Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity

Butler engages with the work of several significant feminists. Select one of the theorists included in Gender Trouble. Research that person's contributions to his or her field, then trace how Butler uses that person's ideas to advance her argument.

At present, almost thirty years has passed since the publication of Gender Trouble. Do some of the notions of "congealed" gender still apply? If so, what are they, and in what ways do you think gender identities today are more flexible based on what you know of Butler's era?

Research the meaning of the term "trans exclusionary radical feminist" (TERF) and efforts to remove such feminists from feminist platforms. What does the term mean? What connections do you see between Butler's warnings about the threat posed by exclusionary practices in feminism and this debate?

Research the term "intersectional feminism." What does the term mean? In what moments does Butler's work anticipate this perspective on feminism?

Discuss the influence of psychoanalysis on Butler's work in Gender Trouble.

Simone de Beauvoir says that "one is not born a woman but becomes one" (1). What does she mean by this, and how does Butler use this idea in her own discussion of gender?

Does Butler believe in the possibility of subversion of the current gender reality? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Butler offers analysis of several binaries throughout Gender Trouble. Discuss one binary Butler introduces, and describe how and why she deconstructs that binary.