Reinstating Corporeality:Reinstating Corporeality:Feminism and Body Feminism and Body

PoliticsPoliticsby Janet Wolffby Janet Wolff

A presentation by Sabrina A presentation by Sabrina BoyerBoyer

““What is being carved in human flesh is What is being carved in human flesh is an image of society”an image of society”

-Mary Douglas-Mary Douglas

Aims of PresentationAims of Presentation To establish if the body is To establish if the body is

a sight of a sight of cultural/political protestcultural/political protest

to discuss the possibility to discuss the possibility of women’s bodies of women’s bodies becoming the site of becoming the site of feminist cultural studiesfeminist cultural studies

to recognize the dangers to recognize the dangers of these body politicsof these body politics

to deconstruct the to deconstruct the classical category of classical category of “woman”“woman”

The essence of time...The essence of time...

Establish article Establish article (10min)(10min)

Video(5 min)Video(5 min) Class Discussion Class Discussion

(10 min(10 min Finish article, Finish article,

establish point (5 establish point (5 min)min)

The Danger of Body The Danger of Body PoliticsPolitics

Wolff discusses 2 Wolff discusses 2 examples illustrating a examples illustrating a failure of body politics: failure of body politics: women protested the sole women protested the sole use by men of a bathing use by men of a bathing area by entering the water area by entering the water and removing their own and removing their own suitssuits

A documentary of the A documentary of the pornography industry pornography industry made by women was made by women was presented in a sleazy presented in a sleazy section of England, section of England, attended by few womenattended by few women

Discussion QuestionDiscussion Question

Wolff’s point: There are existing Wolff’s point: There are existing problems with using the female body for problems with using the female body for feminist ends. The bodies preexisting feminist ends. The bodies preexisting meanings as sex object and object of meanings as sex object and object of the male gaze always prevails(82).the male gaze always prevails(82).

Though our culture defines women’s Though our culture defines women’s bodies as passive and subordinate, can bodies as passive and subordinate, can women engage in a critical poltics of the women engage in a critical poltics of the body? If so, how?body? If so, how?

Wolff says...Wolff says... Yes! The body can be a Yes! The body can be a

site of political site of political intervention. Why? intervention. Why?

Because it is precisely Because it is precisely the site of repression and the site of repression and possession.possession.

It is on these issues that It is on these issues that feminists have argued feminists have argued FOR intervention through FOR intervention through the body (83).the body (83).

Repression and Marginalization of Repression and Marginalization of the Body in Western Culturethe Body in Western Culture

Mary Douglas has shown that the body operates Mary Douglas has shown that the body operates as a symbol of societyas a symbol of society

Who is Mary Douglas?Who is Mary Douglas? A self taught archaeologist and anthropologist A self taught archaeologist and anthropologist

who speculated that symbols grounded in the who speculated that symbols grounded in the human body express social experience-the body human body express social experience-the body is taught to individualsis taught to individuals

The “natural symbols” of the human body, such The “natural symbols” of the human body, such as blood, breath, excrement, are applied to as blood, breath, excrement, are applied to ideas, practices, institutions, rituals and ideas, practices, institutions, rituals and societiessocieties

Wolff says...Wolff says... These rituals concerning These rituals concerning

bodily behavior are bodily behavior are understood as the understood as the functioning of social rules functioning of social rules and boundariesand boundaries

These “boundaries” of the These “boundaries” of the body come to represent body come to represent threats and powers, in threats and powers, in turn, symbolizing social turn, symbolizing social boundariesboundaries

appropriate bodily appropriate bodily behavior equals social behavior equals social order and hierarchyorder and hierarchy

Norbert EliasNorbert Elias Now, who is he?Now, who is he? A sociologist who wrote A sociologist who wrote

The Civilizing ProcessThe Civilizing Process-a -a book which chronicled the book which chronicled the manners and personalities manners and personalities of Western Europeof Western Europe

In Elias’ process, the body In Elias’ process, the body is constantly patrolled, is constantly patrolled, the range of acceptable the range of acceptable behavior narrowly behavior narrowly defined. defined.

