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Definition
-created byJudith Butler in the 90s
-Gender is something we do, not who we are(reaction to society and culture)
-Rewards/Sanctions for doing it right or wrong
-Learned through dominant discourse
-Stable core self is non-existant |
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-Gives Sexuality meaning
-Based on cultural history, knowledge, power, sociality, and developement of personhood
different cultures give different meanings to the same sexual act |
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-culture presents as it is, always has been and always will be
-anthropoligists largely absent from ethnography
-aspect of postmodern critique
-description of a culture as it was prior to contact |
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-attraction to the opposite sex
-largely unquestioned form of sexuality
-dominant orientation in current discourse |
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-sexual preference/desire for members of the same or opposite gender(hetero/homo-sexuality)
-current discourse suggests this is necessary
-one must choose a sexuality, resulting in binary or categorical language |
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Definition
-ability to stand back and asses aspects of one's own behavior, society, culture, etc. in relation to such factors as thier motivations, origins, meanings, etc
-Anthropologists including themselves in thier ethnography
-the affect of the environment around them, and vice versa |
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-Japanese identity
-Biological woman dresses and acts like a man, dating women
-Not seen as women, don't see themselves as women |
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-engaging in sex acts w/ someone of your own sex(biologically male or female- not necassarilly same as same-gender behavior)
-Often called homosexuality
-can occur in a variety of contexts |
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-idea that anthropologists will be sexual, gendered, desiring player in flieldwork
-part of reflexivity
-allows asking of questions that have never before been asked |
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-often seen as the reason for sexual acts and identity
-desire=identity=behavior
-some cultures don't have links between sexual desire or acts and identity |
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Term
| Postmodernism/Postmodern critique |
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Definition
-shift in the way people think about the placement of anthropologsts in thier work
-questioning objective reality and discoverable "truth"
-Anthropology questions
~academia's right to do anthropology
~way ethnograpies are written
-Results in more reflexivity |
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-"Ritualized Homosexuality"> Herdt
-commodity in Sambian culture
-5 types of value exchange
~erotic play, procreation, growth, strength, spirituality |
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-being sexually attracted or engaging in sexual relations w/ members of one's own gender
-Assumes same-sex behavior is the result of homoerotic behavior and desire |
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Definition
-identify w/ and/or embracing a particular sexual orientation
-based on sexual behavior/orientation
-dynamic, according to postmodernism
-traditionally static and discoverable |
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| How did the postmodern critique impact antrhopological discussions of sexuality? |
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Definition
-Antrhopologists began to question objectivity of thier work
-Which is better: objectivity or subjectivity?
-scientific nature came into question and the ethnographer role of observer changed to participant |
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| In what ways do humans use language and communication to negotiate sexual identity? |
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Definition
-some cultures have strongly gendered language which can shape identity
EX: the Japanese language has various personal pronouns. More than what west would see as "just lesbian" |
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Term
| How do culture notions of the self influence notions of sex and sexuality? |
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Definition
-if "self" is a static core identity, so is sexuality(something to be discovered)
-If "self" is dynamic so is sexuality
-sex isn't always connected to "self", as it can be an act separate from identity: EX= Sambian seman exchange |
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| What do we mean when we say hetero/homo-sexuality had to be invented? |
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Definition
-same sex/opposite sex relations and their meanings vary over different cultures
-Westerners create labels and names to categorize, but other cultures do not do the same or play upon the same meanings
-by naming and labeling we create "norms" and things that go against the "norms" |
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Term
| Be able to discuss some of the issues raised by Herdt's work with the Sambia: |
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Definition
-Homosexuality
-Pedaphelia
-Commodity
-Play,Strength, Growth, Reproduction, Spirituality |
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Term
| Discuss ways anthropolgists have discussed same-sex behavior. |
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Definition
-question whether it is homosexuality
-idetifier of desire or orientation? |
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| Discuss Butler's notion of performativity. |
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Definition
-gender isn't something we are, it's what we do
-socially and culturally shaped and projected
-rewarded for doing what is "right"
-suggests ther is no core "self" or gender
-people act in a way that makes this performace seem more organic and real |
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| What does Herdt mean by sexual culture? |
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Definition
-gives sex and sexuality meaning
-shaped by history, power dynamics, developements of self, etc
-makes certain acts mean different things in different cultures |
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| What are challenges of studying same-sex behaviors cross-culturally? |
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Definition
-risk of applying own culture and assumptions
-seen when Herdt named the semen exchange in Sambian culture "ritualized homosexuality" |
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| What is the cultural importance of semen exchange practices? |
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Definition
-provides strength and allows growth, reproduction, and spirituality
-can also be erotic play(note that in western culture semen exchange is for erotic and repreoductive reasons) |
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Term
| Are the semen exchange practices "sex"? |
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Definition
-appears as "sex" as we know it
-as an exchange of commodity it is not really "sex" |
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| Are the semen exchange practices pedophelia? |
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Definition
No because:
-in Sambian culture it is expected at a young age(a taken for granted part of life)
-it is a norm as consensual and beneficial
-they would not see it as pedophelia |
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Term
| How do anthropologists demonststrate reflexivity in their work? |
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Definition
-admitting that they are a part of their work and explaining the affects of their presence
EX: Blackwood and Valentine |
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Term
| Critiques of reflixivity in anthropological writing? |
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Definition
-it allows too much subjectivity
-should be objective and not inclusive to personal experience |
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Term
| How does Butler's notion of performativity challenge dominant discourse about gender and sexuality? |
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Definition
| -challenges the discourse of the "nature" of gender roles and sexuality and core identity |
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Term
| What might Foucault say about Butler's performativity? |
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Definition
-agree that gender and sexuality are projected by society and culture
-subject to the forces of these components |
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Term
| How do Onabe understand their gender and sexuality? |
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Definition
-it is expressed
-see themselves as stright males with female bodies and have relationships with women
-express not being effiminate or having the gender qualities of a woman |
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Term
| Difficulties in understanding same-sex and gender variant behavior cross-culturally? |
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Definition
-risk of applying own culture
-Herdt
-westerners have a hard time looking outside cultures that go against binary
-result in communication barriers in studies |
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Term
| Should we understand same-sex behaviors cross-culturally as being "homosexuality"? |
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Definition
-unless the culture under study sees it as homosexuality this can't be percieved as such
-there are different meaning attatched to homosexuality that may not apply cross-culturally |
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| How does the western notion of the self influence our understnadings of sexual behavior? |
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Definition
-common equation is desire=behavior which functions as an identifier
-result is that "people perform sexual acts based upon their desire which is connected to identity" |
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Critiques of:
desire=behavior=identity |
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Definition
-denotes to stable idea of self and linear equation to identity
-often, this process is not so linear |
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