Focusing on the case of david reimer who was medically. Reader s rely on writers whom provide the primary sources williams and colomb 116 of their evidence. I was saddened to learn that david reimer took his life at the age of 38. Money 1965 suggested that bruce should have a sex change, as. This case study as horrible as it is supports the idea that we have an innate biological gender identity which cannot be changed.
David reimer and chapter 3 of undoing gender i found the story about david reimer very interesting, sad and perplexing. The report and subsequent book about reimer influenced several medical practices, reputations, and. Butlers evidence in the essay is enough to prove her claim. Doing justice to someone judith butler sex reassignment and allegories of transsexuality.
Undoing gender constitutes judith butlers recent reflections on gender and sexuality, focusing on new kinship, psychoanalysis and the incest taboo, transgender, intersex, diagnostic categories, social violence, and the tasks of social transformation. Moneys gender identity institute, which monitored joan often, asserted. I think, they dont have an explanation for that one. Allinall it is the nature of how their life played out, not their choice. In the collection of essays undoing gender 2004, judith butler suggests that the concept of gender be undone, transposing the essentialist, permanent and binary view, limited to male and. What is it to be considered a specific gender while judith butlers claim in her essay from undoing gender is challenging, complex, and comprehensible, she provides somewhat enough evidence and analysis of david reimers case to prove her claim that society uses language to set the norms of what a gender should be and how one should. David, then renamed as a girl brenda, rediscovers his masculinity and goes on to live his life as a male again. The case accelerated the decline of sex reassignment and surgery for unambiguous xy infants with micropenis, various other rare congenital malformations, or penile loss in infancy. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented. David reimer august 22, 1965 may 4, 2004 was a canadian man who was born as a healthy male, but was sexually reassigned and raised as female after his penis was accidentally destroyed during circumcision. The report and subsequent book about reimer influenced several medical practices, reputations, and even current understanding of the biology of gender. David reimer case essay example topics and well written essays 1750 words, n. However, bruces penis was accidently destroyed during his operation. David brenda had phalloplasty to create a penis20s, married and became stepdad.
In undoing gender, butler not only adds more nuance to the concept of gender performativity, but she also puts into question the very parameters that we use ksiazka undoing gender autorstwa butler judith. From undoing gender by judith butler 960 words bartleby. Analysis of david reimer s from undoing gender bartleby. At first glance, the david reimer case appears to fully support the nature side of the debate because david was always a male since he had xy chromosomes. In her new collection of essays, butler clarifies the critical task of undoing gender. In 1993, she began teaching at the university of california, berkeley, where she has served, beginning in 1998, as the maxine elliot professor in the department of. For example, the last person i wrote about, john money. Undoing gender undoing gender is a 2004 book by the philosopher judith butler. Given the possible discrepancy between the culturally conditioned gender of an individual and his or her biological sex assigned at birth, gender identity refers to the individuals self. However, if we go by the idea that we can undo gender, it follows that it is altogether irrelevant to make distinctions on gender and make it a subject of discourse. David reimer was forced to experience the same dysphoria that trans people experience naturally. Judith butler explains us the idea of intersex and human life in her own philosophical way in the book undoing gender. Regardless of what gender people associate themselves with we all need to treat others with respect and dignity. In terms that draw from feminist and queer theory, butler considers the norms that govern and fail to govern gender and.
In the third chapter of her book undoing gender, judith butler sets. David was born under the name bruce in 1965 along with his identical twin brother, brian. Davids twin brother brian served as a control of sorts for the experiment. Judith pamela butler born february 24, 1956 is an american philosopher and gender theorist whose work has influenced political philosophy, ethics, and the fields of thirdwave feminist, queer, and literary theory. Money was a prominent proponent of the theory of gender neutrality that gender identity developed. John money 1965 was a wellknown psychologist and a sexologist at the time.
David reimer project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. A macabre tale of medical arrogance, it is first and foremost a human drama if one mansand one familysamazing survival in the face of terrible odds. After finishing this book, i looked up david reimer and was very saddened to find out that. Focusing on the case of david reimer who was medically reassigned from male to female after a botched circumcision, butler reexamines the. Gave series of counterexamples to principle of alter. Undoing gender butler deutsch undoing gender is a 2004. She is the maxine elliott professor in the rhetoric and comparative literature departments at the university of california, berkeley. In this work, the critique of gender norms is clearly situated within the framework of human persistence and survival. David reimer was a canadian man born male but reassigned female and raised as a girl. This is the story of david reimer, a canadian man who was the subject of a strange and ultimately tragic medical experiment conducted by dr.
The book constitutes a reconsideration of her earlier view on gender performativity from gender trouble. In terms that draw from feminist and queer theory, butler considers the norms that governand fail to governgender and sexuality. Not until undoing gender has butler seriously addressed the. David reimer case essay example topics and well written. In the third chapter of her book undoing gender, judith butler sets out to examine the determinants of binary gender, and how one can define oneself as humaninhabit personhood, as she sayswithout conforming fully to any one of these determinants. In terms that draw from feminist and queer theory, butler considers the norms that governand fail to govern.
