Dualisms, Binaries and Dichotomies by https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d The Grey Area of Body Analysis en-us 2018-08-27 10:30:56 UTC 2025-10-09 21:21:32 UTC hello@padlet.com "Real Beauty" olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/275486142 Do these advertisements from Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign call out dichotomous thinking in an ironic way, or perpetuate such thinking? Under the check boxes, it encourages viewers to 'join the debate' emphasising that these binaries are still contested topics. In any case, having these images on billboards etc encourages conversation about the validity of these often blindly-accepted dichotomies. ]]> 2018-08-27 10:31:46 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/275486142 Padlet Description olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/276802927 One of the most interesting themes I have found throughout the course thus far is the notion of dualisms, binary opposites and dichotomies that pervade western thinking, especially in terms of the body. As Grosz (1994) says, “The binarisation of the sexes, the dichotomisation of the world and of knowledge had been effected already at the threshold of Western reason” (p.5). We were first introduced to these dualisms via the notion of Cartesian Dualism wherein the body is seen as separate from the mind. Our culture thrives on binary thinking, as a sort of heuristic to help us understand However, the rigidity of these dualisms/ binaries/ dichotomies can often lead to discrimination and non-acceptance. Such body focused binaries/dualisms (which are seen as mutually exclusive of one another) that this padlet will focus on include sex and gender, hetero-homosexual, old and young (OR old and able vs young and disabled), femininity and masculinity and fatness and self worth, to name a few. ]]> 2018-08-31 03:53:24 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/276802927 Gender Fluidity olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277230444 “The ‘boy in a girl’s body’ narrative is used almost unilaterally in the media because it is an easy-to-grasp, soundbite explanation. The reason that narrative is so popular, and why there is such pressure to identify gender non-conformity in children, is probably because it comforts cisgender readers to think there is something inherent in gender non-conformity. If one is born gender non-conforming, then the cis reader does not have to question their own gender and gender practices. Trans-ness becomes something that happens to other people; to the freaks. But fluidity in identity is a very normal and widespread thing. Fluidity is accepted in other ways, from taste in music, books and television, to food, work and even political leanings. Changes in these other facets of identity are not questioned in the same way. The rigidity of the gender binary, however, leaves so little room for fluidity. We are expected to be a singular, consistent self, and that is an unrealistic, damaging expectation.”
This quote from the below opinion piece sums up the sentiment of the article well. The author, Fury, examines why society uses gender binaries and the limits of dualisms/ binaries. As they argue, the gender binary allows individuals to create a distinction between themselves and the 'other', thus helping to assert their own identity. By breaking the gender binary (male vs female OR conforming gender vs non-conforming gender) and claiming fluidity, Fury argues that it breaks social order and removes the heuristic of such dichotomies. ]]> 2018-09-03 05:18:49 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277230444 Born This Way olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277231681 The lyrics and sentiment of Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' echo the binary between nature and nurture; between the naturalistic body and the social body. Whilst this anthem may be empowering for many minority groups, it begs the question of how to reconcile something that is seen as natural and inherent to a human, but that is also shaped by culture and history. Within the gay community, there have been various studies on discrimination against bisexual individuals - as many believe that if their sexuality was something inherent (i.e. 'born this way'), then how can they fluctuate between hetero and homosexual? For many, bisexuality is seen as an 'indecisive phase', from which they will eventually grow out of and settle into either a homosexual or heterosexual identity. This phenomenon is known as 'bisexual erasure' and points to a sexuality binary between heterosexual and homosexual individuals. ]]> 2018-09-03 05:32:06 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277231681 Bisexual erasure olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277265972 "Bisexuality threatens the heteronormative narrative even more than homosexuality, because it destroys our ideas of a binary; it's an acknowledgment that human sexuality works in a more complex manner than only having romantic and sexual attractions for one gender" ]]> 2018-09-03 09:01:37 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277265972 Challenging the Sexual Orientation Binary olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277267321 The "Still Bisexual" campaign, often seen via these t-shirt pins, aims to remove this idea of bisexuality as 'just a phase' from which one will emerge into one end of the hetero-homosexual binary]]> 2018-09-03 09:08:43 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277267321 Them olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277441158 This is a beautiful reflection piece written about Nico Tortorella (actor and queer activist) and Bethany Meyers' (wellness entrepreneur) wedding. This couple is an openly queer, polyamorous duo and this piece reflects on their binary shattering relationship (on various levels), both over the course of their connection and on their wedding day.
"we’ve pushed social constructs and broken boundaries. we’ve confused our friends, families, lovers, coworkers, the media, and even ourselves. we’ve said and done the right things and most certainly the wrong ones too. we’ve been boyfriend and girlfriend, boyfriend and boyfriend, girlfriend and girlfriend, no friends, and all friends. we’ve been sober, drunk, high, and addicted. we’ve been straight, confused, fluid, queer, bi, poly, gender enthusiasts"]]> 2018-09-04 07:02:47 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277441158 Vow olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277442673 "to vow
to solemnly swear solemnly promise
to dedicate to you, my deity
the feminine to my masculine
the masculine to my feminine
and everything in between." (Nico's vow to Bethany).
As we've learnt in lectures, gender difference is something that is socially constructed. Females are invited to enhance their femininity and males their masculinity through the way they dress and perform in a space. These images and this article shows how a couple has responded to such pressures, dissolving gendered roles and performance in both visual and inherent ways. ]]> 2018-09-04 07:09:46 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277442673 On being fat and sexual olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277450006
"I call bullshit on the idea that a fat woman doesn’t deserve to feel sexually satisfied or good about her body because some people can’t handle the idea a fleshy body can be sexually pleasing not only to others but to themselves" -
https://www.ravishly.com/sexual-at-any-size

