Summary of Volatile Bodies. It will not only introduce feminists to an enriching set of theoretical perspectives but sets a high critical standard for feminist dialogues on the status of the body." A Summary.” Google Scholar. Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism. In Volatile Bodies: Towards a Corporeal Feminism, Elizabeth Grosz reexamines canonical philosophers and theorists and their thoughts on the body. — Judith Butler. Elizabeth Grosz in Volatile Conversation with Dianne Chisholm" Mattoid No. To see what your friends thought of this book, This is an interesting read concerning the materiality of gender. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Being the raw material of social and cultural organization, it is subject to the endless rewriting and inscription that constitute all sign systems. New South Wales Premier's Literary Award for Gleebooks Prize for Critical Writing (1995), Readers' Most Anticipated Books of February. and, as in jouissance Toward a Corporeal Feminism (1994, p. 19) where the object of desire . June 22nd 1994 The discussion which ensued began with the ideas of Descartes – the thinking substance and extended substance. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Theories of Representation and Difference Ser. Volatile Bodies is based on a risky wager: that all the effects of subjectivity, psychological depth and inferiority can be refigured in terms of bodies and 1 & 2 (Jan-April 1996): 248-55. How can you write a book criticising the lack of inclusion and variety within the analysis of the body and just completely dismiss bodies like that? As an instrument, it requires careful training and as a passive object, it requires “Refiguring Bodies”, the first chapter of Volatile Bodies, provides a vital introduction to the ideas and approaches which have shaped previous feminist philosophy and thought. The work in this section was… This led to a short but relevant digression into the linguistic expression of ideas as linguistic neutrality is impossible to achieve. I revisit her works when I design any course centered on body politics or gender theory. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands.Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. The Potential Body is conceptually ungendered, but is being used here strategically for the purposes of discussing the female form. Amazing observations and insight. Volatile Organic Compound. Michele James-Deramo March 14, 2012 Reading FOXFIRE Through the Lens of Grosz Volatile Bodies-Toward a Corporeal Feminism, Elizabeth Grosz Foxfire Confessions of a Girl Gang, Joyce Carol Oates All of us…are caught up in modes of self-production and self-observation; these modes may entwine us in various networks of power, but never do they render us merely passive and compliant. She unpacks how they theorize the body, contextualizing it among other thinkers and placing the body at centre stage. “Refiguring Bodies”, the first chapter of Volatile Bodies, provides a vital introduction to the ideas and approaches which have shaped previous feminist philosophy and thought. Being entirely enthralled by Spinoza and Deleuze, Grosz has been exactly the introduction to a monist feminism that I needed. Volatile Bodies demonstrates that the sexually specific body is socially constructed: biology or nature is not opposed to or in conflict with culture. Grosz carefully explores the common binaries to demonstrate the absence of the body in as an interactive part of female identity in previous philosophies. The idea that biology is destiny—or, better still, destiny is biology—has been a staple of Western thought for centuries. OpenURL Placeholder Text Harman. COVER Myelin content (red, high; grayish purple, low) mapped on the cerebral cortex of a healthy adult, aged over 70 years, scanned for the Human Connectome Project, Lifespan supplement. Grosz then turns to corporeal experiences unique to women — menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, menopause. Welcome back. Free shipping for many products! The discussion moved to consider the ideas behind the paintings and the contextual agendas which are seemingly non-existent but still operating. Volatile Bodies is launched with the wager that all the effects of subjectivity "can be as adequately explained using the subject's corporeality as a framework as it would be using consciousness or the unconscious" (vii). For example, studies on experimental animals like rodents suggested that stressed individuals excreted distinctive odours (1, 2). For the rest of it she runs through various theorists, mostly (thankfully) to critique them and leave them behind but she gets stuck on Deleuze and Guattari, which she shows to be problematic yet useful. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 12. 10 Comments Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble and Elizabeth Grosz’s Volatile Bodies What is Normal? Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. "Architecture from the Outside" ANYplace C Davidson, ed. In this sense, a disappointing read. She writes from a feminist perspective but the interest of these issues is universal. These thinkers are not providing an account of "human" corporeality but of male corporeality. While I appreciate that she establishes prior arguments, I would have loved more of her own input and arguments on how women can reclaim their corporality. The initial task was a paired discussion to make links between the images; these links could include colour, posture, context, clothing, anything which could be attributed to a perception of the female body. ... [on en elizabeth Grosz, Volatile Bodies, jouit]. Brilliant! "I have not attempted to give an alternative account, one which provides materials directly useful for women's self-representation." Being the raw material of social and cultural organization, it is subject to the endless rewriting and inscription that constitute all sign systems. a passion. Elizabeth Grosz's book Volatile Bodies: Toward A Corporeal Feminism could be called a guide to sources which broach questions regarding how we occupy sex-differentiated bodies and, more importantly, what formative effects each of the terms "mind" and "body" has on the other. POSTMODERNISM AND POSTSTRUCTURALISM. the attribution of a phallic or a castrated status to sexually different bodies is an internal condition of the ways those bodies are lived and given meaning right from the start….There is no natural body to return to, no pure sexual difference one could gain access to if only the distortions and deformations of patriarchy could be removed or transformed. Violently and painfully. 