Assembling Disassembly: An Exploration of Normativity, Gender Performativity, and Assemblage Theory
Avery Segall
Seattle University
Abstract
Identity is a concept that is constantly evolving and under discussion, and such has been the case across human history. It is a key component of a person’s legibility in a given culture, and the variety of identity markers in existence shows that we are constantly trying to explain the experience of being human. But what does it mean when the labels themselves uphold a normative structure that restricts the very fluidity people are trying to explain? This paper uses the works of Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity alongside Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s assemblage theory to examine identity, normativity, and fluidity in the particular context of gender. The goal in doing so is not to condemn or undermine pre-existing structures and identities—both in a broader sense and on a more personal matter—but rather to prompt further exploration of theoretical frameworks that recognize movement among static labels more explicitly. As it is, more “traditional” frameworks, while providing for identities to be societally recognized, often inadvertently reinforce oppressive power structures, which subsequently limit personal expression and undermine the more dynamic nature of individual identity. This essay argues that by combining Butler’s critique of normative identity with assemblage theory’s recognition of fluidity, we can work toward deconstructing more rigid identity structures to create a framework more inclusive of individual selfhood and its variance within societal categories. Of course, while this paper is limited to discussing gender identity specifically, this concept can extend to other facets of identity, which suggests a broader application of the discussed theories.