She reflects on the life of david reimera person born with a penis that. From undoing gender by judith butler 1749 words cram. David reimer, a notorious test case in the naturenurture debate about gender. Commentary on the mind s biology 940 words bartleby. Undoing gender by butler, judith and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. My book undoing gender asks the hardhitting questions about how to act in the face of gender repression. At the age of 6 months, a botched circumcision resulted in bruces. After uncovering one of his most unethical cases on a nonintersexed boy of a set of twins, david reimer, moneys reputation sunk, but yet, many of his theories about gender development are still part of a dominant paradigm. Psychologist john money oversaw the case and reported the reassignment as successful and as evidence that gender identity is primarily. Stoller established the gender identity center at the university of californialos angeles in 1965 and wrote sex and gender 1968, a very influential book. Says that people cannot be ultimately responsible for their personal formation and thus cannot have free will. While judith butlers claim in her essay from undoing gender is challenging, complex, and comprehensible, she provides somewhat enough evidence, and analysis of david reimers case to prove her claim that society uses language to set the norms of what a gender should be and how one should act in accordance with ones gender.
From the academic year 20112012 she will be a visiting professor at. Undoing gender by judith butler, 2004 online research. Examining gender identity and reassignment via butler and david reimer. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read undoing gender. For the most part, undoing gender by certain processes presupposes the idea that gender can truly be undone. Undoing gender judith butler, judith university of. Focusing on the case of david reimer who was medically reassigned from male to female after a botched circumcision, butler reexamines the theory of performativity that she originally explored in gender trouble 1990. David peter reimer august 22, 1965 may 5, 2004 was a canadian man born biologically male but raised female following medical advice and intervention after his penis was accidentally destroyed during a botched circumcision in infancy. Undoing gender is essentially a revision of butlers groundbreaking book entitled gender trouble, which was originally published in 1990.
David reimer august 22, 1965 may 5, 2004 was a canadian man who. Undoing gender is a 2004 book by the philosopher judith butler. From undoing gender by jubith butler by shelby priddy on prezi. She reflects on the life of david reimera person born with a penis that was. That idea is the crux of the matter in butlers elaborate discussion. He was saying that it could be that babies are born neutral, and you could change their gender, janet reimer later told john colapinto, author of a book on the experiment entitled as nature made. Analysis of david reimer s from undoing gender 1742 words 7 pages while judith butlers claim in her essay from undoing gender is challenging, complex, and comprehensible, she provides somewhat enough evidence, and analysis of david reimer s case to prove her claim that society uses language to set the norms of what a gender should be and how one should act in accordance with ones gender. Undoing gender is a dense and scholarly tome which demands careful consideration and perhaps repeated readings to fully appreciate. As nature made him tells the extraordinary story of david reimer, who, when finally informed of his medical history, made the decision to live as a male. And for most general readers and even many who are in academe the reading will be slow going. David peter reimer august 22, 1965 may 4, 2004 was a canadian man born biologically male but raised female following medical advice and intervention after his penis was accidentally destroyed during a botched circumcision in infancy psychologist john money oversaw the case and reported the reassignment as successful and as evidence that gender.
I would give it five stars but for chapter three where i found professor butlers focus on the david reimer case a somewhat superficial rehash of what has. Unlike other texts, undoing gender seems more designed to raise intelligent, relevant, cuttingedge questions than to respond to. I think rfeminism is the right place for this, let me know. Thats rightim talking about intersexuality and sex change. Many would say that gender is determined by exposure to hormones in womb and biology of child and more thought should be given to raising child so they dont. Money was a prominent proponent of the theory of gender neutralitythat gender identity developed. Analysis of david reimer s from undoing gender 1742 words 7 pages. But the questions raised are important, thought provoking, and relevant. People are searching for their own happiness just like the rest of us. Synopsis in her classic work gender trouble a book that changed the face of gender studies judith butler presented the idea of gender performativitythe notion that we all do gender in some way. While many of butlers books are intended for a highly academic audience, undoing gender reaches out to a much broader readership. Judith butler born 24 february 1956 is an american poststructuralist philosopher, who has contributed to the fields of feminism, queer theory, political philosophy, and ethics. It seemed like david was used as an experiment because he was the perfect contender for a study the psychologist, dr.
Judith butler looks at how both constructivist nurture and essentialist nature accounts of gender identity tend to reduce the worth of people to. Aged 8 months, bruce and his twin brian went for a routine circumcision. And to do ones gender in certain ways sometimes implies undoing dominant notions of personhood. Pdf contesting gender in popular culture and family law. Butler examines gender, sex, psychoanalysis and the way medicine and the law treat intersex and transgender people. While judith butlers claim in her essay from undoing gender is challenging, complex, and comprehensible, she provides somewhat enough.
362 825 1188 423 249 952 125 809 360 208 756 269 849 78 909 209 723 732 592 51 202 463 1442 632 1307 954 820 224 842 109 377 511 1050 1278 555 747 14 591 746 942 1161 696 656 1170 1465 1423