3 the idea of resisting a male ownership of the body through issues such as rape, harassment etc. The body is regarded as something which can prompt struggles between its ‘inhabitant’ and others. In terms of mainstream feminist thought (prior to the ove. One problem I had was at the end there was a completely needless transphobic moment, we certainly could have done without that. We’d love your help. In contrast with the term ‘postmodernism’, it is possible to give a quite strict sense to ‘poststructuralism’. Saussure principle of the signifier and the signified seemed an appropriate reference point for contemplating the way in which language operates as a signifier for a range of signified expressions. Be the first to ask a question about Volatile Bodies. This is an interesting read concerning the materiality of gender. The mind is the privileged term here, making the body the negation of the mind. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. 50 (November 1996): 37-62. Grosz's reading of Merleau-Ponty is so engaging it leads one to want to read the original; Merlau-Ponty might be better know to readers of Fanon -- which is why it is curious that for all of her investigation of the body as an "inscriptive text," Grosz fails to pay any attention to race on pretty much any level of her reading of "women." Ibid. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. G. Tool-Being: Heidegger and the Metaphysics of Objects ... “The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Human biology is inherently social and has no pure or natural "origin" outside of culture. - Review "Volatile Bodies is an enlightening and critically significant addition to feminist discussions of embodiment, sexuality, and difference." Elizabeth Grosz is a professor at Duke University. Issues of religion, politics, status in relation to men, women’s roles within the family and society were all felt to be evidenced by the images. Being the raw material of social and cultural organization, it is "incomplete" and thus subject to the endless rewriting and social inscription that constitute all sign systems. 36 Full PDFs related to this paper. ( Log Out /  Human biology is inherently social and has no pure or natural "origin" outside of culture. . Bloomington, IN, Indiana University Press. The writer seems to be cognizant of her lack of any positivistic theory for feminine readings of the body and that lack is noticeable. Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism. "Volatile Bodies demonstrates that the sexually specific body is socially constructed: biology or nature is inherently social and has no pure or natural 'origin' outside culture. While until this point we have been discussing the soul to body dichotomy (especially with our last reading), Elizabeth Grosz introduces another similar yet distinct dichotomy: body and mind. Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism. In addition, odours emitted from a body often function as olfactory cues that convey information about the metabolic or psychological status of an individual. This directly answers many of the questions I had about feminist theory in the language I hold most close to my nature. Abstract. Read 13 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. 11. volatile definition: 1. likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly, especially by getting worse: 2. likely to change…. Elizabeth Grosz Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism (Indiana 1994) Richard Lacayo, ‘Francis Bacon: Tragic Genius’, Time, Thursday, September 25, 2008 David Sylvester interviews the artist Francis Bacon Aimé Césaire, ‘Cahier au retour d’un pays natal’ Human body odours also have this function; we emit a wide array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs… It's time to get in that last stretch of winter reading and prepare our Want to Read shelves for spring. vii + 245. This was difficult and Grozs acknowledges the difficulties of her task and the resultant imperfections of her theory. Quoted in E. Grosz, Volatile Bodies, op. Extremely theoretical, but an astonishingly original treatment of bodily theory. Society can often be quite messy and yet paradoxically can also be found to have identifiable mechanisms of operation that grind certain social forces inexorably forward. By Elizabeth Grosz. The final stage in any dance process is the performance and, for this, attention was turned towards chapter 8 of Volatile Bodies. cit., p. 146. REFIGURING BODIES From E. Grosz (1994) Volatile Bodies, Bloomington: Indiana University Press. on the subject of the body, Elizabeth Grosz concludes that the body they theorize is male. Summary. Georges … There are no discussion topics on this book yet. "Ethics, Eros and Irigaray" Metaphilosophy Vol. I believe this work will be a landmark in future feminist thinking." Her examination of female experience lays the groundwork for developing theories of sexed corporeality rather than merely rectifying flawed models of male theorists. To initiate the dance theme, and provide a visual framework to support an understanding of previous philosophies, I compiled a collection of paintings and photographs dating back through time. Start by marking “Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism ” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Pp. Irigaray, Luce (1974/1985), Speculum of the Other Woman, trans. (MIT Press 1995), pp. As a text for bodily theory as a whole however, Grosz proves to be my new go-to! "Volatile Bodies demonstrates that the sexually specific body is socially constructed: biology or nature is inherently social and has no pure