anti-essentialism
So why avoid différance? Rather than seeking performativity (i.e., making oneself intelligible to
others by conforming to socially accepted expectations), one may attempt to alter others’
expectations (stemming from one’s gender, race, or sexual orientation). Broadly accepted
stereotypes constrain people’s ability to perceive, for example, a woman’s insight into things
mechanical, African-Americans’ capacity for success, or people’s identity as neither male nor
female. This section’s readings provide strategies for navigating a world in which others’
expectations constrain one’s ability to be perceived outside the conceptual boundaries of one’s
essence (or “natural” identity). Yet these are appeals not for conflict or revolution, but for
subverting widely held expectations regarding people with stigmatized identities.
Unintelligible
Intelligible
(Nonperformative) (Performative)
Différance
Sensory Experience
(Nonstereotypical)