Embodied Experiences of Femininity

Last week we started talking about how GENDERED BODIES get constructed and how GENDER is performed by those bodies within a variety of sociocultural contexts. Interestingly, the process of GENDER SOCIALIZATION (i.e., learning to “act like a lady” or to “be a man”) begins even before we are born. Have a look at this short video:

We left off at the end of class last Thursday talking about Q #3, 4 and 5 on Worksheet #1, so make sure you go back to these and jot down some thoughts (always based on specific reference to our reading materials, of course), because that's where we'll start this week.

Science helps to construct gender

One thing that’s important as we move forward in the course is that scientific and medical discourses of the body are a huge part of how gender gets constructed, because biology (i.e., things that are allegedly “natural” and “instinctive”) is used to explain gender, which, as we’ve started to read and talk about, is hardly about biology at all, but is actually SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED.

On Thursday, we’ll discuss feminist and queer critiques of BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM (i.e., the notion that the differences between men and women exist as a result of purely biological factors, thus justifying the way they look and act), and for that be sure to pay close attention to a couple of issues:

1. The ways that scientific research is used to justify the “normal” SEX/GENDER SYSTEM.
2. The claims of EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY and the new thinking that has replaced these old claims.

So, pay close attention to Weitz’s history of women’s bodies and the politics of women’s sexuality in Western medical discourse (and Western legal systems, too, which is another important way that gender gets constructed). 

Starting Part Two of our course

Thursday’s class also marks the start of the second part of our course, entitled “Act Like a Lady”: Constructing Femininity.” As you have probably guessed, the overarching question for these next few weeks will be: By what specific means is FEMININITY constructed? In other words, how do women learn that they should be feminine (and, therefore, not masculine) according to the expectations of their sociocultural context? And how do they then learn to “do” or “perform” FEMININITY in particular ways that are “acceptable” within the norms designated by all the factors that create the SEX/GENDER SYSTEM in the first place?

As you know from our reading in Bornstein, one crucial component of the GENDER POLICE is marketing and consumer culture:

So, remember to use Worksheets #1 and #2 as well as the handout entitled “Preparing for Class and Creating Study Notes” to guide you as you read and prepare for class. Also, the OBOS reading on "Body Image" is available via a series of URLs on Blackboard (click on "Additional Readings"/For Week 3).

Additionally, please complete the exercise on pp. 22-23 in Bornstein, type up your results and submit them at the start of class on Thursday. This should not be onerous; 2-3 double-spaced pages should get the job done.

And don't forget that you need to be thinking about when you'll submit your required Weekly Reading Worksheets this semester. You need to submit one for each of the three remaining sections of the course, and this week marks the start of that process. See the syllabus for more details on the requirements of this assignment and/or feel free to come by my office and ask me any questions you might have about it.

Lastly, one of the best parts of my job is getting to know my students, so please don’t hesitate to come on by during my office hours if ever you have any questions, concerns, or just want to chat!

That’s all for now. Happy reading, and I’ll see you in class on Thursday!