One of things about studying this way (as opposed to in a classroom) is there’s plenty of freedom to go off and explore – which I do a-plenty. But because I tend to stray quite far (which is a good thing, I think, despite unavoidable pitfalls) I am prone to missing out on some basics which would make things simpler for me if I’d visited them before approaching certain topics, or at the start of doing so. I probably should have read the following and along with notes on philosopher John Austin before tackling Karen Barad’s paper. Having done a bit of digging, I get a much clearer picture about her rejection of language in favour of matter although I probably stand by my arguments for seeing language as a form of matter. I am also certain my experience of ‘actioning’ a script is going to inform my understanding and will be invaluable. I will add to this post once I’ve read Moya Lloyd’s chapter below.

To read and makes notes:

• Metaphore widely used – perform
• Derives from performance studies  – dramatic terms OR sociology to perform a function in everyday life
• Connote different things  – 1 to act out or 2 to achieve an acceptable level of proficiency – a 50s man reached pique performance if he went to work and provided for the wife who achieved hers if she provided supper and slippers, etc. (no matter the cost to either)  – etymologically different:
  “late a5c., “accomplishment” (of something), from perform + -ance. Meaning “a thing performed” is from 1590s; that of “action of performing a play, etc.” is from 1610s; that of “a public entertainment” is from 1709. Performance art is attested from 1971.”
• Difference between performance – performance studies and performativity from linguistic studies – (verbal acts which have an effect on the world)
• Bulter in Gender trouble suggests both gender and sex are performative (3)
• Austin JL  – originates from
• Beauvoir (Second Sex) body is not a ‘natural fact’ but an ‘historical idea’ (4)
• An identity through a ‘stylized repetition of acts’ (Beauvior, 1988-519) (5)
• Butler – Turner, life as a ritual social drama – depends on repetition of social performances – (see Chater) page 6
• repeated social performances (6)
• replication of corporeal repertoire (7)
• a gendered subject is produced (little autonomy or volition) NBNBNB
• Collective rules around acting out gender and sexuality
• Page 11/12/13 Erving Goffman – “frames”
• Sociological sorting 1977:302-3
• Doing gender is unavoidable page 14/15 west and Zimmerman 1987:137
• Differences in gender performance between Goffman and Butler page 17
• (Remember entanglement – Barrie who wants value non-linguistic elements of an assembly that results in)
• How to do things with words
• MacKinnon 1987: 171 page 18 pornography see example in S&O – nail polish NB page

Lloyd, M. (2015) ‘Performance and Performativity’ In: Ditsch, Lisa and Hawkesworth, Mary (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp.572–592. At: https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/Performativity_and_performance/9470270 (Accessed 07/11/2019).