The Theories Of Postmodern Feminism

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Postmodern Feminism Essay
Whether sexuality and gender are learned or based in nature has been, and continues to be, a highly debated question with in our society. There are individuals that believe sexuality and gender are innate, meaning that we are born into them. On the other hand, some individuals believe that our sexuality and gender are learned, that they are socially constructed. The latter belief is known as gender performativity, coined by Judith Butler, and is a widely held belief among postmodern feminists. Throughout this essay, I will be analyzing a cultural artifact to further explore the theories of postmodernist feminists, specifically gender performativity. The cultural artifact I chose to analyze is a life simulation game known as The Sims. To-date, the series has published four games, in addition to countess expansion packs. For the purpose of this paper, I will be mainly focusing on one specific game within the series, The Sims 4.
According to Bromley, postmodernists “use deconstruction to expose the power and politics embedded in metanarratives, uncovering seemingly transcendent truths as socially constructed” (Bromley, 2012, Pg. 93). As I stated before, postmodernists believe that gender and sexuality are not based on biology, but rather performances. One of the biggest influences of postmodern feminism was Judith Butler. Butler, in addition to other several other postmodern feminists, believed that performances come before the gender/and or