Gender trouble

 

Hello friends, Last week, I read a book named “Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity.” Published in 1990. Before telling something about the book let me tell background of Butler. She is born on February 24, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio. She is an American philosopher. In this book she speaks about conventional notions of gender and identity, proposing a radical rethinking or how we understand and perform gender in society.

 Butler argues that gender is not an inherent of fixed aspect of our identity but rather a social construct that is continually pass through our actions, behaviors, and language. In other words, gender is not something we have but something we do.

 While reading this book, I came across three main ideas. First, she introduces the concept of performativity, suggesting that gender is constructed by the society. She challenges that categories of male and female are not natural or pre-existing but are socially constructed.

 Second, she introduces the concept of Subversion of Norms: suggesting that each individual can resist the social constructed rules and norms. Because Subversion becomes a tool for empowerment to remove and break the conservative society.

 Third, she introduces the concept of Identity as social construct: here she says identities are not inherent but are socially constructed through language, and behavior. According to her identities are not predetermined or fixed aspects of an individual’s being.

 In short, Gender trouble is to disrupt traditional framework in the society. The book encourages readers to questions binary concepts. It invites to embrace diversity and celebrate freedom to each individual.