Eve%20Kosofsky%20Sedgwick%20Carol%20Chi%202003/11/11

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Eve Kosofsky SedgwickCarol Chi2003/11/11
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Questions

• How can we distinguish homosociality and
  homosexuality?
• Can we really distinguish sex, gender and
  sexuality very clearly?

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From Between Men English Literature and Male
Homosocial Desire

• From Introduction

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Her Three Arguments in this book

• Changes in the structure of male homosocial
  desire
• Different forms of male relations are related
  with class.
• This pattern cannot deviate from women and gender
  system.

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• Homosocial Desires Definition The social bonds
  between persons of the same sex (2435)
• For Sedgwick, the continuum between male
  homosociality and homosexuality is interrupted in
  our society.
• She indicates the reason she uses the word of
  desire rather than love.
• Desire vs. Libido (2435)

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The Opposition between Homosociality and
Homosexuality for Women

• This opposition is less dichotomous for women
  than for men.
• Andrienne Richs concept linking lesbianism
  with other forms of womens attention to women
  (2436).
• Our society gets used to combining feminism with
  lesbianism together.

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The Discontinuity between Homosociality and
Homosexuality for Men

• The example of Regan and Jesse Helms
• The patriarchy builds Obligatory
  Heterosexuality.
• Sedgwick applies Rubins idea to supporting her
  argument about homosexuality as an oppressed
  system (2437).

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Dovers Greek Homosexuality

• Male homosexuality was legal in ancient Greek.
• The stereotype of male homosexuality similar to
  that of heterosexual love.
• This relation would not last forever.
• Dover quoted Pausanias in Platos Symposium the
  love relationship has the educational function.
  (2437)

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• These boys learned the virtues of Athenian
  citizenship and the privileges they inherited.
• Women and slaves

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Conclusion

• Greeks situation is an exception, because the
  continuity between female homosocial and
  homosexual connections obviously contrasts to
  the brokenness of male homosocial and homosexual
  bonds in our society.

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From Epistemology of the Closet

• From Introduction Axiomatic

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The Differences between Chromosomal Sex and
Gender Rubins Sex/Gender System

• Chromosomal Sex
• A. unchangeable and interior in the
  individual
• B. biologically based

• Gender
• Culturally changeable and variable
• relational and inextricable from a history

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• Sedgwick does not agree with Rubins sex/gender
  system, for the system tries to
• obtain analytic and critical leverage on the
  female-disadvantaging social arrangements
  (2439)

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• The primary issue Who is to have controlled
  womens distinctive reproductive ability?
• Her focus is the problematized space of the
  sex/gender system. (2440)

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The Discussions of Sex and Sexuality

• Sexuality/sex defined in the modern culture is
  unable to be contained in female-defined sex /
  gender system.
• In some ways, sexuality is related with certain
  physical sites or procreation.
• However, Freud and Foucault all think that
  sexuality differs from chromosomal-based sex.
  (the figure 1 on 2440)

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• For her, the questions of sex and gender are
  different.
• In the modern western culture, gender and
  sexuality represent two analytic axes.
• Ex. Gender Class, Class Race.
• Embody race -----class
• class-----gender
• gender---sexuality
• The objection to the above analogy gender is
  built on the determination of sexuality

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The Weak Position of Homosexuals

• The gender-based analysis has clear distinctions
  between different genders.
• Gay / lesbian and antihomophobic inquiry needs
  alternative analytic axis- sexuality.

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Why does Gay / lesbian and Antihomophobic inquiry
learn from Feminism?

• A. Different kinds of oppression are woven
  together.
• Ex. a married woman vs. her identity of
  a heterosexual (2443)
• B. Feminists have found out genders categories.
  (2443 the figure 1)

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• Differences between gender and sexual orientation
• The difficulties of combing gay / lesbian and
  antihomophobic theory and sexuality