In her highly influential book Gender Trouble, as well as in other publications such as “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution” and “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” Judith Butler argues...Show moreIn her highly influential book Gender Trouble, as well as in other publications such as “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution” and “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” Judith Butler argues for the performative nature of gender and especially the performativity of heterosexual masculinity. She discusses gender as a theatrical performance and claims that gender is, in essence, an imitation of a non-existent original. She argues that gender is collectively produced by society in a way similar to how plays are produced for the stage. The performance of cross-dressing can be especially disruptive of the illusion that gender identity is built around a stable core, and often highlight the every-day performance that is masculinity. Although most Shakespeare plays do not explicitly discuss cross-dressing practices, female roles in Shakespeare’s England were performed by young boys. Some of the plays do discuss the theme overtly, especially those that feature double cross-dressing. In the plays As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, female characters disguise themselves as men for an array of reasons. The boys in these plays literally perform two genders as a role – both the (traditional) female and male gender role are performed on the stage. Through this, the boundaries of gender are blurred and its performativity highlighted. Scholars such as Michael Shapiro and Stephen Orgel have researched gender in Shakespeare’s plays extensively. In their respective books, Gender in Play on the Shakespearean Stage and Impersonations: The performance of gender in Shakespeare’s England, they discuss what effect the presence of the boy actors has on the plays and how Shakespeare deliberately alluded to their presence. Through jests, comments and allusions, Shakespeare’s plays explore the act of cross-dressing, homoeroticism and question gender boundaries. Shakespeare’s (double) cross-dressed characters highlight the performativity of gender, especially masculinity, in a way similar to what Butler discusses in her works on gender performativity. Casey Charles, in his essay “Gender Trouble in Twelfth Night”, applies Butler’s ideas to several scenes in the play. He argues that “Judith Butler's critique … provides a useful model for understanding” how Shakespeare’s plays disrupt traditional ideas on gender and sexuality. His application of Butler to Twelfth Night in turn provides a model for the analysis of other plays in this thesis. In this thesis, I will first discuss Butler’s ideas on performative gender. Secondly, I will analyse how gender is portrayed as a performative act in three plays: The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night and As You Like It. Thirdly, I will discuss how the casting boys or (young) men in original productions of these plays impacts the meaning of the disguises, as well as that of the plays as a whole. After investigating the original texts and productions, I will also analyse modern productions of the three plays by Shakespeare’s Globe company, and show how they deal with the notions of boy actors, performative gender and cross-dressing, as well as Shakespeare’s original comments and allusions. I will argue that within the three plays, comments, humour, and reflexive allusions highlight the presence of the boy actor. Through these, the plays also portray gender – especially masculinity – as a performative act that is similar to the acts that Butler describes in her work. Since most modern productions opt for women to play the cross-dressed characters in the play, many of the intended allusions are lost. Therefore, it is essential for the preservation of both the originally intended plays as well as the timeless messages on gender they carry that all-male productions remain.Show less
Hoe valt te verklaren dat meisjes al vanaf 1871 deelnamen aan het onderwijs op de hogere burgerschool? Het hbs-onderwijs diende bij uitstek om de ondernemende, moderne burger op te leiden, een...Show moreHoe valt te verklaren dat meisjes al vanaf 1871 deelnamen aan het onderwijs op de hogere burgerschool? Het hbs-onderwijs diende bij uitstek om de ondernemende, moderne burger op te leiden, een notie die lijnrecht tegenover het negentiende-eeuwse ideaal van de passieve, zorgzame vrouw staat. Het is daarom des te frappanter dat meisjes nog geen tien jaar na de oprichting van de hbs, zonder actieve steun van pressiegroepen, werden toegelaten tot juist deze school. Bovenstaande vraag tracht beantwoord te worden via een blik op het masculiene karakter van de hbs, waarom meisjes in 1871 werden toegelaten, en waarom steeds meer meisjes deel konden blijven nemen aan het onderwijs op de hbs. Literatuur keek tot nu toe voornamelijk naar de meningen die feministen, politici, en pedagogen over gemengd onderwijs hadden, terwijl geconcludeerd wordt dat die discussie amper impact had op de praktijk. De focus in dit onderzoek ligt daarom bij die praktijk middels raadpleging van verzoekschriften tot toelating, enquêtes onder schooldirecteuren en gedenkboeken van hbs’en.Show less
Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) is een van de beroemdste schrijfsters uit Japan. Zij schreef o.a. gedichten en vertaalde Klassiek Japanse literatuur naar Modern Japans. Echter schreef zij ook...Show moreYosano Akiko (1878-1942) is een van de beroemdste schrijfsters uit Japan. Zij schreef o.a. gedichten en vertaalde Klassiek Japanse literatuur naar Modern Japans. Echter schreef zij ook feministische essays en kinder- en meisjes verhalen. Vooral haar shōjo shōsetsu (meisjes verhalen) worden in Engels -en Japanstalige literatuur nauwelijks behandeld, omdat zij worden bestempeld als broodschrijverij. In deze scriptie laat ik door een analyse Akiko's shōjo shōsetsu 'Tamaki no ichinenkan' (Tamaki's Jaar) zien dat dit beeld van haar shōjo verhalen te simplistisch is omdat dit verhaal niet zomaar de shōjo-gendernormen uit de Meiji-periode reflecteert, maar een afspiegeling was van het vrouwbeeld en de levensstijl die Akiko in haar essays aanprees. Deze verhalen kunnen worden gezien als een uitwerking van haar feministische essays voor jonge meisjes, en hadden dus duidelijk een ideologische boodschap. Middels dit verhaal bood Akiko een alternatief voor de gendernorm (die tevens de standaard was in shōjo shōsetsu) van ‘de shōjo als ryōsai kenbo (goede vrouw en wijze moeder)-in-spe’.Show less
