BLOG VIII: The Role of Gender

Judith Butler’s Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory discusses the concept of gender as a social construct. Butler argues that gender is a social construct because society attributes gender based on performative acts. It can be agreed that gender is the social, cultural, and physiological traits that define males and females as masculine or feminine. Butler furthers the conversation by arguing that gender is an identity established over time, more specifically established through  a “ stylized repetition of acts”. This means that gender is described in bodily movements and gestures. Merleau-Ponty and Simone de Beauvoir both agree with the claim that the body and gender  are “historical ideas” rather than “ natural species” (Butler,1988). This leads us to understand that cultural and historical influences are what define gender.  Butler extends the argument by examining ways in which gender is constructed though corporal acts. When Beauvoir says “ to be a woman is to have become a woman” it means that becoming a woman is done by habitually performing acts that culturally and historically have defined women. Thus, gender is a role that humans play. How we dress and what hobbies that we are interested in is a mere performance of what society has decided for us. I could not  agree more with Beauvoir’s claim that “ one is not born, but rather becomes a woman”.  These predetermined performances of what “makes” us women have left lasting impressions on the female identities.  Overall, gender is not a fact, but a collection of acts that create it. 

 The way that we act, walk, talk, and express our bodies are things that consolidate the impression of being a man or a woman ( Butler, 2011). After reading Butler’s paper and watching the Big Think video, I asked myself “What are some things that I, and that women have done over time, that “makes” me a woman?”. The first things that I thought of were the rituals of self-care, which among other things include; painting your nails and  putting on a face of makeup before heading out the door. This made me think of a time I was painting my nails and my five year old brother asked me if I could paint his. Knowing that I have conservative parents I told him to go ask our mother.  As expected, my mother said that he could only paint them clear. Her decision did not sit well with me because I saw no problem in a child wanting to paint their nails. Children love all things that are colorful. They love to draw on walls, themselves, and anything else they can get their hands on. Of course it makes sense why a child would find painting your nails attractive, it is a way of having colorful hands! Having colorful fingertips should not define someone’s gender. The reason why many people have a problem with certain people not being “allowed” to paint their nails is because the act of painting your nails is seen as an act performed by women, and women only. In our society, painting your nails is a performative ritual of self-care that has defined females as women. This form of expression is performative in the sense that it, literally and figuratively, paints the image of a woman.  Also, the allowance of children painting their nails clear juxtaposes the disapproval of children painting their  nails in the first place. Leading to the conclusion that the real problem lies in the implied femininity of the performative act itself. Because painting your nails is a performative act that defines women, society is not keen on allowing other genders to express themselves in similar ways. 

 From a pop cultural standpoint, we can consider the actions of Latin rapper, Bad Bunny and British  singer Harry Styles. Both artist identify themselves as heterosexual males and have begun breaking gender norms by painting their nails. Of course they have experienced backlash from this form of expression. However, these comments do not  impede them from expressing their creative selves. While it is easier for an artist than a regular person  to bend gender norms, the fact that they are willing to publicly express themselves in an “unconventional” manner is what will slowly pave the way for the reconstruction of gender. And if we learned anything from Butler’s paper , it is that gender will be real as long as we allow it to be real. 

Photo Source: Paper Magazine and Jenny Longworth