Media Studies - Butlers Theory of Gender Performativity - For Students & Teachers
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- A simple and easy to understand guide to Judith Butler's Gender Performativity Theory to help students and teachers doing Media Studies at A-level, or even at GCSE.
I teach the Eduqas exam board now for both Key Stages but this video can be used to help you understand the theory even if you are studying a different exam board.
I am a Media Studies teacher with 10 years experience in the classroom, and so hopefully this all makes sense!
Mrs fisher for president 🙌👑
Factos
the best explanation I've ever watched. Btw, I got a job to translate Butler's book (Theories of Subjection) into Indonesian. I really wanna know every meanings of every terms she uses in all of her books. Fortunately, this video helps me so much.
Thank you so much for sharing this short explination! I am writing a history paper on anger in 'Medea' and how emotions are connected to gender, so understanding gender theories is key.
Thank you for your generous effort and time spent to make this video. It is much appreciated! thanks
As a trans person it's always interesting seeing how academia deals with this, especially because it's such a quickly evolving topic. I'd love to see the differences between a media studies approach to gender and a sociopolitical approach to gender. I wonder how that could theoretically apply to exam questions, if at all?
Also, for anyone with questions, feel free to ask! Don't worry about sounding offensive or anything, I'll just recommend the right language to use in the future, but I won't be offended. :)
ooh that’s a good question! and i like your pfp
I apologise if this question is not phrased perfectly, and no offence is intended. I was hoping to find out your perspectives towards the differences between transgender, and those who work as transvestites in either the theatre or as a part of a performance. Characters within the hairspray franchise or part of a cabaret for instance.
@@allistair61 Hey! Sorry for the late reply, never noticed the notif for this one it seems.
So, here's the thing: modern queer theory poses that gender is a social construct. The key idea here is that someone's gender isn't determined by biological or aesthetic factors, but rather by how they themselves identify.
Trans people are not putting on an act, nor are they particularly experimenting with gender - they are simply correcting a disconnect between their gender and how they are perceived. This is to say that trans people are never really changing their identity just by visibly trans, they're just making sure people perceive their gender correctly.
Now, I'm going to avoid using the term 'tr*nsvestite' here because it has a lot of negative connotations and is often used in a derogatory way - these days, the performers you're referring to are more commonly known as 'drag artists'.
So, while it's true that many drag artists explore gender and their own identity through their performances, the key is that they aren't using it to correct for a mistake in people's perception of them, but rather to dissect and play with gender roles in society.
Being trans is an exploration of the self, whereas being a drag performer is an exploration of society.
That being said, there is undeniably a lot of overlap here - many people realise they are trans via drag, for example, and many trans people enjoy participating in drag as a way to explore their gender. In reality, it's a subject so complex & individual to each person that in some cases, there isn't exactly a black and white distinction here.
That being said, it's important to remember that calling trans people drag artists because they are presenting in a way which better aligns with their identity isn't correct and is rude, as it suggests that their identity is put on or otherwise not true to themselves.
This is honestly a subjective matter and my question isn't necessarily correct, nor is it the same answer every trans person will give, but I hope I explained my thoughts okay!
@@allistair61 Hey whilst I am not the OP I am a trans person. To answer your question, I want to first clarify a misconception, drag is the term that would best describe those who crossdress for entertainment purposes (like the character of Tracey's mum in hairspray for example). The term transvestites isn't really used much today and the term crossdresser is a better term as it makes the distinct difference between transgender people and those who crossdress. As Butler states, one way we can communicate our identities is through how we present/dress and whilst both groups do arguably use presentation as a form of expression of identities thats where the similarities end. Being transgender is not simply just putting on clothing and presenting yourself that way though, like it would be a for a crossdresser, it's part of your integral identity. You live and identify throughout all aspects of life, as you would if you were cisgender, as your identity. It's the intention and what's going on around the act of wearing clothing that seperates crossdressers from transgender people. Transgender people genuinely are the identities they say they are and are utilising the ideas of how to present as masculine or feminine (or using these 'rules' to break them) within society's eyes and utilising that to help show their identities through that. Ultimately, I would argue that the difference is that crossdressing doesn't reflect the gender identity of a person and is just merely a form of self expression. Whereas transgender people utilise presentation to help communicate their gender identities.
