Sociology 305 – First essay

 

6-8 pages (double spaced, 12 pt, 1 inch margins, with page numbers please)

 

Choose ONE of the following questions.

 
  1. Assess Butler’s claim that gender is performative and not expressive in light of the claims of Garfinkel’s Agnes, Goodwin’s Angela Moreno, Jennifer in Juggling Gender, and the men depicted in “You Don’t Know Dick” as they narrate their difficulties navigating traditional gender categories. Who do you find the most convincing and why?

 

  1. Compare and contrast Judith Butler’s theory of gender performance with Garfinkel’s idea of Agnes’ passing and Bordo’s idea of the body as a site of struggle. Which do you find more convincing and why?

 

  1. In what ways does Rich argue that heterosexuality is compulsory? If (hetero)sexuality is compulsory, as Rich describes, is it also a performance? Are only women’s performing? Explain.

 

  1. Theorists like Gayle Rubin, Adrienne Rich, Harold Garfinkel, Judith Butler, and Bob Connell argue that gender is “socially constructed”.   [a] Choose TWO of these theorists and explain what they mean.  [b] How would the theorists you choose understand the gendered identities presented in “You Don’t Know Dick” and “Juggling Gender” ?