Rich?
“range—through each woman’s life and throughout history—of woman-identified experiences”
why does Rich argue heteronormativity has become the norm?
Destruction of lesbian experiences in history has led to the presentation of the other, and not presented lesbianism as a choice
what does Rich also argue against?
the dismissal of lesbianism as just female homosexuality