or natural 'origin' outside culture. Paints, varnishes and wax all contain organic solvents, as d… The work in this section was intended to represent the point in the creative process where ideas and imagination are used to develop the theme and creative expression of the dance. Chapter 1 “Refiguring Bodies”. The work in this opening section of the seminar concluded with a short presentation of the key ideas in chapter 1 and based on the summary available by following the link below. Anticipating the ideas in chapter 6, it was mooted that the female body – as, for example, seen in the images – could be considered as a metaphorical signifier with different signified meanings. "Volatile Bodies. Grosz is one of my favorite theorists today. - Masculinities "This is a lucidly written study, which sets out debates clearly for those not familiar with the field, while being impressive in its erudition." The discussion began with reference to colour, particularly the use of blue and yellow suggesting the traditional association with melancholia and the four humours. Liz Grosz is an incredible synthesizer, taking complex ideas from many different philosophers, and weaving them together with carefully selected quotations and her own insight. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. ( Log Out /  Follow the link for the images used. 14-23 "Bodies and Pleasures in Queer Theory" Who Can These images were of dancers and of women in general. - Review "Volatile Bodies is an enlightening and critically significant addition to feminist discussions of embodiment, sexuality, and difference." ( Log Out /  Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published "This is a text of rare erudition and intellectual force. ( Log Out /  So this means the body is (only) what is NOT the… Grosz carefully explores the common binaries to demonstrate the absence of the body in as an interactive part of female identity in previous philosophies. Philosophy and the body INCE THE INCEPTION OF PHILOSOPHY as a separate and self-contained discipline in ancient Greece, philosophy has established itself on … Summary: This course supports students to understand and engage critically with social scientific approaches to human bodies and embodiment, and to appreciate the relevance of these to studying health. Volatile Bodies is based on a risky wager: that all the effects of subjectivity, psychological depth and inferiority can be refigured in terms of bodies and surfaces. : Volatile Bodies : Toward a Corporeal Feminism by Elizabeth Grosz (1994, Trade Paperback) at the best online prices at eBay! - this and her transphobic comments at the end of the book are my biggest critiques of this book. It should be on every book shelf of those interested in gender and feminist theory. She has such an incredible way of pushing the envelope of ways of thinking about the self, the body, or the world yet she can also break complexities down to bite-able bits. She cuts my prep time in half. Grosz, E (1994) Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism, Sydney: Allen & Unwin. More A Summary and Kairology of the Rhetoric of Diabetes Management. It will not only introduce feminists to an enriching set of t, "This is a text of rare erudition and intellectual force. Change ). Learn more. This book was really educational and I loved the multiple historical perspectives on the body, but then the author had to drop a transphobic comment towards the end it and it kind of ruined it for me. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. ... Grosz, Elizabeth (1994), Volatile Bodies, Sydney: Allen and Unwin. In analysing the place of transgender and transsexual people in the theorising of various disciplines one finds several common threads that link together the entire enterprise. Grosz's reading of Merleau-Ponty is so engaging it leads one to want to read the original; Merlau-Ponty might be better know to readers of Fanon -- which is why it is curious that for all of her investigation of the body as an "inscriptive text," Grosz fails to pay any attention to race on pretty much any level of her reading of "women." Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. 27 Nos. Volatile Bodies book. A short summary of this paper. Grosz's motivation for such an investigation is twofold. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest E-Mail. . Volatile Bodies demonstrates that the sexually specific body is socially constructed: biology or nature is not opposed to or in conflict with culture. — Alphonso Lingis. Lupton, D. (2012). She has written on French philosophers, Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Luce Irigaray and Gilles Deleuze. A volatile organic compound (VOC) is defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as ‘any compound of carbon, excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate, which participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions’ (www. ... More Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble and Elizabeth Grosz’s Volatile Bodies. Read Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism (Theories of Representation and Difference) Report. Examining the theories of Freud, Lacan, Merleau-Ponty, Foucault, Deleuze, Derrida, etc. Other points raised commented on the softness of physical features and the implicit sense of fragility; these images were juxtaposed against the rigidity of the women in the painting by Picasso which implied a sense of the physicality of women being re-structured. Indiana UP, 1994. Presenting fellow students with a range of abstracts seemed a challenging prospect. Google Scholar Gustafson, DL, Brunger, F ( 2014 ) Ethics, ‘vulnerability’ and feminist participation action research with a disability community . Several participants moved towards the ideas of Grosz, observing that the women in some of the images seemed to be at a crossroads; the artists had created images which, like chapter 1 of Volatile Bodies, take us in and out of the idea of the female and body, providing the viewer with binaries and unities of perception. 1 Minuten Lesedauer. 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