Undoing Gender

The processes of inclusion and exclusion are critically intertwined in Butler’s work, as the process by which one is included is often the same process by which an other is excluded. These terms rely heavily on the idea of norms and normalization, as norms are the foundation on which a subject is either included or excluded. The primary inclusion Butler discusses in the text is that of the “human,” since inclusion or exclusion can radically change the way a subject is viewed and treated in the world. However, in more specific areas, inclusion can be exchanged with intelligibility, and exclusion can be exchanged with unintelligibility. A critical argument in the text is Butler’s assertion that no new genders need to be created—they only need to be included, which will take the appearance of adding “new” genders. In essence, the need is for new terms and understandings that allow genders outside the binary to be integrated into those who are included.

Norms are difficult to locate and define in Butler’s work as they use the term in multiple contexts. Norms are commonly understood as rules of social etiquette or behavior, but they take on a broader and more abstract meaning when applied to gender and sexuality.