Zur Internalisierung sexistischer Normen im Kontext cis-weiblicher Subjektivierungsprozesse

Abstract

The concept of internalized sexism has increasingly permeated popular discourse in recent years. Academically, however, this phenomenon has only been addressed sporadically and with a notable absence of subject-theoretical and therefore power-critical perspectives. Still subjectification theory, which is particularly suited to explaining the internalization of norms, is especially relevant for analyzing the tension between individual autonomy and normative social demands — an issue central to pedagogical efforts and feminist liberation. This article addresses this gap by examining the relevance of internalizing sexist norms within cis-female subjectification processes. Drawing on subject-theoretical frameworks (Althusser, Foucault, Butler), alongside key (de-)constructivist concepts of gender and a terminology of sexism, the study establishes that sexist norms operate as mechanisms of sexism understood as a certain power structure. Through subjectification processes, cis-female individuals internalize sexist norms, creating a constitutive interrelationship between the cis-female subject and the sexist structure. Building on these theoretical foundations, this study explores the empirical dimension of this issue by means of a qualitative content analysis of data collected from a group discussion involving four cis-female participants. The findings both theoretically support and empirically confirm that the internalization of sexist norms is relevant in the context of cis-female subjectification processes by influencing the subjective self, behavior, and emotions of the participants at a micro level, while also perpetuating the power structure of sexism at a macro level. In particular, the observation that the influence of sexist norms can hardly be reduced – if certain norms are deconstructed in processes of reflection, they are seemingly immediately replaced by other norms – raises questions as to how sexist norms can be countered in the sense of feminist liberation at the micro level.