Lecture #5: Women, in Sports, Life and Politics

SOC 700

Lecture #5

Women, in Sports, Life and Politics

Part ONE

Foucault, Gender, the Body and Power

  • Karl Marx's View of Power:   - Power is rooted in economic class relations.   - Focus on ownership of the means of production.   - Power is articulated through ideology and the material conditions of everyday life.

  • Michel Foucault's View of Power:   - Rejects focus on economic class alone; sees power expressed through institutions, discourse, and knowledge.   - Acknowledges that while economic determinism conditions us, it does not encompass all experiences.   - Core Idea: "Money is power," but power is also dispersed and embedded in our everyday practices.

  • Foucault's Offering on Power's Ubiquity:   - Power is not only enjoyed by the government or dominant cultures; it is pervasive.   - Exists in various everyday relationships: schools, hospitals, romantic partners, employment, prisons, and family.
      - Characteristics of Power:     - Productive: Fosters knowledge, norms, and identities.     - Repressive: Prohibits or punishes behaviors.

  • Connection Between Power and Knowledge:   - Power and knowledge are interconnected.   - Truth is shaped by power structures; they influence what is accepted as "truth."   - Example: In Foucault's

Women, Gender, Power and Pop Culture - Lecture #6 Notes

Overview of Political Modernism and Film

  • Political Modernism (1950s): Concept discussed in The Politics of Hollywood Cinema: Popular Film and Contemporary Political Theory (2013).   - Films categorized as 'good' or 'bad'.     - Good Films: Politically progressive.     - Bad Films: Politically reactionary and negative.

  • Key Questions: What popular music, television, or movies can be identified as arguably “bad”?

Analysis of Film and Power Dynamics

  • Filmmaking and Political Discourse:   - According to political modernism, the analysis of films should highlight the traits of a 'good' film by contrasting it with a 'bad' film.     -

SOC 202 Lecture #6 Notes

Part ONE: The Gaze: Gender, Viewers and Feminist Film Theory

Overview of Feminist Film Theory (FFT)

  • Historical Context of Gender Representation:   - Images of gender and gendered bodies are historically situated within a patriarchal societal structure.   - The pleasure derived from "looking" at these images is categorized into two approaches:     - A) Male viewers: Pleasure arises from looking at and consuming the erotic object.     - B) Female viewers: Pleasure comes through identification with the image.

Laura Mulvey's Influence on Feminist Film Theory

  • Key Argument in Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975):   - Mulvey claims that popular cinema is structured such that the spectator primarily aligns with the male perspective, privileging a heterosexual male point of view.   - The viewer is compelled to engage with the film through:     - (a) How characters look at each other.     - (b) How the viewer looks at the image on screen.     - (c) How the camera positions itself while recording events.

Mulvey's Thesis Statement

  • Main Thesis:   - "This essay examines representations of gender, specifically women, that are notable consistent in terms of the body, power, and heterosexuality."   - Conclusion:     - Popular culture is constructed around a patriarchal unconscious that positions women as the objects of the male gaze, which ultimately aims to produce male viewing pleasure.

Two Forms of "The Gaze"

  • Active Male Gaze (AMG):   - Describes how the female body is presented solely as an object for male consumption. The male viewer gazes at the female body, looking at her as a detached object.

  • Passive Female Gaze (PFG):   - The female viewer identifies herself as the subject (the viewer) while simultaneously being aware that she is the object being looked at on screen, leading to a duality in perception.

Mulvey's Framework for Understanding Gaze

  • Definitions:   - AMG Scopophilia: A pleasurable male gaze focused on consuming a female body on display, emphasizing a 'to-be-looked-at-ness'.   - PFG Narcissistic Scopophilia: The female viewer assumes both roles as subject and object, consuming her own self-image in a narcissistic experience.

Purpose of Feminist Film Theory

  • FFT scrutinizes how popular cinema portrays and reproduces myths about femininity and women.