Thank you so much Mrs Fisher for such a clear explanation!
Thank you very much. This really helped my understanding of the theory.
thank you for this video, Mrs Fisher. Helped a lot!
Can I just say I appreciate these videos literally helping me with my media studies 🙌🏼
Thanks Mrs Fisher another awesome video
Awesome. Thank you for the video.
Hi i am currently doing an essay on the validity on cultivation theory is there any help you could offer me as i am a little stuck,
Thanks 😍 for giving lesson on this theory i have an exam on gender studies tomorrow
Hi, could you please do a video on David Hesmondhalgh please?
I was just wondering if you have a video explaining what exactly citationality is.
oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii this helped with da media A level stylllllllllllllllllll, cheers boss.
Very helpful
Hi my Alevel media exam is in 2 weeks and these videos have been so helpful. Is there anyway you could do a video about Hesmondhalgh then that’s all my theorists covered. Thanks
This would be so so helpful!
Olivia Roberts wouldn’t it just Mrs Fisher is an absolute gem. Hope your exams go well👍
Naomi Johnson thanks! All the best in your exam as well ✌🏻
Olivia Roberts wow isn’t this such a great community Mrs fisher is building
Gender is constructed through actions and behaviours. And performing certain behaviours (rituals) over a regular basis time creates your sense of gender.
Audience may think if they perform these rituals it will result in a more male or female feeling or representation
''And performing certain behaviours (rituals) over a regular basis time creates your sense of gender.''
Sounds like bullsh!t weeaboo.
Behaviour doesn't allow a BIOLOGICAL MALE into BIOLOGICAL FEMALES locker rooms or sports.
Hi do you do one to one tutoring? for A Level eduqas, thank you!
Tati Baker Hi there. I used to do tutoring in Media Studies. Unfortunately I don’t offer it any more as I have two young children and they take up all my spare time! Whereabouts in the country are you? I might be able to recommend someone?
Ah okay no problem! I am based in Surrey
I LOVE U
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In this video Butler talks about how saying "gender is performed" and "gender is performative" are different.
I feel like I don't fully understand what she means by that, can you shed any light?
Thanks!
The phrase 'gender is performed' is talking about using performance as a way to express your gender identity whereas the phrase 'gender is performative' refers to the idea that your performance *is* your gender.
So gender is a feeling?! What is a feeling then? And How do I know what a masculine feeling is?
2 years late, but in a way you don't! I think one issue I had with this video is that switched out "masculine" and "male" like they were similar words, and thats mainly because from a Media Studies perspective, you are often analysing through stereotypes and analysing old media, where men are stereotypically masculine, meaning that substituting the words wont really have an effect on older media. Hopefully that makes sense - Thats the way my teacher explained it to me. But anyway, most people don't really know what feeling "like a man" is like, they can only say whether they'd feel more comfortable being called he or she or they, whatever. Gender, and social constructs like gender, are very hard to define strictly, so I'd say just go with what your comfortable with! If you feel like using she and being perceived as a woman is your vibe, go for it! If you'd rather be masculine, or androgynous, whatever really, go for it! Do what you want
I think this person needs to watch more Star Trek. These banal ideas were explored in the 80s and demonstrated to be massively flawed.
It's literally NOT performance, gender is not constructed through performance but performativity, those are two VERY different and opposite things!!!
True!
''gender is not constructed through performance but performativity''
That's a wonderful postmodern and therefore meaningless wordsalad meant to baffle morons.
Is Butler saying there is no biological basis for our performative choices?