Michel FoucaultMichel Foucault

A French historianA French historian examined the codes and examined the codes and

theories of order by theories of order by societies and the societies and the “principles of exclusion” “principles of exclusion” through which they define through which they define themselvesthemselves

For example, the sane vs For example, the sane vs the insane, the innocent the insane, the innocent and the criminaland the criminal

The body is brought into The body is brought into discourse-supervised, discourse-supervised, observed, and controlledobserved, and controlled

Self-surveillanceSelf-surveillance

The outcome of the The outcome of the body supervised, body supervised, observed and observed and controlledcontrolled

The body has been The body has been denied and denied and marginalized in marginalized in Western Culture Western Culture based on the needs based on the needs of bourgeois of bourgeois capitalism(85).capitalism(85).

The Female Body in Western CultureThe Female Body in Western Culture

Are women too Are women too close to the body?close to the body?

It is through the It is through the body women learn body women learn self-surveillanceself-surveillance

In what ways do In what ways do women self-women self-surveillance surveillance themselves?themselves?

Isn’t it great being a woman?Isn’t it great being a woman?

Women diet, dress for a Women diet, dress for a certain effect, monitor certain effect, monitor their movement and their movement and gestures, participate in gestures, participate in cultural norms such as cultural norms such as shaving of legs and armsshaving of legs and arms

It is through the body It is through the body women divulge in their women divulge in their own oppressionown oppression

women learn as girls to women learn as girls to conform to what is in conform to what is in their culture, and to their culture, and to monitor their appearancemonitor their appearance

Listen up girls! Cosmo Listen up girls! Cosmo says:says:

If you just love being a girl (and really look like If you just love being a girl (and really look like one) this is your time! After decades of “you one) this is your time! After decades of “you can never be too rich or too thin,” the all-girl can never be too rich or too thin,” the all-girl girl has reemerged to be celebrated and girl has reemerged to be celebrated and adored. Curves a la Monroe (if she’d worked adored. Curves a la Monroe (if she’d worked out a bit more!) are what’s red-hot now. So if out a bit more!) are what’s red-hot now. So if you’ve been disguising all those luscious lines you’ve been disguising all those luscious lines under industrial-strength bras and baggy under industrial-strength bras and baggy sweaters, stop! Here are a few suggestions for sweaters, stop! Here are a few suggestions for really showing off this shapely, gorgeous girl. really showing off this shapely, gorgeous girl. (Cosmo, 1989) (87).(Cosmo, 1989) (87).

The Male GazeThe Male Gaze

Come on, do women really Come on, do women really lounge around in the nude, lounge around in the nude, or is this for the male gaze?or is this for the male gaze?

Can women paint women’s Can women paint women’s bodies?bodies?

Can the body be a site of Can the body be a site of cultural critique?cultural critique?

Can women’s bodies be Can women’s bodies be portrayed as something portrayed as something other than through the other than through the regimes of representation regimes of representation and as an object of male and as an object of male desire? (or female desire?)desire? (or female desire?)

Transgression and the Transgression and the Female BodyFemale Body

The classical vs. the grotesque bodyThe classical vs. the grotesque body Women are classical-going back to Mary Women are classical-going back to Mary

Douglas’ ideas of the functions of the Douglas’ ideas of the functions of the human bodyhuman body

Women are seen as classical-never Women are seen as classical-never showing the these functions of the bodyshowing the these functions of the body

If they are shown, she is somehow If they are shown, she is somehow grotesque. The virgin/whore dichotomygrotesque. The virgin/whore dichotomy

The classical vs the The classical vs the grotesquegrotesque

Julia Kristeva: who is she?Julia Kristeva: who is she? A literary feminist who relates the “monstrous-feminine” A literary feminist who relates the “monstrous-feminine” the maternal body is an object of horror: why?the maternal body is an object of horror: why? feeling of fear of the reincorporation in the mother and feeling of fear of the reincorporation in the mother and

fear of the mother’s powerfear of the mother’s power the child separates from the mother and becomes a the child separates from the mother and becomes a

subjectsubject As a result the maternal body becomes “abject” : an As a result the maternal body becomes “abject” : an

object of horror and threatobject of horror and threat however, this is particularly the male childhowever, this is particularly the male child she argues that this could explain the virgin/whore she argues that this could explain the virgin/whore

dichotomy which counterposes the “pure woman” dichotomy which counterposes the “pure woman” (classic body) to the slut (the grotesque)(classic body) to the slut (the grotesque)

Discussion QuestionDiscussion Question

Does the Does the “monstrous-“monstrous-feminine” render feminine” render the abject body a the abject body a potential site for potential site for transgression and transgression and feminist feminist intervention?intervention?

