Reassessing Gender Dynamics in the Framework of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler Today

Gender is one of the most debated topics of our time. Numerous discussions on gender dynamics exist in the social sciences. Gender discussions, which lead to questions about human existence and its meaning in social life, have also gained significant prominence in philosophy in recent decades. Researchers who argue that gender is socially constructed continue to question how this construction persists today. In a similar vein, this study discusses how the fundamental notions that constitute gender are shaped in contemporary gender debates. Theoretically, the study examines the fundamental and philosophical analyses of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, which can be interpreted within the framework of gender dynamics. Michel Foucault's critiques of the discursive structure of gender dynamics, particularly in relation to sexuality and gender, provide a solid starting point for examining the discursive nature of gender elements. In addition to Foucault's account, Judith Butler's theory of gender elaborates on the constructed, yet unstable, nature of gender.The theories of Foucault and Butler are crucial for understanding the historical context of gender dynamics. Therefore, this article first presents their historical analyses of desires, sex, and constructed gender. It then seeks to know whether these theories still illuminate the formation of gender dynamics today. Can the theories of Foucault and Butler contribute to assessing the contemporary discourses around gender issues? The final section of the article addresses this question by examining key approaches in ongoing discourses on gender dynamics.