Assignments Quote by Judith Butler
“We have to find a way of understanding how one category of sex can be "assigned" from both and another sense of sex can lead us to resist and reject that sex assignment. How do we understand that second sense of sex? It is not the same as the first - it is not an assignment that others give us. But maybe it is an assignment we give ourselves? If so, do we not need a world of others, linguistic practices, social institutions, and political imaginaries in order to move forward to claim precisely those categories we require, and to reject those that work against us?”
About This Quote
Source Book: Gender Trouble, 1990
Gender categories are socially constructed, and both external labeling and internal self‑identification shape identity.
In simple terms: Gender is shaped by society and self‑identification.
Key Takeaway
Question and reshape gender norms.
Themes
gender theory
social construction
identity
politics
Mood
critical
provocative
Type
theoretical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic discourse
- activist organizing
- personal identity formation
Key Concepts
gender performativity
social institutions
Questions to Reflect On
- What role do language play in gender identity?
- How can individuals resist imposed categories?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep‑seated norms is slow and contested.
