UGC NET ENGLISH UNIT 7 : Gender & Sexuality Studies

Gender & Sexuality Studies for UGC-NET (Paper 2 English, Unit 7)

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction to Gender Studies
• 2. Judith Butler: Performativity Theory
• 3. Queer Theory
• 4. Feminist Cultural Analysis
• 5. Masculinity Studies
• 6. Literary Applications
• 7. UGC-NET Practice Questions
• 8. Conclusion
• 9. Want to master this concept?

Key Takeaways for UGC-NET

• Performativity (Butler): Gender as repeated performance rather than innate identity
• Queer Theory: Challenges fixed categories of sexual identity
• Male Gaze (Mulvey): Cinema's patriarchal visual pleasure
• Common NET Texts: Orlando, The Color Purple, The God of Small Things

1. Introduction to Gender Studies

Gender & Sexuality Studies examines how gender identities and sexualities are:

• Socially constructed rather than biologically determined
• Performed through cultural practices
• Represented in literature and media
• Regulated by power structures

Gender vs. Sex:
Sex = Biological characteristics (male/female)
Gender = Social/cultural meanings attached to sex (masculine/feminine)

Key theoretical approaches:

1. Feminist theory (waves 1-4)
2. Queer theory
3. Masculinity studies
4. Intersectional analysis

2. Judith Butler: Performativity Theory

Judith Butler's Gender Trouble (1990) revolutionized gender studies with performativity theory:

Key Arguments

• Gender as Performance: Not what one is, but what one does through repeated acts
• No Original Gender: The illusion of stable identity comes from repetition
• Subversive Potential: Gender parody (drag) exposes performative nature

Butler's Performativity:
Gender is not what one is but what one does
Repetitive acts → Illusion of stable identity

NET-Ready Examples

Concept	Literary Example
Gender Performance	Orlando's transformation in Virginia Woolf's novel
Subversion of Norms	Cross-dressing in Shakespeare's comedies
Compulsory Heterosexuality	Marriage plots in 19th century novels

"Gender is the repeated stylization of the body, a set of repeated acts within a highly rigid regulatory frame that congeal over time to produce the appearance of substance." - Judith Butler

3. Queer Theory

Developed from Butler's work and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's Epistemology of the Closet (1990):

Key Concepts

• Against Binaries: Challenges male/female, gay/straight divisions
• Fluidity: Sexual identity as continuum rather than fixed categories
• Heteronormativity: How institutions privilege heterosexuality

Major Theorists

1. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick: Homosocial desire in literature
2. Michael Warner: Concept of "normal" as regulatory ideal
3. Lee Edelman: "No Future" queer critique of reproductive futurism

UGC-NET Focus

Queer readings of canonical texts often appear in NET questions. Common examples include:

• Same-sex desire in Shakespeare's sonnets
• Gender ambiguity in Woolf's Orlando
• Subversion of marriage plots in Austen

4. Feminist Cultural Analysis

Key approaches to feminist cultural criticism:

Major Feminist Theorists

Theorist	Key Contribution	NET Relevance
Laura Mulvey	"Male Gaze" in cinema (Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, 1975)	★★★★★
bell hooks	Intersectionality (race, class, gender)	★★★★☆
Elaine Showalter	Gynocriticism (female literary tradition)	★★★☆☆

Concepts to Remember

• Male Gaze: Camera as masculine viewer objectifying female characters
• Écriture Féminine: Cixous' concept of feminine writing style
• Intersectionality: Kimberlé Crenshaw's theory of overlapping oppressions

5. Masculinity Studies

Examines how masculinity is constructed and performed in culture:

Key Concepts

• Hegemonic Masculinity: Dominant form that subordinates other masculinities (R.W. Connell)
• Crisis of Masculinity: Anxiety about changing gender roles
• Homosocial Bonds: Male relationships that reinforce patriarchal structures

Connell's Masculinity Types:
1. Hegemonic (dominant ideal)
2. Complicit (benefits from hegemony)
3. Subordinate (feminized/gay masculinities)
4. Marginalized (race/class factors)

Literary Applications

Common NET texts for masculinity analysis:

1. Hemingway's protagonists (performance of toughness)
2. Colonial literature (masculinity and imperial power)
3. Postmodern novels (fragmented male identities)

6. Literary Applications

How to apply gender theories to literature for UGC-NET:

Frequently Analyzed Texts

Text	Gender Studies Approach	NET Frequency
Virginia Woolf's Orlando	Gender fluidity, performativity	★★★★★
Alice Walker's The Color Purple	Intersectional feminism	★★★★☆
Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things	Queer relationships, caste and gender	★★★☆☆

Analysis Framework

1. Identify gender representations in text
2. Examine power dynamics between characters
3. Note subversions of gender norms
4. Consider intersection with other identity markers

"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman." - Simone de Beauvoir (foundational for Butler's theory)

7. UGC-NET Practice Questions

Previous Year Questions

1. "Gender is performative" - this statement is associated with:
   • a) Simone de Beauvoir
   • b) Judith Butler
   • c) Elaine Showalter
   • d) Julia Kristeva
2. Which novel best exemplifies queer theory concepts?
   • a) Pride and Prejudice
   • b) Orlando
   • c) The Great Gatsby
   • d) Things Fall Apart

Conceptual Questions

Match the following:

1. Male Gaze ____ a. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
2. Performativity ____ b. Laura Mulvey
3. Homosocial desire ____ c. Judith Butler

8. Conclusion

Gender & Sexuality Studies provides crucial tools for literary analysis tested in UGC-NET. Focus on:

• Butler's performativity as foundational theory
• Queer theory's challenge to binaries
• Feminist analysis of representation
• Application to frequently tested literary texts

9. Want to master this concept?

Q1: How important is Gender Studies for UGC-NET English?

Answer: Extremely important - typically 3-5 direct questions per exam, plus applications in literary analysis questions.

Q2: Which theorists are most frequently asked about?

Answer: Judith Butler (90%), Laura Mulvey (70%), Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (60%) based on past papers analysis.

Q3: How to prepare Gender Studies for NET?

Answer: 1) Master key theorists, 2) Practice applying concepts to literature, 3) Solve previous year questions.

Final Revision Checklist

• ✓ Butler's performativity vs. essentialism
• ✓ Mulvey's male gaze application to literature
• ✓ Queer theory's challenge to binaries
• ✓ Connell's hegemonic masculinity
• ✓ Practice applying to Orlando, Color Purple