Ideology and the Gender Binary: There is No Escape

        Luis Althusser states that "there is no practice except by and in an ideology;" we are unable to step outside of ideology, because it is so entrenched in our society because of ideological state apparatuses, such as educational, religious, family, media, and political apparatuses, among many others (Althusser 45). We create binary oppositions that exist in society, which we believe to all work on us simultaneously (fast vs. slow, new vs. old, active vs. passive, etc.). Another binary in our ideology is the gender binary; Judith Butler discusses the gender binary in her book Gender Trouble. While we read an excerpt of this book during this class, I read the entire book for my Sex, Violence and Religion class last semester. Butler describes the gender binary as something that must be abolished, as it is constricting and unrealistic. There are other genders other than simply cisgender male and female, and we as a society need to acknowledge this. The gender binary is a form of ideology, and while Butler argues for a world in which gender, a social construct which was contrived by the dominant forces in society, meets its end and is no longer a reason for sexism, persecution, or violence of any kind. However, Althusser argues that it is not only incredibly difficult, but impossible for us to step completely outside of our ideologies because they are so powerful and so ingrained in our collective minds. Althusser states that "those who are in ideology believe themselves by definition outside ideology," but we cannot escape it (Althusser 48). Nothing is not ideological, including gender behavior and norms. When these norms become naturalized, they are much harder to work against. For example, for someone who has grown up in American culture, it can be difficult to change their ideology and their habits by acting or dressing differently from the societal norm. There is a pressure for one to conform, especially to binaries. People like binaries, because they are easier to understand. Butler argues that people are uncomfortable without the gender binary, because the ambiguity that results from a lack of the social construction of gender makes us uncomfortable. We like to categorize people into one gender or another based on their looks, dress, and actions, and we do not like it when a person appears too ambiguous to categorize. By combining Althusser and Butler's theories, one can conclude that it will be extremely difficult for us to shed the gender binary and repressive ideology behind it.