Judith Butler – Gender Trouble (1990)

GenderSocial and cultural roles, behaviors, and expectations linked to masculinity and femininity. Trouble (1990) by Judith Butler is one of the most influential works in gender studies and queer theory. Butler breaks with traditional assumptions about sex and identity, deconstructs binary gender orders, and shows that gender is not “natural” but socially produced—performative and repeatable. The book has fundamentally shaped feminist theory and the social sciences.

Scholarly Context

Butler’s work emerged at the intersection of feminist theory (e.g., Simone de Beauvoir), poststructuralist philosophy (e.g., Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida), and psychoanalysis (particularly Jacques Lacan). Her critique targets both biological essentialisms and stable identity categories within feminist movements.

Key Points

Key Concepts and Theoretical Core

Gender as Construction

Butler distinguishes between biological sex, gender, and desire—and simultaneously problematizes this distinction. She argues that even “sex” is not given by nature but is culturally interpreted and discursively produced. Gender is not something we are, but something we do—over and over again.

Heteronormativity

Butler critiques societal heteronormativity—the assumption that there are only two genders that relate to each other in heterosexual relationships. This norm produces “intelligible” subjects—people who are socially understood and seen as legitimate. Those who deviate are marginalized or pathologized.

Subversion and Agency

Although gender is produced through social norms, there remains room for resistance and subversion. The repetition of norms is never perfect—there are always gaps that allow the norm to be undermined through parody, exaggeration, or disruption. Butler’s famous example is the drag performance, which makes gender a play with norms.

Relevance for Sociology and Practice

Policing Practice

In everyday policing, gender attributions often guide decisions—for example, in assessing danger, applying force, or addressing people. Butler’s theory raises awareness that gender is not an objective category but a social construction process. This has implications for:

• dealing with trans* and non-binary individuals,
• designing gender-specific police measures,
• reflecting on one’s own role conceptions in the profession.

Social Roles and Socialization

Butler’s work implicitly connects to sociological role theories such as Ralf Dahrendorf’s Homo Sociologicus. Yet while classical role theories assume relatively stable expectations for social positions, Butler shows that even these roles are discursively produced and changeable. Her theory moves beyond classical socialization theories toward a deconstructive analysis of identity categories.

Connections to Other Theories

• Erving Goffman: Goffman’s analysis of interaction and “presentation of self” relates to Butler’s performativity concept—though without Goffman’s essentialist tendencies.
• Michel Foucault: Butler draws on Foucault’s theories of power and discourse. As with Foucault, identities arise through normative discourses and power relations.
• Pierre Bourdieu: Bourdieu’s concept of habitus can be read alongside Butler’s performativity—both describe the embodiment of social norms, though with different emphases.

Conclusion

Gender Trouble is a theoretically demanding but groundbreaking work. Butler succeeds in denaturalizing gender as a social practice and questioning the foundations of heteronormative societies. The thesis that identities are made, not found opens new perspectives on self, society, and power. The work has not only revolutionized gender studies but poses a fundamental challenge to any social theory that assumes stable categories.

References

• Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge.
• Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and Punish. New York: Vintage.
• Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Anchor Books.