  • It entails:   - Critiquing images of women in film and broader pop culture.   - Analyzing female spectatorship and the gaze.   - Exploring representations of the body in cinematic contexts.   - Investigating the potential for "women’s cinema" to highlight female subjectivity and desire.

Part TWO: Mulvey: Criticism & Limitations

Mulvey's Contributions and Critiques

  • Mulvey emphasizes that voyeuristic visual pleasure is traditionally derived from observing others, while narcissistic pleasure comes from self-identification with figures seen onscreen.

  • Notable Observations:   - (a) Both voyeurism and narcissism are gendered experiences.   - (b) Historically, spectators are positioned to share the male perspective through the lens of male characters.

Martha Nussbaum's Critique of Mulvey

  • Agreement and Revision of Mulvey's Ideas:   - Nussbaum affirms Mulvey's arguments but seeks to highlight that:     - (a) Objectification does not inherently carry a negative connotation.     - (b) It may exist as a component of sexual desire without equating to oppression.

Implications of Objectification According to Nussbaum

  • Key Points:   - (c) Some argue that objectification is requisite for the existence of desire, and subjectivity may derive pleasure from that objectification.   - (d) Female interpretations of other women in films are informed by multiple meanings and contexts, leading to varied personal and cultural connotations.

Female Viewers' Engagement with Cinema

  • Nussbaum suggests that female viewers actively reconstruct visual and narrative codes, seeking alternatives that promote exploration of their own subjectivity, gaze, and desires, creating new frameworks within popular cinema.

Conclusion of Lecture #6

  • This lecture covered gender representation and deconstruction in pop culture, paving the way for further discussion in Lecture #7.

  • Preview of Upcoming Discussion:   - The next class aims to investigate elements potentially omitted in prior discussions of gender and representation against the backdrop of visual pleasure in pop culture.

ostmodernism

Overview

 - Topic: Postmodernism, Reality, Realities, and the Real  - Connection to contemporary culture and critiques of modernism.

Modernism to Postmodernism

Transition of Thought

 - Modernism: Began in the late 19th century, focused on rethinking existence in various domains: art, culture, technology, living arrangements, religion, and literature.  - Postmodernism: Emerged primarily in the 1960s as the dominance of modernism started to weaken.  - Ideological Shift:     - Saw modernism as dominant and as “the norm” expected in mainstream culture.     - Critiqued modernism for lacking subversive inclination; no longer considered edgy or provocative.

Cultural Context

 - Examples of Shifts in Acceptance:     - Books once considered shocking (e.g., works by T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald) are viewed as normative today.     - Gangsta Rap (1990s): Initially shocking (e.g., N.W.A), but now perceived differently over time.

Methodology of Postmodernism

 - Frederic Jameson:     - Noted that classic literature, once viewed as oppositional or counter-hegemonic, has become normalized.     - Texts sanitized and endorsed by institutions (universities, galleries, museums) leading to lesser cultural impact.

Key Theorists in Postmodernism

Introduction to Primary Thinkers

  1. Frederic Jameson

  2. Jean-Francois Lyotard

  3. Jean Baudrillard

Susan Sontag on Postmodernism

Contextualization

 - The term "postmodernism" gained popularity in the 1960s amid significant societal changes.  - Led to questioning of established truths across various domains: art, culture, gender, sexuality, race, religion, and class.  - For Sontag, postmodernism is characterized by a "new sensibility," moving away from the binary of high (elite) and low (working-class) culture.

Frederic Jameson

Analysis in "Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism"

Major Themes

  1. Connection to History:     - Examines how contemporary culture reflects a loss of historical depth.

  2. Cultural Binary Loss:     - Questions how we assess value in art (high vs. low culture).

  3. Depthlessness:     - Critique that culture has become flat and superficial; “everything is the same.”

Key Quotes and Arguments

 - Jameson states:    - "Postmodernity has transformed the historical past into a series of emptied-out stylizations easily commodified and consumed."    - Postmodern cultural artifacts quote earlier works to the point where the distinction collapses, leading to what he terms "the death of the subject" and a decline in critical interpretation of art, signifying a loss of individualism.  - Result: Characterized as a "culture of flat, depthless superficiality."  - Cultural replication (remakes, remixes) leads to an empty imitation of past styles.

