1. Judith Butler’s Theory of Gender Performativity, Explained - YouTube
  2. Judith Butler’s Gender Performativity, Part 2: What is “Performativity?” - YouTube

Definition of Gender

Gender is the stylized repetition of acts through time.

Key Points

  • Judith Butler, Gender Trouble.
  • “Performance”!= “Performative”
    • → Performative means that gender is not like a wardrobe of “gender” you can choose from every day.
    • ⇒ Instead, it means gender is constructed into being. It is not something that you can easily choose, due to Microphysics of Power and other things
  • Imagine gender as something like “I am a Duke student.” You are not born a duke student, nor is Duke a real physical fact of reality.
    • You partially chose, partially was embraced by Duke, the socially constructed organization.
    • Then gender is perfectly severed from biology (=disproves biological essentialism).