Relation to the Theories of Irigaray and Schroder House Architecture - Essay Example

The Concepts of Sexed Subjects In Relation To the Theories of Irigaray and Schroder House Architecture Student Name Institution Course Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Discussion 4 The Concepts of Sexed Subjects 4 Concepts and Architecture 7 Conclusion 12 References 14 Russell, Yvette. Equality: Notes on the Thought of Luce Irigaray. Critical Legal Thinking, (2013). 14 The Concepts of Sexed Subjects In Relation To the Theories of Irigaray and Schroder House Architecture Introduction Sexed subject is quite sensitive due to its aspects and what it explains. A number of individuals have come up with several theories regarding the subject. Feminist identity is one of the concepts that are mainly analyzed in the sexed subjects. The role of women in the society is mainly defined by the cultural aspects and in most instances it leads to the discrimination of women in the society. Male dominance in the society, which is commonly referred to as masculinity, has contributed to the cultural perceptions about women. Men are considered superior to women which is not the case in reality. According to the theory of Freud, sex is defined by the law of drives. As such, it should not be defined by culture but rather in terms of the law of the drives. One of the famous feminist Luce Irigaray was widely involved in the development of the sexed subjects. Irigaray indicates that although men dominate the society, they cannot do without women (Butler, 2011, p5). As a result, both men and women need each other in order to achieve their goals and objectives in the society. This also brings about the issues of equality in the society. Schroder House has one of the unique architecture that is associated with feminism. The architect, therefore, plays a significant role in providing more information about the sexed subjects in relation to the theories of Irigaray. The paper discusses the concepts of sexed subjects in relation to the theories of Irigaray and Schroder House architecture. Discussion The Concepts of Sexed Subjects Several people have developed explanations with regards to the differences between men and women and why the differences exist. Irigaray is one of the feminist who has examined the misuse of language in relation to women. The male dominated establishments in most cases use information for the purposes of dismissing and distorting the work of the female thinkers and this can also be attributed to inequality within the society (Russell, 2013, p4). Three main characteristics which support the sexed subjects are also important in explaining the theory and arguments put forward by Irigaray. Creativity is one of the characteristic that has been used in defining the identity of women. According to the concepts of masculinity, the role of women is defined as that of mother and motherhood which means nature and unthinking. This is one of the points that highlights the concepts that is put forward by Irigaray which states that male dominated scholars distort certain meanings so as to undermine women. Equality is an important concept that in the society but it is lacking due to the male dominance. This is also evident in the public where the men dominate the public positions. In some of the societies, women were restricted from walking freely in public or visiting some of the public areas. Irigaray indicates that there is a lot of male dominance in the field of law, religions and politics which impacts negatively on equality. Irigaray was critical of Freudian and Lucian psychoanalysis and she argued that it distorted information in order to dismiss the work of female scholars. This is one of the examples of inequality in the education sector. According to Irigaray, the philosophy and psychoanalysis that is portrayed by men who are scholars is not neutral or universal but it is instead masculine (Whitford, 2014, 12). This indicates the extent of masculinity in the society which is aimed at fostering inequality among the men and women in the society. The levels of suppression and denial of feminine is high in the society as a result of portraying men superior to women. Masculinity in the society is also aimed at confining women to certain boundaries and hence impacting negatively on equality. The female bodies have been replaced with masculine constructions of the feminine and hence impacting negatively on the role of women in the society (Whitford, 2014, 13). This practice is common in the western world where Irigaray indicates that it is not a heterosexual world. This is due to the dominance of men in the society which has taken the away some of the feminine roles in the society. The reproduction of culture in the masculine image has impacted negatively on the equality in the society. This has seen the rise of the feminist movements that are aimed at addressing the issues of inequality. The women in the society lack their own entitlement as a result of the inequality in the society and this affects their ability to make independent decisions. According to Irigaray, the liberal politics of inclusion does not do much to promote equality. It is however a fiction that is aimed at obscuring masculinity and ensuring that the men continues to dominate the society. The neutral or sexless citizens’ concept is also unrealistic in the society as masculinity continues to dominate the society. The feminine needs in most cases are ignored despite the presence of neutral citizen concepts. This also impacts negatively on the public participation of women. The inclusion of women in the civil society also ignores the needs of women but it instead considers most of the masculine needs. Equality among men and women is also seen differently as a result of the masculine influence according to Judith Butler who is also a feminist (Thiele, 2014, p13). The influence has negative impacts on the ability of the women to make positive contributions to the society. It is also