Is Gender a useful tool? What about the consequences of theorizing Gender? (Analysis of the impact of Gender for feminism, theory...)

Résumé du document

Using the word 'gender' is now rather common, for instance, in official documents. This means that the concept of gender has been accepted by the whole society even if sometimes it is used without knowing the very meaning of this concept and even if gender is sometimes understood as a synonym of sex. In our essay, we will analyze gender as a specific concept, different from sex. Indeed, we will first understand gender as 'a way of referring to the social organization of the relationship between the sexes'. The text 'Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis' by Joan Wallach Scott in Feminism and History enables us to define gender. Gender seems to have first appeared among American feminists who wanted to insist on the fundamental social quality of distinctions based on sex. The word denoted a rejection of the biological determinism implicit in the use of terms such as 'sex' or 'sexual difference'.

Extraits

[...] [Sources: Bibliography and Webography] Ethics of Eros, Tina Chanter Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis, in Feminism and History, Joan W. Scott Undoing gender, Judith Butler A critique of sex/gender distinction, Moira Gatens http://www.genreenaction.net/spip.php?article5514 Comprendre le concept de genre, Massan d'Almeida http://histoire-sociale.univ-paris1.fr/Compte/Genre.htm Compte-rendu paru dans la Revue historique, Françoise Blum http://www.unb.ca/PAR-L/win/cyberfem.htm Cyberfeminism http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/49/39739679.pdf Gender Equality and Aid Delivery: What has Changed in Development Co- operation Agencies Since 1999? , OECD http://www.marievictoirelouis.net/document.php?id=469&themeid=460 Marie-Victoire Louis http://www.cndp.fr/magphilo/philo15/critique1-Imp.htm Judith Butler http://w3.univ-tlse2.fr/simone/spip/0start.php3 Equipe Simone de Toulouse http://www.genreenaction.net/ Genre en action http://la_pie.club.fr/librexpr/graif211103.htm Le genre, un concept au service de l'égalité entre ls hommes et ls femmes. [...]

[...] As a result, she considers that using the term gender legitimates the absence of domination relationships, domination system, and power. Besides, Tina Chanter, in Ethics of Eros, argues that the distinction between sex and gender has become untenable as a grounding for feminism The function of the sex/gender divide in feminist discourse comes very close to positing sex as a universal, given for all eternity [ . ] while gender is constructed as variable It is almost as if women's sexual specificity is an unfortunate fact that feminism has done its best to forget since the discovery of gender We can thus say that the questions have become those of the link between sex and gender (instead of those of inequalities, dominations, relationships of power . [...]

[...] [Conclusion] In conclusion, we can say that gender can be a useful tool, can have positive consequences, provided that it doesn't favor a confused transversal approach. Indeed, it seems important not to forget some notions such as dominations or relationships of power. If speaking of gender does not imply that people admit inequalities between men and women and fight against them, then gender cannot be a useful tool but only a factor of division among feminists through a complicated theoretical debate. [...]

[...] (Analysis of the impact of Gender for feminism, theory . ) [Introduction][1] Using the word gender is nowadays rather common, for instance on official documents. This means that the concept of gender has been accepted by the whole society even if some use it without knowing the very meaning of this concept and even if gender is sometimes understood as a synonym of sex. In our essay, we will of course analyze gender as a specific concept, different from sex. [...]

[...] Eventually, it can be admitted that the term of gender can be criticized, as shown before (the forgetting of patriarchal domination . Some accuse gender of becoming a bandied about theme, an unmarked theme, with no more operative power. Moreover, the facts that it provoked a fiery debate makes the feminists divided and thus make the fights more difficult and less efficient. Unfortunate empirical consequences of the gender mainstreaming] In the report called Gender Equality and Aid Delivery: What has Changed in Development Co-operation Agencies Since 1999? [...]