Course:LIBR559A/Butler, J. (1993)

Citation

Butler, J. (1993). Imitation and gender insubordination. In A.H. Abelove, M.A. Barale, & D.M. Halperin (Eds). The lesbian and gay studies reader (pp. 307-320). New York: Routledge.

Purpose of article

To subvert the categories of ``gender`` and ``sexual identity`` and destabilize the assumptions of commonality among gay and lesbian groups.

Main Argument(s) and supporting evidence

Butler advocates that our gender is dynamic, and so it remains dependent on our behaviour which fluctuates as it is temporally and spatially dependent. As such, gender cannot be a fundamentally stagnant part of our identity since it is not fixed, but rather fluid. As gender is fluid, it is open to rearticulation and resignification. Butler emphasizes the importance of drag because it imitates a performance rather than repeats a normative assumption about gender and sexual identity. And as identity categories are socially constructed within constrained norms and reinforced through regulation and repetition, they are subject to changes in reality. The queer identity that encompasses the non-unified gays and lesbians and the diverse heterosexual mainstream illustrates that gender-based accounts and sexual preferences do not account for the range of sexual experiences.

Method(s) (e.g., case studies, interviews, thought piece, survey

Thought-provoking. The article consists of background material and analysis.

Areas / Topics / Keywords

Queer, Gender, Sexuality, Categories, Performative Identities, Drag.

Author(s)’(s) understanding/definitions of key concepts

Sexual identities rely on performance, and are not fixed but rather dynamic.

Theoretical frameworks followed by the author(s)

The Queer Theory framework challenges the prescribed norms about sexuality and gender because they are socially constructed. Queering creates parody as a form of resistance.

Novel ideas introduced by this article

Butler`s discussion about the repetition of norms describes how they solidify into identities. The repetition of previous practices can become habit forming and unconsciously absorbed. But those who consciously twist norms do so with intent to break free.

Pitfalls, blind spots, and weaknesses of this article

Butler`s notion of transcendence of dichotomous categorizations towards a post-identity utopia threatens to undermine identity politics at its core because it minimizes the meaning of differences, thereby weakening the foundation for identity and political action. Butler advocates subverting the norm, but in reality there are several normative frameworks in our society that needs to be included.

Potential Contribution to the scholarship of Social Studies of Library and Information and to the practice of Librarianship

The scholarship and practice of information professionals need to take into account the dynamics of the profession as well as the diversity of its members and the people we serve. Butler`s article is an excellent reminder that norms are socially constructed, in that they are derived from pre-existing frameworks that have developed from a collective understanding of shared assumptions. More importantly, prescribed social norms can be subverted because they can and do change over time.

Page Author: Vivian McCollor