ANTH 3240 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Performativity, Judith Butler

• School: York University
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH 3240
• Professor: Allyson Mitchell

Document Summary

The way speech and writing and other visual texts work in conjunction with specific structures and institutions to shape social reality. A discourse is an entire vocabulry that is created and empowered to support certain forms of social dominance. The vocabulary is not just a list of words but a complex combination of words and associated habits, professional credentials, customs and actions that enforce systems of social control. The way in which the law is written is very complex and those who have achieved a certain level of education are usually the only people who can fully comprehend it. Even in the event that someone without certain education, certain professional credentials are required for a person to be able to practice the law. The social construction of lawyers also bring about other associated habits, customs and actions. This includes purchasing clothes at certain stores, dressing a certain way, joining certain clubs or networking with certain groups of people.