queertheory-121122170642-phpapp02

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QUEERTHEORYMedia Issues & Debat


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A contemporary approach to genderrepresentation was introduced by Judith Butler(1990) who suggests that gender is not theresult of nature but is socially constructed. Thatis to say, male and female behaviour and roles

are not the result of biology but areconstructed and reinforced through media andculture

Butler argues that there are a number ofexaggerated, disruptive tongue-in-cheek

representations of masculinity and femininity,which draw attention to the idea that gender issocially constructed and cause what she refersto as gender trouble

JUDITHBUTLER


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ENDERTROUBLE?


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QUEERTHEORYButlers theories of gender trouble have also been linked to queer

theory, which explores and challenges the way in which heterosexualis constructed as normal and the media has limited therepresentations of gay men and women. It has been suggested forexample, Hollywood films construct and portray images of normal ,happy heterosexual couples are often represented in terms of sin orsickness

Can you think of any examples that support or refute this?

Queer theory challenges the traditionally heldassumptions that there is a binary divide betweengay and heterosexual, and suggests that sexualidentity is more fluid. An example of the fluidity

of gender/sexuality can be seen in the characterof Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of theCaribbean. In this film the character uses an ironicand over-the-top performance of a pirate, whichincludes wearing an over-elaborate costume andeye make-up, using feminine and camp gestures

and avoiding anything that could be interpretedas machismo.

Source: AQA A2 Media Studies Textbook Pg 56-57


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Nothing within your identity is fixed. Your identity is little more than a pile of (social and cutural)

things which you have previously expressed, or which havebeen said about you.

There is not really an inner self. We come to believe wehave one through the repetition of discourses about it

Gender, like other aspects of identity, is a performance(though not necessarily a consciously chosen one). Again,this is reinforced through repetition.

People can therefore change. The binary divide between masculinity and femininity is a

social construct built on the binary divide between men and

women which is also a social construction. We should challenge the traditional views of masculinity,

femininity and sexuality by causing gender trouble.

Source: GAUNTLETT, D. (2008). Media, gender and identity: an introduction.London, Routledge.

A summary of Butlers key points on genderrepresentation and queer theory


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Butler (1990) argues that gender is a performance, albeitnot always a conscious performance. This is reinforcedthrough repetition. She also argued that the binary dividebetween masculinity and femininity is a social constructionbuilt on the divide between men and women which is alsoa social construction.

Do some research on Butler and Queer Theory.Create a series of presentation slides to explainQueer Theory and how it relates to the media. Youneed to include an introduction of Butlers key ideason gender (the print out you were asked to read for

homework should help with this)

You should include some examples of GenderTrouble in the media explain how your examplessubvert traditionally held assumptions aboutgender.

Your final slide should contain your thoughts on

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