important to note that the arguments that are being put forward by Judith are quite practical in the society. However, in most cases, it is considered normal for inequality to exist among the men and women in the society. In most cases, the acceptability of women as men is common and this has led to some degree of equality. However, the acceptance of women as women is uncommon in most of the societies. It is for this reason that it is difficult to find women in certain professions. It is common for men to dominate most of the fields and the women who dare venture in such fields are considered as men. Irigaray in her theory has also highlighted some of the conditions that may make it necessary for feminism to thrive in the society. This can be achieved through the presence of dual demand for equality and a notion of double universal. The concepts involve the full affirmation of the double sexes and the reconfiguration of the sexed subject. This feminism can thrive when the society begins to accept that there is an existence of two points of view based on the sexual differences between the male and the female. The understanding of this concept can be useful in terms of ensuring that the society is able to accept that each group has its own unique needs that have to be fulfilled as opposed to the current state where only the masculine needs are considered. Irigaray introduces a concept known as sexuate rights which is supposed to carter for the needs of men and women (Bostic, 2012, p 8). This requires the reexamination and writing of the rights of each sex in the society. A law is also required in order to safeguard the sexuate rights in order to ensure success is achieved. A shared horizon must also be put in place for the purposes of ensuring that the differences are respected. This will have a positive impact on the ability of men and women to work together. A better relationship will also be established between the men and women in the presence of the sexuate rights in the society. Concepts and Architecture Architecture plays an important role in terms of providing information with regards to how the people in the society live and construct ideas. It is also important in terms of providing information regarding the psychological experiences in the modern living societies. This is therefore an indication that the architecture can be used for the purposes of defining the sexed subject and bringing various aspects into light. Communication is one of the key characteristics that can be found in the architecture. Different information regarding the sexed subjects can be communicated through architecture. This can be highlighted in the Rietveld Schroder house. The house was built in 1924 by a Dutch architect known as Gerrit Rietveld. The house was built for Mrs. Schroder and her three children. Mrs. Schroder and Rietveld worked together during the construction process. Mrs. Schroder commissioned the house to be designed without walls (Luscombe, 2013, p31). The main reason for the design was the views of Mrs. Schroder that the house should be free of association and should have a connection between the inside and the outside. The architecture that has been used in the house is known as De Stijl and is the only one of its type. Mrs. Schroder lived in the house until her death in 1985. Due to the unique architecture of the building together with what it symbolizes, it was listed as a monument in 1976. The house was also made a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000. Plan, source, < http://st.houzz.com/simgs/8921bee600f38884_4-7481/floor-plan.jpg>. The architecture of the house was influence by the feminist ideas of Ellen Key who was a Swedish feminist. According to Ellen, the women have a special gift in terms of fostering the family bond and fostering children. This idea was utilized by Schroder during the design and construction of the building. As a result of utilizing the feminist ideas, some form of communication was established with regards to the architecture of the building. The kitchen was build at centre of the house. According top the concepts of masculinity, the place of women in the society is in the kitchen. However, this is understood differently in terms of feminism. The role of a woman in the family is to coordinate the activities that are taking place at the house. The location of the kitchen at the centre of the house was for the purposes of observing children and the activities taking place within the house (Mulder, 2010, p16). This is an indication that the women in the society can play an important role as outlined by Irigaray. The concepts of equality can also be achieved in the society if the sexuate rights are clearly understood and the differences used for the betterment of both sexes. Through the architectural design the communication between the parents and children is made possible when the maid servant is looking after them. This therefore has positive impacts on the communication process as well as the relationship between the male and female. Exterior, source, . The architectural design of Schroder House indicates that women can promote communication even while they are working. This is therefore an important aspect that is supported by Irigaray and other feminist. The women in the society can still play an important role in the society and men cannot live without women as they play an essential role in terms of enhancing communication. The Schroder house had moveable walls that could be removed. This further indicates that influence that the women may have on the public. As indicated by Irigaray, masculinity crested boundaries that had negative impacts on the ability of women to move freely in public. All the moveable walls in the room could be removed for the purposes of making smaller rooms. As a result of this Mrs. Schroder could move to any room. This is therefore an important indication that the women cannot be forbidden from moving to certain places within the public (Mulder, 1999, p12). It