Yeah, basically... according to her, biological sex is also a social construct... sheesh
I don't think Butler ever stated that biological sex is a social construct per say, but rather that the binary grouping of 'male' and 'female' is a social construct, due to the fact that no one person could be defined as perfectly male or female. It has no real biological meaning (for example, a woman who has given birth to a 'male' (or, as we say in more progressive communities, 'assigned male at birth' or 'AMAB') will actually have XY chromosomes resulting from the pregnancy) and so while, for example, XY Chromosomes themselves aren't a social construct, the notion that anyone with XY chromosomes is biologically male is a social construct.
The defining difference is 'does this have a generally agreed upon definition within the medical community'. Gender, sex, etc. currently don't really have any clear definitions but for A-level Media Studies you wouldn't need to get that deep into it. That being said it's really interesting and I'd recommend looking into it! I'm trans and can answer any questions you have :)
@Corno di Bassetto OK, so to take this argument from the top:
What would you say makes someone a man or a woman?
Would you agree that non-binary people like myself exist?
What would you say is the difference between sex and gender, if there is any?
Once you answer those questions I can have a conversation about this but as it goes your opinion is somewhat vague so I don't fully understand what you're trying to say.
@Corno di Bassetto OK so to address a few things really quickly
1. LGBTQ+ theory is largely based in science
2. Many cultures have and historically have had genders outside of the binary. Two-spirit comes to mind.
3. Men can and do gain profit from the services you are on about
4. It feels like you've made a lot of strawmen. Research any individual one of your points from the opposing side and it will quickly be debunked.
You've thrown out so many claims that it's very hard to respond in any way, because any one of those claims would require citations (which you didn't provide), etc. and frankly i don't have the time or energy to do your research for you.
If you want to have an actual discussion about it I'm happy with that; but what you're doing is laying down groundwork with its basis in thin air, and somehow expecting me to fight thin air.
@Corno di Bassetto im not reading that but good for you, or sorry that happened or whatever
Hi miss
I'm a bit confused...is there a reason you begin using he/him pronouns for both your examples (I noticed you only had AMAB examples), then clarify that they in fact use they/them and switch? This could easily be seen as intentional misgendering if they/them are the pronouns they both prefer.
Hi thanks for this question. I use these two AMAB examples as they are featured in the set text for the Eduqas exam board so my students need to learn about them specifically. Arabia Felix uses he/him pronouns and identifies as a gay man who enjoys drag. Jacob Tobia identifies as gender non binary and uses the pronouns they / them. I totally hadn’t realised I had used the term “himself” in the video when talking about Tobia. You can probably tell from the video that I was quite ill at the time of filming and don’t think I was on my top form! I can only apologise for misgendering them accidentally. I consider myself a strong ally of the LGBTQ+ community and would never misgender intentionally. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I don’t have the original video to edit but I will try and add an on screen correction to this as soon as I can.
Although I do not pretend to be a psychologist, I accept that some of these behaviours are learned. But I would not necessarily agree that they are specific to gender identity. As an Army brat, I've dated women who identify as women that would fall into the tomboy description. Most of them as soldiers swear every bit as strongly as their male counterparts.
I have also heard people describing the difference between transgender and transvestites. one being they do not identify as they are gender assigned at birth, The other dress in a feminine way purely as a performance but do not identify as that gender.
Do you not think that women in the military likely take on typically male behaviours eg aggression and swearing, in order to construct a more masculine identity for themselves to help with their image as a soldier? Because so many men consider female soldiers less capable? Also maybe to protect themselves from the risks of assault etc.
