What does Judith Butler mean when she suggests that gender is "performed" ?

Correct answer: A. Gender does not reflect an essential truth, but rather is a role people play based on their internalization of socially constructed gender roles.

  • A. Gender does not reflect an essential truth, but rather is a role people play based on their internalization of socially constructed gender roles.
  • B. Gender roles do not exist.
  • C. Real gender roles are scripted by excellent writers.
  • D. Only individuals who have the capacity to perform have gender.

Explanation

For Butler, gender is not the expression of a fixed natural essence but an identity produced through repeated, socially regulated acts and roles. Performance here means social enactment, not merely theatrical acting.

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