Class Notes
3/4/98
Central theme to deLauretis piece - identity as performance.
Central theme to Butler piece - identity through "queering"
DeLauretis:
I. Deals with performing gender.
II. "Perverse" desire presented is grounded in Freudian theory.
- Freud's two main points:
A) Anatomical Transgression - having desires for the wrong body parts.
B) Lingering in relations to the sex object - spending too much time on things other
other than sex.
- Fetishisms are ok as long as the normal sex act is followed through.
III. DeLauretis wants people to "linger" and become spectators of their desires and fantasies.
Butler:
I. Understanding of identity - "Can never be who you think you are because as soon as you name it you're beyond it or you become it as soon as you name it" (Prof. McCall).
II. Vocabulary itself is influxed.
Article - "Inner Ear Differences Found in Lesbians" Observations and Criticisms of Article Presentation: 1. Lesbian women (subset) vs. all men.
2. Only a small sample of adults tested.
3. The term "lesbianism" signifies a persuasion group. (eg. democrats, republicans, and lesbians.)
4. Assume that since there is a difference in behavior and body it is necessary to experiment to find out what is causing the difference. 5. Present notion of a "bad mother" who releases the androgens on a female child causing her lesbianism.
6. The brain "directs" a person to be a certain way at birth but this desire has not been detected in women.
Other Feminist Theories Related to Comments in Article