@@mrsfisher8961 Ah, the life seen trough ideological lenses that cant see other possible outcome but the one the ideology prescribe. Let's assume your assumption is correct, could it also be possible a different solution that if taken into consideration dismantle your whole theory? Could it be also possible that this woman in the army, due to her natural predisposition, as being a tomboy, led her to chase work or enviroment that reflect her original attitude? Take example on sports and morphology. People think being a swimmer makes you broad shoulder because all swimmer have broad shoulders. People think American Footballers all have to big and strong if they fit certain role in the game therefore the sport shapes your muscles in a certain way. While it certainly true that this happens the reality is that people with already definied phisical characterstic gravitates towards certain sport because it gives them an edge and all the other that dont have this edge generally quit very soon. Playing basketball doesnt make you tall, so why all basketball players are tall? But let's focus on the Butler eternormativity: why Butler doesnt take into consideration bio chimical agent like testosterone (that mutate human behaviour and temperament quite drastically) or dont take into consideration primates behaviour? It has been shown that female and male primates gravitates towards eternormative behaviour. So is gender performative in primates aswell? we have to assume primates have a patriarchical system that taught them how to behave? It has even demonstrated that inoculating testosterone on a fetal level increase rough and tumble play in young primates. So if gender is only taught why bio chemical agent have such huge impact on female and male behaviour temperament and interest? But let's disregard biology. let's go with logical inconsistency of the theory: according to Butler theory gender is a social construction because some people dont fit neatly into pink or blue box and the existence of people who dont fit into one of those can only be categorized as non binary. Is like these people never lived in the real world and cant see that nobody really fit into blue or pink boxes (Jung even postulated the existence of male and female animus in all human beings) and we are all into this gradient that goes from blue to pink. So according to Butler we should have 7+ bil gender and everybody is binary, one for each humam person on the planet. How about use the word "personality" like we did since the dawn of time and disregard this hogwash (let's remember that Gender Trouble was voted the worst book of the year back then) with no biological basis and with huge logical inconsistency?
Your are just assuming that a person gets involved with those rituals because the person wants to do it, however, gender performances can be unreal as there is a regulatory frame that pressures people to behave in a particular way.
Hence I said that gender is a social construct. Something that society has taught them that they should do.
As explained here, I cannot agree with this theory. Why? Well, I performed everything masculine until I was in my 50's. It got to the point that I was miserable and transitioned. I internally knew my female gender at 4 years old, and tried to go with expectations. Under this theory, I should have created a masculine gender through years of performativity. There is also the case of male twins, one of whom had a botched circumcision and was raised as a girl. The twin led a miserable life and eventually committed suicide. I'm sorry, if simply going through doing guy things every day creates an internal sense of maleness, you wouldn't have trans women. (The opposite for trans guys.) I'm not convinced this is what Butler was saying though. I've watch their videos and I am not sure they is saying this, Mrs. Fisher.
Hey trans guy here, I used to think the same thing but I've read through this theory again and researched Butler's thoughts and I think this is what Butler was trying to say: we use presentation as a way to communicate our identities, not as the basis for them. I.e. that just because I might have lived as fem presenting for so many years it didn't mean that my gender was suddenly female and I had no reason to transition. But rather that because of the ignorance over my identity and what being transgender was, I didn't see that I could present another way and that therefore I couldn't construct a representation of myself that actually reflected my identity. I hope this helps :)
@@andrewhannaford2995 Thank you Andrew, I believe you are probably correct. Butler's theories are ripe for confusion I think, and not just me. Hope you are living a good life and thanks for your response.
Hey Monica, sorry to hear about your friends botched circumcision, is there anyway you can describe what that is though as I'm very confused on what it is?
@@v0id369 This wasn't a friend, but a really unethical psychological study. The search term you're looking for is "David Reimer"
Can't believe I'm having to write about this garbage
Why is it garbage?
@@andrewhannaford2995
Because ''CRT'' and ''GEnderblah'' ASSUME many things, always blame the ''same group'', never give evidence for all their retarded claims but only deflect valid criticism with some vague morals and attempt to ''define'' things with unfalsifiable circular logic or ''NOT EVEN WRONG because meaningless'' nonsensical word salads.