Identities: Feminist theory and blog task

Judith Butler: gender roles

• Butler believes traditional feminists are wrong to divide society into ‘men’ and ‘women’ and says gender is not biologically fixed.
• By dividing men and women, feminists accidently reinforced the idea of differences between the two genders
• Butler believes gender roles are ‘a performance’ and that male and female behaviour is socially constructed rather than the result of biology.

Butler and the media

• If gender is a ‘performance’ rather than biological, we then need to think about what is influencing that ‘performance’.
• And that’s where the media comes in. How might the media influence our behaviour in terms of gender roles

Angela McRobbie: empowering women

• McRobbie is a British cultural theorist known for her work analysing magazines aimed at women and teenage girls in the 80s and 90s.
• McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists.
• This idea of ‘popular feminism’ fits into the idea of post-feminism and challenges the radical feminism of the 1970s.

Feminism: blog task

Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ 

 

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

This video contributes to Butlers idea that gender roles are a performance as we see Beyonce fulfilling the gender roles women are prescribed by society. Beyonce is seen cooking, cleaning and doing the laundry, which links back to the concept of women being perceived as housewife figures. Furthermore, the lyrics create a sense of subordination, as Beyonce is seen pleading for the acceptance and love of a male figure through her talking about her assets.  As a result, it can be argued that the role of a women is a social construct and that Beyonce is simply performing this role. 

2) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women? Why?

On the other hand, McRobbie would view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women, as Beyonce is also portrayed as a woman of knowledge and class in her lyrics despite her attire being perceived as scandalous by some audiences. Although sexualised, this can be seen as a tool of empowerment for women as Beyonce is taking control of her body, having the power to choose how she dresses and she portrays herself. Furthermore, Mcrobbie could argue that the lyrics empower women as Beyonce is recognizing her quality as an individual. 

3) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?

I personally believe that Beyonce is empowering women, as she is outlining her quality as an individual and recognising her worth. Yet, I do agree that this video in particular rather reinforces the traditional male gaze as she is portrayed as subordinate to men, she questions why a man does not love her despite knowing her worth while also placing herself in the typical role of a woman who needs acceptance by a man to be satisfied.