Join us for a collaborative discussion hosted by the Psychoanalysis Society and Women in STEM, with Olivia Hogg as the host:
"Womanliness as a Masquerade"
š Tuesday, October 28
š 6:00 PM
š Room 5A.118
Together, we’ll dive into Joan Riviere’s exploration of femininity, performance, and power — asking how her ideas resonate with women today across different identities and disciplines.
Everyone is welcome! Come ready to think, question, and connect.
Abstract:
In the text "Womanliness as a Masquerade," Joan Riviere examines the intricate interplay between femininity and masculinity, and what it means to be both desire and be desired by the male gaze. Rivere presents the case of a woman who, though outwardly confident, stands before her class delivering a lecture – only to tremble afterward, seeking reassurance and flirting with older men to atone for her ambition. She fears exposure: that her ‘masculine acts’ will be unveiled, marking her as undesirable. Riviere seeks to understand why womanliness so often becomes a mask – worn for approval, for safety, for survival. This presentation explores how Riviere defined femininity, how queer women and women of colour wear, alter or reject this mask, and what her theory reveals about womanhood today.