Write a critical review of FEMALE MASCULINITY by Judith Halberstan

Critical Review of Female Masculinity by Judith Halberstam

In Female Masculinity , Judith Halberstam laments that female masculinity has traditionally been considered to be merely an offshoot of male masculinity . The main thesis of the book is that female masculinity should be considered a separate gender in its own right because it has its own distinct social and cultural history . She explores female masculinity primarily vis-a-vis female homosexuality including the butch dyke , the stone dyke , and the drag king

In to support her thesis , Halberstam utilizes evidence from various academic disciplines . She

uses a historical analysis to trace the development of female masculinity from the tropes of the tribade and female husband ' in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries . She goes on to modify and expand Vicinus 's findings on the masculine woman and gender confusion . She then analyzes the effect that developments in women 's rights in the twentieth century had on female masculinity . In addition , she deploys the psychoanalytic works of Freud and Havelock Ellis , as well as the writings of Michel Foucault , to support her analysis

Halberstam concludes that women have made their own contributions to the notion of modern masculinity . She points out that female masculinity should be regarded as a multitude of masculinities , rather than one singular gender category . In her closing remarks to the book Halberstam states that girls should avoid femininity early in life since this gender is harmful to young girls in many ways . The main thrust of her conclusion is that society and culture should embrace female masculinity as a viable and safe ' gender for women and girls , rather than regarding it as a form of gender deviance

The strength of the book is found in the rigor of the scholarship that Halberstam uses as evidence to support her claims . Her deployment of Foucault 's incorporation of perversions ' is especially persuasive Halberstam 's strength also comes from looking at this gender from a fresh perspective . In terms of possible weaknesses , although lesbianism has historically been overlooked in academic scholarship , Halberstam could be criticized for only tangentially addressing the manifestation of female masculinity in heterosexual women

The book should certainly have a wide variety of uses . Halberstam 's writing style and her use of plain language make her book accessible to the layperson , meaning that the book has a degree of popular appeal . Of course , the volume is also certainly influential from an academic perspective , particularly in the area of gender studies . In her review Heyes (2000 ) speaks for many when she categorizes Female Masculinity as a pioneering work in sexuality and gender (p . 329 . Likewise , Hausman (2001 ) lauds Halberstam for highlighting the way in which gender is a social category of experience (p . 473 . Other reviews have been less exuberant , however . For instance , Adams (2007 ) remarks that it is unfortunate that men and masculinity have once again become the focus of scholarly debate (p . 1

The criticisms of Halberstam 's book perhaps stem from certain biases and conflicts that are present in...