Human Construct
In Butler's opinion gender is a human construct. She observes animal and plant life, noting the multiple ambiguities where gender and sexuality and reproduction become fluid throughout a species. She views the ability of plants to reproduce asexually and the various methods of animals to engage in parenting as evidence for the malleability of those gender roles. Additionally, she focuses on animal species which do not participate in hierarchies, despite the fact that all animals exist within the ultimate hierarchy of the food chain. Through comparisons to the natural world Butler concludes that humans have constructed the concept of gender and forgotten along the way.
Economic Competition
In western culture, Butler observes, the economy is competitively driven. This competition awards dominant behavior, which is a particularly male trait. She argues that this method inherently punishes women in the economic system, further discouraging female participation. She notes the way that men are generally physically superior to women, which leads them to be more confident and thus more successful in competitive environments. These observations are presented as arguments for the necessity of educating women in the language of competition.
A Discussion of the "Natural"
What "natural" means is called into question throughout Butler's book. She understands that different species participate in gender and sex differently than one another. The variety among species as well as the evolution within these species seems to suggest that gender and sex are malleable concepts. While humans perceive two genders to be "natural," they forget that many androgynous or poly-gendered species do exist. Perhaps the diversity among the human species is just as natural as gay animals or asexual reproduction. The interpretation of these concepts appears to be of primary significance to Butler. She perceives that they are being interpreted culturally and sociologically, so she argues that the human understanding of "natural" begs a re-evaluation in light of the way men have historically used gender as a standard by which to oppress women.