]]> 2018-09-04 07:43:20 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277450006 Fat Kid Dance Party Will Teach You To Love Your Body olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277450391 This video and the connected article hint at a sentiment of a dichotomy between fatness and self worth. Being fat reduces your social capital, as it disrupts notions of a civilised body. The very phrasing of the video's title indicates that self worth and body love is something that has to be taught (as opposed to being inherent) to fat individuals. ]]> 2018-09-04 07:45:59 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277450391 olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277453495 2018-09-04 08:03:03 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277453495 olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277453568 2018-09-04 08:03:30 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277453568 Being Raised Without 'Gender' olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277486497 The above two images and the below short documentary relate to the Swedish gender neutral pronoun 'hen' and the proliferation of gender neutral upbringings or educational settings within Sweden. Known for its forward thinking and world leading stance on gender conceptualisation, this was something that personally stood out to me whilst living in Sweden last year. The gender binary (classifying gender into two dichotomous options of masculine and feminine) is experienced on a day to day level here in Australia, with schools regulating and policing gender through differing uniforms, offering different sporting options for males vs females, the promotion of male and female pronouns to address children and so forth. In contrast, we see in this documentary that Swedish kindergartens are regulated by the government to reduce the promotion of gender stereotypes, through the language they use and the types of play they perform. The effects on society could be visibly seen, in my opinion, with non-gendered bathrooms and a more general acceptance of gender non-conformity than I have experienced in Australia. Many of my male identifying, heterosexual friends would wear nail polish, and I would regularly do face masks and pampering sessions with a few of them. As Jackson and Scott (2000) highlight, gender as a social construct is embedded within institutions and social practices. Thus, the gender binary, as it exists in my lived experience in Australia, would have no room for such activities without one questioning how it breaks with normalised gendered expectations. ]]> 2018-09-04 10:54:40 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277486497 olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277499308 ‘Gender denotes a hierarchical division between women and men embedded in both social institutions and social practices. Gender is thus a social structural phenomenon but it is also produced, negotiated and sustained at the level of everyday interaction’ (Jackson and Scott, 2000, p1).

