Judith Butler Sex and gender is natural but they constrain people and enforce conformity. They keep us in a social order. Heterosexual matrix - Binary opposites of man and woman naturally paired together. She is a post structuralist theorist. Takes ideas from Foucault and was heavily influenced by his works. American; 1956 - Philosophy PhD, Professor at University of California. Also psychoanalytic theory. Interested by concept of identity. 'Gender Trouble' 1990 is her most famous work. Not a linear or analytic theorist, no singular political theory spread across disciplines. - Power: gender is an outcome of power relations. - Sets out to disrupt politics and challenge individuals who stand outside of society and politics. - We are the products of culture and society. - Politics should not be focused on consensus - Not interested in administration of affairs - Deconstructs ideas - Interested in creating change Butler asks many questions but is not interested in the answers and often contradicts herself. Wants to open possibilities rather than provide answer. She can also come across as an elitist writer. She argues feminist projects are based on a fundamental problem. It claims women are constrained by a patriarchal society and have been created by society. She argues women have to reassert themselves. The constraint cannot and should not be used as a basis for their campaign as it means they are accepting and allowing it to happen. Three waves of feminism: 1. C19 - Suffragette movement; aiming for universal equal rights. 2. 1960's - 90's; Focus on equal opportunities, against objectification of women as sexual objects to men in confinement, not just family raisers. Also arguing sex and gender is different - sex is natural but gender is a social construct which is prescribed to individuals through their culture and societal norms. 3. 1990's: Challenge idea that women can get together to challenge patriarchy, no universal way to be a woman, performed identity rather than fixed, more about individuality and asserting oneself. Butler is part of the third wave. Critical of those who fall into heterosexual privilege. No common characteristics of being a woman that are natural. Idea of being a woman appears to be natural but is not. Political power creates us and causes us to belief our identity is natural. We become women through socialisation and expression of sexuality. Gender is 'an ideal construct which is forcibly materialised through time' - not natural; created. Gender being on the same body is only because society makes it that way. Gender is not fixed but constantly iterated by being enacted - we perform our gender. 'Gender reality is performature which means, quite simply, that it is real only to the extent that it is performed'
Structure limits agency It is possible to disrupt gender norms and change what it means to be a man and woman. People are unaware of what it means to be ourselves. We will always be heavily constrained. Nussbaum has been critical of Butler. Butler claims Nussbaum is