Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Who is the subject of feminism?

Both Califia and Halberstam's essays discuss the obscure blending of male and female. Halberstam refers specifically to "feminine masculinity" while Califia investigates "male-identified" transsexuals and their relationship to other women. In both circumstances, Califia and Halberstam are alluding to the strict gender binary system that exists within cultures around the globe. Do you think that by eliminating the fundamental vocabulary creating the gender dichotomy (male vs. female, man vs. women) could we, as a society, eliminate the gender hierarchy? Oyewumi's essay allocates a great deal of social power to linguistics and words. Does this mean that by changing gendered vernacular, we can change the cultural stigmas associated with sex and gender?

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