Date Thesis Awarded
5-2021
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
Philosophy
Advisor
Aaron Griffith
Committee Members
Joshua Gert
Alicia Andrzejewski
Abstract
Abstract: I propose two theories to lay bare phenomena of gender change, as they relate both to gender identity and to a person’s “function” within social systems. Narrative-gender describes a person’s perception of their gender across time, including both their memories and their expectations for the future. Narrative-genders are highly detailed and unique to individuals, but they are integrally shaped by historical gender concepts such as “man” and “woman.” By describing the relationship between a person’s narrative-gender and historical gender lineages, we can interpret claims such as “I am a woman” in the most charitable way. This view of gender identity points toward the concept of social trajectory, which describes movement across sociopolitical categories. I modify Sally Haslanger’s social position account to describe movement of this kind.
Recommended Citation
Beardsley, Jake, "Gender in Time" (2021). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1682.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1682
