What is Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity?
My theory of gender performativity posits that gender is not an internal essence but an effect produced through repeated, stylized bodily acts. It is through the citation and repetition of norms that gender is enacted. This is not a conscious choice to perform a role, but rather a process through which subjects are constituted. The repeated performance of gender norms, often unconsciously, creates the illusion of a stable, natural gender identity. This continuous doing, rather than being, is what I refer to as performativity.
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