Concept Definition: Pastiche

 - Pastiche:     - Often mistaken for parody, involves imitation to such an extent that it results in triviality and empty copying of cultural artifacts.

Jean-Francois Lyotard

Contributions in "The Postmodern Condition"

Definition of the Postmodern Condition

 - Described as an illness marked by a crisis in the status of truth or singular truths of modernism.  - Lyotard argues that postmodernism calls into question all metanarratives and their supposed truths.

Concept Definition: Metanarrative

 - Metanarrative:     - Totalizing belief systems (e.g., Canadian values, communism, religion, capitalism).     - Functions through inclusion and exclusion, silencing opposing voices.

Positives of Postmodernism (as per Lyotard)

  1. Plurality of Voices:    - Encourages a diverse range of ideas and perspectives.

  2. Recognition of Difference:    - Emphasizes appreciation for diversity, e.g., sexuality.

  3. Multiplicity over Universality:    - Acknowledges multiculturalism, e.g., Canada's diverse narratives.

Jean Baudrillard

Three Levels of Simulation

Thesis

 - Postmodernism characterized by simulations distancing us from reality.

Simulation

 - Refers to scenarios where the distinction between original and copy is blurred, compromising our understanding of authenticity.

Simulacrum

 - Identical copies where the original has been lost, referring to cultural products (e.g., remakes and sampled songs), creating a lack of reference to an original source.  - Question of personal relevance: Recognizing that a loved piece of media might be a copy of an earlier work.

Hyperreal

 - Defined as the merging of reality with its representations so that they become indistinguishable:  - Moments of hyperreality:     - Sentiment for fan letters directed toward fictional characters rather than their actors.     - Engagement with mediated versions of history, where the representation overshadows actual events.     - Experiences where simulations (like flight simulators) are perceived as more real than the actual activities they represent, such as the example of Disneyland compared to real-world locations.

SOC 202: Pop Culture, Sexuality and Queer Theory

Introduction to the Course

  • SOC 202 focuses on the intersection of pop culture, sexuality, and queer theory.

  • First topic to revisit includes the works of Laura Mulvey and Martha Nussbaum, especially regarding the concept of the gaze.

Revisiting Mulvey, Nussbaum and the Gaze

Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema

  • Laura Mulvey's Key Arguments:   - Voyeuristic visual pleasure results from observing another person, while narcissistic visual pleasure arises from self-identification with an depicted figure.   - Mulvey asserts two main ideas:     - (a) Both voyeurism and narcissism possess a gendered nature.     - (b) Historically in pop culture, the audience has been positioned to identify with the male gaze, as the camera typically films from the male character's perspective.     - Example: The film Thelma and Louise subverts this structure.

Criticism & Limitations of Mulvey's Theories

Insights from Martha Nussbaum (1995)

  • Nussbaum presents a nuanced take on Mulvey's ideas:   - (a) Argues that Mulvey’s discussions about gender and the body are complex; thus, objectification should not always be viewed negatively.   - (b) Claims that objectification may exist as part of sexual desire without implying an oppression.

  • This suggests a critical framework encouraging deeper thought over superficial understanding.

The Sociology of Sexuality

Part One: Critiquing Mulvey

  • There is a call for female viewers to challenge classical visual and narrative styles to explore female subjectivity, gaze, and desire.

  • There is a developing new framework within popular cinema exploring visual and narrative pleasure from a female perspective.

Introduction to Sexuality

Concepts by Jackson Katz

  • Sexual categories such as heterosexuality and homosexuality are subjective, reflecting inclusion or exclusion within social contexts.   - Example: Remarks like “there were no gay students at my high school” lack definitive truth.

