El devenir del sistema sexo-género. La necesidad de hablar de las mismas cosas

Abstract

The three outstanding conceptual models of the feminist debate in the last decades, the theories about gender, the theories about the gender gap, together with the queer theories raise as many ways to understand the triad sex-gender-desire. In this article we discuss once again the links between the three notions as, not only at present but also in the past of the feminist theory, they have turned out to be essential to analyze the human nature. They are the ones which come into play when we try to understand the difference between femininity and masculinity but they also do put that other polarity into action, that of nature and culture, which, to a great extent, organizes what we think about gender, sex and desire. A significant part of the feminist movement seems to be settled in solid and structured theoretical paradigms or in the ideal of coalitions and safety at any expense. This was not the case of the shrewd critical work carried out by Beauvoir and it does not seem to be that of Judith Butler either. Feminism necessarily entails deliberating on what is understood by woman. It is necessary to wonder about this term, to ask oneself what it achieves, what reversals it brings about and what new significances it withstands. We will mention Judith Butlers theoretical work, claiming that in her work the notion of gender is as fundamental as the idea of turning life into the main subject, being the latter the root of a philosophy of the uneasy which was not developed explicitly though mentioned in her books on gender-. To put forward these topics we will sometimes refer to the celebrated Simone de Beauvoir, one of Judith Butlers theoretical models as well as a reference point of the feminist movement as a whole.