Judith Butler and Postmodern Feminism What necessary tasks does Judith Butler identify for feminist criticism? How is her articulation of and response to these tasks characteristically "postmodern"? "She has no identity except as a wife and mother. She does not know who she is herself. She waits all day for her husband to come home at night to make her feel alive." This sentiment "lay buried, unspoken, for many years, in the minds of American women", until "In 1960, the problem that has no name bust like a boil through the image of the happy American housewife." Betty Friedan coined the phrase `the problem that has no name' during the second wave of feminism in the 1960's. By the time Judith Butler began articulating her views on the feminist position; much political success had already been achieved. The first and second wave of feminism throughout the years had been effective in establishing the female `voice' in a political context and achieving legal successes concerning women's rights. In `Gender Trouble', Butler asserts herself first and foremost as a "feminist theorist" whose "commitments to feminism are probably my primary commitments." Butler exists as an influential yet controversial figure of "contemporary feminist and democratic theory" as she inexorably pursues the question of feminism being "identity politics." Throughout her entire discourse of feminist critique, Butler identifies certain problems and attributes reasons for the continuing subjugation of the `subject'. Initially Butler's predominant issue is the concept of `gender' and identity. The concept of Descartes `core identity' does not seem to work for Butler. Inspired by Foucault and Nietzche, Butler follows in the theory of "there is no doe... ... middle of paper ... ...ociety, Vol. 5, No. 3, Special Issue: Marxist Feminist Theory Fraser, Nancy, Nicholson, Linda J. `Social Criticism without Philosophy: An Encounter between Feminism and Postmodernism', Communications, Vol. 10, Nos. 3 and 4, 1998 Digeser. Peter, Performativity Trouble: Postmodern Feminism and Essential Subjects, Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 3 (Sep,. 1994) Disch. Lisa, `Judith Butler and the Politics of the Performative', Political Theory, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Aug,. 1999) Haraway, Donna. `A Manifesto for Cyborgs: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the 1980's', Socialist Reivew, Vol. 15, No. 80, 1985 Friedan. Betty, The Feminine Mystique, W.W.Norton, 1963 Mitchell. Juliet, Psycho-analysis and Feminism, (New York: Vintage, 1975) Gilligan, Carol. `In a different voice', Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data, 1936
Bender, David L. The Women's Rights Movement, Opposing Viewpoints: Greenhaven Press, Inc., San Diego 1996
Butler, Judith. "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory." Theatre Journal 40.4 (1988): 519-31. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Web. 11 May 2011.
Unknown. 2012. The Bloody Chamber: AS & A2 Critical Debates: Feminism. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.yorknotes.com/alevel/the-bloody-chamber/study/contexts-critical-debates/04020300_critical-debates. [Accessed 03 January 14].
3.Funk, Nanette. "Feminism And Post-Communism." Hypatia 8.4 (1993): 85. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
McCann, C., & Kim, S. (2013). Feminist theory reader, (3d ed.). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Gender Trouble published in 1990 by Judith Butler, argues that feminism was and still relaying on the presumption that ‘women’ a...
In the essay “The Failure of Feminism,” by Phyllis Chesler, that was first published by The Chronical of Higher Education on February 24, 2006. The author emphasizes how “feminism may not be existent anymore (Chesler, 2006).” Chesler describes the word feminism itself, and how others may interpret the word. “The Failure of Feminism shows how feminism has evolved over time.
In the featured article, “Beside Oneself: On the Limits of Sexual Autonomy,” the author, Judith Butler, writes about her views on what it means to be considered human in society. Butler describes to us the importance of connecting with others helps us obtain the faculties to feel, and become intimate through our will to become vulnerable. Butler contends that with the power of vulnerability, the rolls pertaining to humanity, grief, and violence, are what allows us to be acknowledged as worthy.
As the feminist movement has progressed through several generations it has shifted quite a bit in its general approach and theory. Contemporary writers such as Baumgardner and Richards, and Henry have illustrated a generational shift away from structurally aimed actions, and towards individual acts of subversion and small political actions (Baumgardner and Richards 126-202). This current course is very similar to the direction of other highly organic movements such as sustained dialogue. Feminism though, is particularly well documented, justified, and understood. Thus by comparing the feminist movement’s present tack to that of sustained dialogue, it will be possible to gain insight into the direction these movements should take, and this comparison will highlight the essential and effective foundations as well as the crucial divergences of these movements. Finally I will use the idea of objectivity as a justification for social action to create a new model of social action and conflict resolution.
Bogard, Carley Rees. “The Awakening: A Refusal to Compromise.” University of Michigan Papers in Women’s Studies 2.3 (1977): 15-31. Gale Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 January 2014.
Hartmann, H. (1981). The Unhappy marriage of Marxism and Feminism: Towards a More Progressive Union. In C. R. McCann & S. Kim (Eds.), Feminist Theory Reader: Local and Global Perspectives (3rd ed.) (pp 182-201).
Parpart, Jane and Marchand M. (1995) “Part one: Exploding the canon: an Introduction/Conclusion”, in Marchand, Marianne and Parpart, Jane (eds) Feminism Postmodernism Devlopment, London; New York: Routledge: 1-23.
Through discourses in theatrical, anthropological and philosophical discussions, Butler portrays gender identity as being performative rather than expressive. Gender, rather than being drawn from a particular essence, is inscribed and repeated by bodies through the use of taboos and social
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the eighteenth century feminist philosopher, Mary Wollstonecraft. Specifically, it explores her vision and critique of the relationship between the genders by explaining her position and her prescription to remedy the deficiencies she identifies with regards to gender inequality. Additionally, this evaluation asserts that at present, we have partially achieved the realization of Wollstonecraft’s vision of women in society, which dates back two centuries. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of the continued of study of Wollstonecraft’s philosophical ideas in society today.
The word “Queer” means “strange, unusual”, the same with word “odd”. The theory of queer gender is not a specific theory, but a comprehensive interdisciplinary discourse that come from multiple subjects such as history, society and literature. The theory of queer gender established outside of the mainstream culture: these people and their theory cannot find their position in the mainstream culture, and they do not have intention to do so. “Queer” is a appellation for a social group including people who are not conform with the mainstream society about sexual preference and gender identity, like homosexual and bisexual.