QUESTION 1: SHORT ANSWER

Choose three of the following eight concepts. Explain their meaning, say which of our theorists
employ them, and describe the work they do in context (for 20% each, a total of 60% of the
exam grade). A good answer is likely to be at least 100 words long and probably longer.
1. Intersectionality
2. The Other
3. The Sex/Gender System
4. Sexual Division of Labor
5. Obligatory Heterosexuality
6. Metaphysics of Substance
7. "A bridge gets walked on"
8. Incorporation versus Internalization
Given Answer:
The Sex/Gender System
Through many conditioning activities and societal pressures, biological sex is transformed into a
gender, by which subjects of that gender fulfill certain roles and needs. Gayle Rubin coined the
term "Sex/gender system" to describe the perpetuation of activities and characteristics that are
enforced in members of assigned genders. Claude Levi-Strauss counters Rubin and expands on
the sex/gender system, calls it the "kinship system" and gives it specific components. What LeviStrauss believed to be included in this system that defines and expects things out of gender is 1)
the assignment of a gender, 2) obligatory heterosexuality, and 3) limits on female sexuality.
These attributes set up a society where women are oppressed by being told they have to depend
on a familial structure, deny themselves sexual pleasure, and be content with their appointed
gender. The sex/gender system does not just affect women, however, but people of all (in most
cases, binary) genders are conditioned to fulfill certain roles in society. Women may be expected
to perform the duties of wife and mother and men are told to become the breadwinner, dominant,
and successful in their careers. The sex/gender system outlined by Gayle Rubin explains the
forces which society uses to oppress women and keep members of all genders contained to their
specific roles.

The Other
Women are and have historically been the "other" gender. Whatever lies at the root of women's
oppression has defined men as the "one" gender and all others as "not." This idea is reinforced by
the passive role that men project onto women, attempting to reduce their autonomy and
emphasize men's superiority. While this may not be a conscious decision by each and every man,
it is easy to refer to women as Other since men have not experienced the same oppression.
Simone de Beauvoir claims that women are designated as the Other perhaps because of the fear
and confusion men have about women. She describes the Other as both an evil and a good, both
necessary for the continuation of men and an autonomous burden. Since approximately half of
the global population is female, there is really no common characteristic to rally behind, to
discuss, or to bring women together. Not all women have vaginas, menstruate, have husbands, or
have jobs. Women even experience differing levels of oppression in different areas of their life,
based on things like race, status, ability, etc. Women as the Other are regarded as less than
because they are not the One.
"A Bridge Gets Walked on"
Cherre Moraga and Gloria Anzalda authored A Bridge Called My Back to give voice to radical
women of color like themselves. The bridge metaphor is continued throughout the works by
many different authors, and has special significance for these women who represent many
different identities besides their gender. Having to explain the multiple identities one carries is
like laying oneself down as a bridge for others to walk upon to connect your characteristics. For
example, Moraga, the Chicana lesbian woman, may not just have to feel like she has to validate
her femininity, but also help people to understand her homosexuality and her ethnicity and the
fact that all of these identities coincide within the same person. The bridge may also connect the
differences between women of color, creating pathways for women to share experiences and
support. Metaphorically becoming a bridge is exhausting for those who must constantly be
explaining their holistic selves, but the connections the bridges make can bring validation,
companionship, and joy for those who choose to build it.
QUESTION 2: SHORT ANSWER
Choose one of the following questions to answer in essay form (for 40% of the exam grade-do an
excellent job!). Be sure to indicate which question you are answering. A good answer will be at
least 250 words long, and more is probably better. If you use quotations from any text, give the
citation.
Butler argues that gender is performative-as opposed to being something that is in-born or
learned by imitation. What does she mean? How do (some) drag performances provide evidence
to support her argument?
Moraga says the only way to become a good and trustworthy coalition partner across racial,
gender, and other differences is to face the ways in which we ourselves have been oppressed.

Why does she say that? What evidence does she give that the claim is true? Is she right? Critique
her argument.
Given Answer:
Butler argues that gender is performative-as opposed to being something that is in-born or
learned by imitation. What does she mean? How do (some) drag performances provide evidence
to support her argument?

Born with no concept of gender, each person learns to embody feminine or masculine traits. In
order to be perceived and validated as the correct gender, one must perform those habits, even if
they do not come naturally. Judith Butler's Gender Trouble explains that both sex and gender
identification was created to place people in categories, since it is easy to organize a society
based in opposites. Along with these identifications, an opposing set of attributes was defined to
keep women and men easily identifiable and separate. For example, there is a clear difference
taught to children regarding even the genders of colors. In order to appear feminine, the girl will
choose pink and the boy will choose blue. They are living up to society's expectations, but must
always pick the correct characteristic to embody when given a choice at gendered traits. Butler
even describes gender as a set of activities defined as opposites, for those of male and female
identifications. While not every action is gendered, like how one goes up a flight of stairs, others
are characteristic of women (ie putting on makeup) and men (watching football). Performing an
action that is not aligned with your gender causes clear reactions that you have deviated from the
norm. Describing gender as a performance leads Butler to observe drag shows and analyze their
depiction of gender.
"Indeed, the parody is of the very notion of an original," (188) Butler says regarding drag
performance as a parody. She argues that gender since gender is constructed and not innate to
humanity, there is no "original" femininity to be parodied. The fact that men are able to imitate
women is because society has defined distinctly "feminine" and "masculine" characteristics. If
men who are expected to exude masculinity wear heels and makeup (currently feminine traits)
and dance and sing with mannerisms that mimick women's, they are performing a gender that is
not their own. Embodying traits that have been gendered to create a parody act further
establishes gender as a performative set of actions and characteristics.
Butler, Judith. 1990. Gender trouble: feminism and the subversion of identity. New York:
Routledge.