Gender is not a fact. A critical assessment of of Judith Butler's view

Résumé ou Introduction

A critical assessment of the view of Judith Butler that gender is not a fact, using the relevant examples, including documentaries and other academic sources.

The politics of gender continues to facilitate complex discourse of why, when and how gender is constructed and has attracted a plethora of theories. With third wave feminism being more inclusive of gender diversity the idea of gender as a social construct became a popular argument, as explored by Judith Butler in her book 'Gender Trouble.

Butler looks at a new way of approaching sex and gender construct, as opposed to the traditional heterosexualized notion of masculinity and femininity. Like many other scholars, theorists and feminists such as Michel Foucault, Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich, Butler presents the argument that gender should be seen as fluid and adapt to our behavior and mannerisms at different times and in different situations rather than a rigid definition of who we are as gendered beings.

Butler's entire argument of gender is centered on the idea of deconstructing the historical definition of gender, so as to move toward a more inclusive and equal society; one where we are not limited to feminine and masculine constructs. While many argue that gender is a biological, biosocial construct that is influenced by nature, work by Butler and other theorists, as well as the lived experiences of different human beings from various cultures, support the idea that gender is indeed not a fact but rather a socially constructed theory.