In this thesis, I have taken a look at military conscription in South-Korea and how the system intersects with and is influenced by gender and citizenship. To do so, I have used the Korean military...Show moreIn this thesis, I have taken a look at military conscription in South-Korea and how the system intersects with and is influenced by gender and citizenship. To do so, I have used the Korean military variety show 'Real men' as a case study, analyzing this show and the way in which it portrays both masculinity and gender roles. I argue that military conscription in Korea is a system deeply shaped by concepts of hyper masculinity and socially constructed gender in relation to citizenship. At the same time, conscription amplifies these concepts and processes of gender creation, and thus works as an intermediary and magnifier of hyper masculinity and gendered citizenship within Korean society.Show less
By choosing characters with a similar background, this thesis will focus on the women mentioned above within the framework of medievalism and gender theory to explore how traits and characteristics...Show moreBy choosing characters with a similar background, this thesis will focus on the women mentioned above within the framework of medievalism and gender theory to explore how traits and characteristics rooted in the notion of femininity and masculinity has shifted within literature in the course of time. I ultimately intend to argue that in modern-day fiction, traditional gender roles have blurred, and as a result of that, women have acquired more dynamic roles.Show less
This thesis examines whether there is a difference in how English swearwords are perceived by Dutch L1 speaking men and women and whether the swearwords are also ranked differently per gender. In...Show moreThis thesis examines whether there is a difference in how English swearwords are perceived by Dutch L1 speaking men and women and whether the swearwords are also ranked differently per gender. In order to collect data to answer the research questions, an online survey was created. The participants were 60 Dutch L1 speakers with a near-native or advanced language proficiency in English. The data was then analyzed with two independent T-tests, a Mann-Whitney test, and a two-way repeated measures ANOVA test in IBM SPSS statistics. The results suggest that gender, as well as swearwords, have an effect on the perceived offensiveness of English swearwords. In general, male participants perceived English swearwords as less offensive than female participants. It was also found that the swearwords were not all perceived as equally offensive. Finally, it was found that the overall scale of offense as well as the scale of offense per gender differed from the native-speakers scale of offense (McEnery, 2006) suggesting that Dutch L1 speakers of English perceive English swearwords differently from native English speakers.Show less
This thesis investigates the participation of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (1996-2011) in a tradition of nominally feminist fantasy literature that challenges patriarchal values...Show moreThis thesis investigates the participation of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (1996-2011) in a tradition of nominally feminist fantasy literature that challenges patriarchal values commonly found in the genre. By close-reading the characters of Arya, Sansa, and Brienne, this thesis argues that the novels act as a subversion of common fantasy tropes while at the same time standing in opposition to nominally feminist fantasy literature that centers on female protagonists overcoming the patriarchy through skill at arms. By emphasizing the struggle of everyone living under the patriarchy, Martin's series instead highlights the need for cultural revolution in attitudes towards gender.Show less
Dit onderzoek is een studie naar de plek die homo-erotiek innam binnen de oud-Macedonische hofcultuur van de vierde eeuw v.Chr. Dit wordt in contrast geplaatst met de instanties van (Attisch-...Show moreDit onderzoek is een studie naar de plek die homo-erotiek innam binnen de oud-Macedonische hofcultuur van de vierde eeuw v.Chr. Dit wordt in contrast geplaatst met de instanties van (Attisch-)Griekse homoseksualiteit en de situaties in de militaire samenlevingen van Sparta en Thebe.Show less
There seems to be an obsession with cuteness in the Japanese society as it is used to sell everything. The Japanese music industry too seems to emphasize on cuteness especially on their female...Show moreThere seems to be an obsession with cuteness in the Japanese society as it is used to sell everything. The Japanese music industry too seems to emphasize on cuteness especially on their female idols and they are using cuteness to their advantage. The role of cuteness in the Japanese girl groups has three aspects that are all related to each other. First of all, it is entirely commercial. They use cuteness as their group's concept to establish a fan base that will support them. This means that as they get more popular they get offers to act and/or model for a certain brands. In other words, the more fans are willing to consume the girl groups, the more they will earn. Secondly, cuteness is just a group's concept which means that the group's cuteness is simply an performance of being an idol. Cuteness has always been associated with femininity and their performance of cuteness is thus them performing their socially constructed gender roles to appeal to their male fans. This is only reinforced in the way they dress, talk and sing. It is part of a marketing strategy set up by their company. Lastly, cuteness could be used to escape reality. By consuming cuteness people try to breakout from their constructed gender roles. Both the fans and the female idols share the same sentiment. Consumption of girl groups is like a hobby for many fans. They do not have to think about their duties and obligations in real life and their gender roles. The female idols too are challenging their predestined role that society have given them and take matter in their own hand as they are the one that are earning an income. Female idols are not passive or submissive, but have their own agency in the Japanese music industry.Show less