L’ecriture feminine:French L’ecriture feminine:French FeminismFeminism

Kristeva: contrasts Kristeva: contrasts the realm and the realm and language of …language of …

The Symbolic: law of The Symbolic: law of the father, identified the father, identified with coming into with coming into languagelanguage

Symbolic is the Symbolic is the entrance into the entrance into the worldworld

The Semiotic: the The Semiotic: the prelinguistic, the prelinguistic, the bodily drives, bodily drives, rhythms, and rhythms, and pulsions pulsions experienced by the experienced by the child in the fusion child in the fusion with the mother with the mother which result in which result in repressed feelings repressed feelings and pleasuresand pleasures

Women and the BodyWomen and the Body

French feminism is French feminism is writing grounded in writing grounded in women’s women’s experience of the experience of the body and sexualitybody and sexuality

This is not This is not mediated by men mediated by men or partriarchy (91).or partriarchy (91).

Discourse and the BodyDiscourse and the Body The Body is a social, The Body is a social,

historical, and ideological historical, and ideological construct (92).construct (92).

It is seen by women as It is seen by women as lacking or incompletelacking or incomplete

Do you think the body Do you think the body can ever be experienced can ever be experienced without having been without having been mediated through mediated through constructs and constructs and discourse?discourse?

Why or why not?Why or why not?

Wolff points out...Wolff points out...

There can be “no ‘direct’ experience There can be “no ‘direct’ experience of the body, and we cannot talk of the body, and we cannot talk about, or even conceive of, the body about, or even conceive of, the body as some pre-given entity. What as some pre-given entity. What constitutes the body, and what constitutes the body, and what constitutes the female body and its constitutes the female body and its experience, is already implicated in experience, is already implicated in language and discourse.”language and discourse.”

But….don’t abandon!But….don’t abandon! Wolff states, “the female Wolff states, “the female

body, as discursively and body, as discursively and socially constructed, and socially constructed, and as currently experienced as currently experienced by women, may form the by women, may form the basis of a political and basis of a political and cultural critique--so long cultural critique--so long as it is one which as it is one which recognizes the body as an recognizes the body as an effect of practices, effect of practices, ideologies, and ideologies, and discourses.” (94). discourses.” (94).

That means…learn from That means…learn from the past!the past!

Gender, Dance and Body PoliticsGender, Dance and Body Politics

The classical ballet has The classical ballet has lead to the preservation lead to the preservation of the classical body.of the classical body.

Has helped reinforce Has helped reinforce the strict limits and size the strict limits and size and weightand weight

Roles created, such as Roles created, such as swans, fairies, peasant swans, fairies, peasant girls, have lead to a girls, have lead to a construct of a strangely construct of a strangely disembodied disembodied female(95).female(95).

Modern DanceModern Dance Modern Dance has Modern Dance has

allowed women to allowed women to become innovators become innovators and choreographers, and choreographers, not just dancers.not just dancers.

Deals with stories of Deals with stories of strong women, and strong women, and stories told from a stories told from a woman’s point of view.woman’s point of view.

Has introduced weight Has introduced weight and relationship to and relationship to groundground

Let’s hear it for women!Let’s hear it for women!

Do you think Do you think modern dance modern dance has begun to truly has begun to truly use the body as a use the body as a political tool?political tool?

Why or why not?Why or why not?

The body as politicsThe body as politics

Two kinds of risk:Two kinds of risk: these images can be these images can be

reworked and read reworked and read differently than their differently than their intended meaningintended meaning

may go along with may go along with sexist thinking which sexist thinking which identifies the woman identifies the woman with the bodywith the body

Therefore, what Therefore, what should body politics should body politics do to combat these do to combat these risks?risks?

Speak about the Speak about the body, stressing its body, stressing its social construction social construction and recognizing its and recognizing its representation (96).representation (96).

Therefore...Therefore...

Through questioning Through questioning our bodies, our our bodies, our identities, our origins identities, our origins and our functions, and our functions, women may work women may work toward a toward a nonpartriarchal nonpartriarchal expression of gender expression of gender and body.and body.

Do you agree?Do you agree?

Desmond, Jane C. Desmond, Jane C. Meaning in Motion,Meaning in Motion, “Reinstating “Reinstating

Corporeality: Feminism and Body Politics” Corporeality: Feminism and Body Politics” Janet Wolff. 1997. Duke University PressJanet Wolff. 1997. Duke University Press