]]> 2018-09-04 11:54:42 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277499308 Gender Reveal olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277506705 What does the rising popularity of gender reveal parties say about our current society? I see these kinds of events posted on facebook or pinterest quite often, and in many cases the 'gender reveal' not only states whether the baby will be assigned as a male or female, but they are ripe with symbolism perpetuating gendered norms (via the colours used and roles or activities chosen to represent male and female). It is interesting to note the language chosen, when calling it a gender reveal party as opposed to a sex reveal party, thus conceptualising the two as intertwined. However as Oakley (1972) says, “In contrast to sex, gender refers to the established psychological, social and representational differences between men and women, which are socially determined and culturally variable" (as cited in Howson, 2013,52). But this begs the question - what happens if the child is born intersex or transgender? The rigidity of the gender binary is an organising principle for society, however it is also a site of trauma for those who do not necessarily conform to its outline. The imposition of a gender prior to the child even being born embeds a web of expectations of how they should work upon themselves to embody such binaries. 
      ]]> 2018-09-04 12:19:22 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277506705 Gender Reveal olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277506748 2018-09-04 12:19:29 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277506748 The Mind Gut Connection olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277826309 The book written by Emeran Meyer about the mind-gut connection]]> 2018-09-05 03:37:56 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277826309 The Gut as the 'Second Brain' - contesting the mind-body dualism olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277826449 A great interview with Emeran Mayer about why the gut is often referred to as the second brain]]> 2018-09-05 03:39:03 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277826449 Mind-Body Dualism olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277827268 As Descartes, the father of the mind-body dualism, asserted: “the decay of the body does not imply the destruction of the mind" (1996, 10). This implies that the mind is an immaterial force that is untouched by the goings-on in one's body. However, this collection of news articles and videos has come from my own search for questions about my gut health. I suffer from various gut-related issues and therefore this topic has become of great interest to me in the past year. It has led me down many paths, from videos, blogs, Instagram accounts and books dedicated to the topic. And the dominant research in this field points to a strong connection between the health of one's gut the one's mental health. As this article and Emeran Mayer's interview and book suggest, one's microbiome and bodily experience can affect mood, anxiety and depression. Thus, the immaterial mind is seen as inextricably linked to the body, going against the mind-body dualism paradigm. ]]> 2018-09-05 03:45:01 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277827268 The Makeup Wearing Feminist olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277831613 The apparent dichotomy between wearing makeup and being a feminist is something that came to mind when brainstorming this theme. For many (like Alicia Keys in the connected article), makeup is seen as a mask for the body, and a political tool of oppression stemming from the patriarchy to enforce the beauty myth that I talk about on my other Padlet. This opinion piece confronts the dichotomous assumption that wearing makeup bars one from being a feminist. As the author outlines, the freedom to choose whether you wear makeup or not lies within a core assumption of (third wave) feminism - the need to 'honour bodily autonomy'. She also makes a very valid point that feminism isn't about demonising 'femininity'. ]]> 2018-09-05 04:15:50 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277831613 #nomakeup olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277832362 A letter written by Alicia Keys which talks about her belief that wearing makeup is in direct opposition to being 'real' and 'raw'. This shows a contrasting sentiment to the article on the left, in that wearing makeup is a sort of conformity to the patriarchy and societal standards of beauty, and these two forces are in direct opposition of one another:

"'Cause I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing"]]> 2018-09-05 04:21:07 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277832362 olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277833213 2018-09-05 04:27:20 UTC https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277833213 References olivia_epworth https://padlet.com/olivia_epworth/5ahyxqhit18d/wish/277835958
Descartes, René, and Williams, Bernard. 1996. Descartes: Meditations On First Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Grosz, Emily. 1994. Volatile Bodies. St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Howson, Alexandra. 2013. The Body In Society. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Polity  

Jackson, Stevi, and Scott, Sue. 2000. Introduction: the gendering of sociology in Jackson, S. and Scott, S. (eds), Gender: A Sociological Reader. London: Routledge
 
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