  • Sexuality is often trivialized in “just a joke” remarks, which may stem from deeper sociocultural issues.

Katz’s View on Sexual Identity

  • Sexuality is formed based on the object of one’s desire, classified by gender, aligning with societal norms:
      extE.g.,Heterosexualityightarrowextthenorm,whilehomosexualityisconsidereddeviant.ext{E.g., Heterosexuality} ightarrow ext{the norm, while homosexuality is considered deviant.}

Identity, Access & Mobility

David Halperin's Perspective (2002)

  • Key phrases like “good/bad”, “normal/deviant”, “civilized/vulgar” shape normalization and marginalization and contribute to social surveillance.

  • Non-normative gender behavior can lead to stigma, restriction in mobility, and threats to bodily autonomy.

Michel Foucault’s Analysis

  • Discusses the role of surveillance over bodies in society:   - Social gazes (be it physical or mediated, like on social media) produce ideologies that inform:     - (a) Physical, moral, and aesthetic superiority.     - (b) Delegitimization of aberrant behaviors, leading to stigmas.     - (c) Limitations on mobility and safety.

Representing Difference

  • Heterosexuality constructs itself in opposition to homosexuality, thus bringing the latter into existence.   - Example: Ellen's actions challenge gender norms by declaring one's identity publicly.

Considering Difference

Part Two: The Normal & the Deviant

  • Representations in media create positions that allow audiences to recognize similarities or differences from themselves.

  • The meanings of images evolve over time, influenced by changing cultural contexts.

Foucault’s Theory on Marginalized Identities

  • Highlights that marginalized identities are constructed as deviant by power structures.

  • Judith Butler's contributions simplify:   - (a) Heterosexuality is defined concerning what it is not (i.e., homosexuality).   - (b) The idea that both sexual identities are influenced by each other, whereby homosexuality is sometimes perceived as a "terrifying other" of heterosexuality.   - Example: The colloquial term “no homo” emphasizes this notion.

Compulsory Heterosexuality by Adrienne Rich

  • Rich critiques that compulsory heterosexuality (heteronormativity) renders heterosexuality as the default, marginalizing other sexualities as deviant.

  • Heteronormativity is portrayed as an institution governing behaviors and expectations, with enforced norms and potential sanctions for non-conforming conduct.

Representing Sexual Difference

Part Three: Judith Butler's Theory

  • Gender as a “regulated process of repetition” allows for variation in performance:   - (a) Drag culture illustrates this - drag is distinct from being transgender and emphasizes the performative aspect of gender roles.   - (b) Examples include comedic portrayals of traditional gender roles.

Gender Performance and Sociocultural Impressions

  • Butler argues we can perform gender in ways that question the inherent nature of heterosexual identities.   - She emphasizes that exaggerated performances reveal the imitative quality of all gender forms.

Queer Theory & Cinema

Part Four: Intro to Queer Theory

  • The term 'queer theory' was coined by Teresa de Lauretis in 1991, critically addressing heterosexism in LGBTQ discourse.

Four Hallmarks of Early Queer Theory (Stein & Plummer, 1996)

  • (a) Sexual power permeates social life, enforced by boundaries and binary divisions.

  • (b) Sexual and gender categories are understood to be on unstable ground.

  • (c) Rejection of civil rights frameworks in favor of deconstruction and non-assimilationist methods.

  • (d) Willingness to analyze areas typically unassociated with sexuality.

Homonormativity by Lisa Duggan

  • Defined as a social structure presenting frameworks that align with dominant heteronormative ideals without contesting them.   - It reflects a non-heterosexual mirror of traditional family structures.

Further Hierarchical Observations on Homonormativity:

  • (a) Certain gay and lesbian individuals promote “straight-acting” norms to fit in, mirroring heteronormative standards.

  • (b) This behavior is often a survival strategy and an attempt to secure safety.