is also an indication that women can be free to carry out different activities in the public. The architecture of Schroder house therefore reflects on the concepts that most of the feminists have been putting forward. This includes the freedom of women to carry out different activities and move freely in public. The ideas of masculinity are being objected through the use of Schroder house which puts a lot of limitation on women. The women can achieve more if they are provided with an opportunity to do so by the society. The architecture indicates that Schroder was a feminist and was also advocating for the rights of women through the architecture. Interior, Source, . Irigaray highlights the abilities of women in terms of becoming creative as opposed to only mothers and motherhood. Schroder house required a lot of creativity in order to come up with the design and architecture. Schroder was responsible for the architecture which is an indication that the women can still play other roles in the society as opposed to being mothers. The field of architecture at the time and also currently is dominated by men. However, Mrs. Schroder has been able to disprove the fact that has been put forward by masculinity. Although the field of architecture is dominated by men, Mrs. Schroder through her creativity was able to come up with a unique architecture which led to the building being declared a monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A part from creativity, the house plays an important role in terms of highlighting the rights of women and the responsibility that they can play in the society (Rawes, 2007, p8). The family life and roles of women in the family has also been highlighted through the architecture. It therefore plays an essential role in defining the role of women in the family and the society as a whole. This is opposed to the masculine ideas where women are only portrayed as mothers and their role is bearing children. The description of women as objects is eliminated through the architecture. The women play an important role in terms of ensuring that the well being of the family is taken care of at all times. All the rooms in the building with an exception of the toilet have access to the outdoors. This is an indication that the women are free to go anywhere they want without any restrictions. They are also free to make their own decisions with regards to their lives. However, they should also make decisions while maintain their private lives and issues. During the design and construction of the building, Mrs. Schroder worked closely with Reitveld. This is an indication that the men and women can work together for the betterment of the society once the society is able to understand the unique needs of both the men and the women. The close working relationship also indicates that a lot of positive gains can be made once men and women know their rights and respects each other. This is an indication that the architecture of the building was unique from the start and Mrs. Schroder understood the concepts of feminism as well as the perceptions of masculinity. The architecture also indicates that the individuals have their own responsibilities with regards to promoting the rights of women. This is because the single rooms could be closed to create individual walls (Luscombe, 2013, p36). The uniqueness of the architecture is an indication that the house was built on purposes to communicate the feminist message. The society can benefit greatly if the rights of women are respected by the society. This however requires a lot of efforts in terms of eliminating the masculine ideas that tend to promote the male dominance. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that sexed subject is quite sensitive. The arguments that have been presented by Irigaray are mainly about the feminist ideas and the issues about inequality in the society. The inequality in the society is a result of the masculine ideas which tends to undermine the women in the society. It is also evident that the men dominate the society in most aspects which affects the rights of the women. Irigaray however indicates that the problem can be solved through the development of the sexuate rights and developing the laws that governs the process. It is evident that the features of Schroder House play an essential role in providing explanations regarding feminism. The architecture of the house disproves most of the masculine ideas that have negative impacts on feminism. The house indicates that women can play equally important role as men in the society. It also indicates that the contributions of women in the society can be equally or much better than that of men. The architecture also indicates that a proper working relationship between the men and women can have positive impacts on the society. References Butler, Judith. Bodies that matter: On the discursive limits of sex. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2011. Russell, Yvette. Equality: Notes on the Thought of Luce Irigaray. Critical Legal Thinking, (2013). Whitford, Margaret. Luce Irigaray: Philosophy in the feminine. London: Routledge, 2014. Thiele, Kathrin. "Pushing Dualisms and Differences: From ‘Equality versus Difference’to ‘Nonmimetic Sharing’and ‘Staying with the Trouble’." Women: A Cultural Review 25, no. 1 (2014): 9-26. Bostic, Heidi. "Introduction: The Recent Work of Luce Irigaray." L'Esprit Créateur 52, no. 3 (2012): 1-10. Rawes, Peg. Irigaray for architects. London: Routledge, 2007. Mulder, Bertus, Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, and Ida van Zijl. Rietveld Schröder House. Princeton Architectural Press, 1999. Luscombe, Desley. "Illustrating architecture: the spatio-temporal dimension of Gerrit Rietveld's representations of the Schröder House." The Journal of Architecture 18, no. 1 (2013): 25- 58. Mulder, Bertus, and Pieter Kiewiet de Jonge. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld: An Outline of His Life, Thought and Work. Sun, 2010. Read More