Abstract
This chapter explores how feminist poststructuralism can be used in the higher education classroom to facilitate critical and deconstructive conversations about sex and gender. First, I describe a number of important poststructural concepts that are used to deconstruct sex and gender. Next, I explain how, in my classes, I use each concept to disrupt essentialized and commonsensical understandings of sex and gender. I conclude with an exploration of how Judith Butler’s work, particularly her conceptualizations of gender performance, can be used in higher education classrooms to open up spaces of possibility and resistance.
“But there are real differences between men and women. That is a scientific fact.”
“Look at how little kids play with each other and what toys they prefer! You can’t argue with biology.”
“Being a woman makes me a better teacher. My maternal drive is strong and I love working with kids. I know it’s something I was born with.”
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Notes
- 1.
Bartky refers to this as the “panoptical male connoisseur” (1988, p. 72) when she explores this phenomenon in women in Western cultures.
- 2.
Of course, it is important to recognize that not all interruptions/disruptions are safe, and some carry with them the threat and/or actuality of violence. For example, transwomen of color suffer from extremely high rates of sexual, physical, and psychological violence within the United States. The intersections of sexism, racism, classism, and heterosexism make for more and/or less dangerous consequences for those who dare to resist traditional gender norms and expectations.
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Happel-Parkins, A. (2016). Performances of Pronouns: Using Feminist Post-structuralism to Explore the Social Construction of Gender. In: Haltinner, K., Pilgeram, R. (eds) Teaching Gender and Sex in Contemporary America. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30364-2_3
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