Theories of gender performativity — AQA A-Level Media Studies
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Theories of gender performativity explained
In theories of gender performativity, sex refers to biological and bodily characteristics while gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours and identities associated with masculinity and femininity.
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The distinction matters because it separates what is treated as biological from what is learned, repeated and represented. Butler's performativity argues that gender is produced through repeated stylised acts and representations rather than expressing a fixed inner essence, so media texts participate in 'doing' gender. A learner analysing an advert or film character asks which behaviours are coded masculine or feminine, whether the text presents these as natural or constructed, and how repetition across media normalises them. The distinction is analytical, not a claim that sex and gender are unrelated.
Your focus
- Distinguish sex from gender accurately
- Explain gender performativity as repeated acts
- Apply the distinction to a named media example
Theories of gender performativity exam tips
Marking Points
- Defines sex as biological and bodily characteristics and gender as socially constructed roles and identities
- Explains that performativity treats gender as produced through repeated acts and representations rather than a fixed essence
- Applies the distinction to a named media example by identifying coded masculine or feminine behaviours
- Explains how repetition across media texts normalises particular constructions of gender
Examiner Tips
- 💡State the sex/gender distinction explicitly before applying it to an example
- 💡Use a specific media text to show gender being 'done' through repeated behaviours or representations
- 💡Avoid claiming performativity means pretending; frame it as repetition that produces identity
Common Mistakes
- Uses sex and gender interchangeably; correct this by defining each term separately and applying the distinction
- Treats performativity as voluntary choice or disguise; correct this by explaining it as repeated socially regulated acts
- Assumes gender is purely personal with no media role; correct this by showing how texts repeat and normalise constructions