ABSTRACT
Feminist theory and sexual difference At the heart of all feminist theorising lies the question, “what is a woman?”. Especially the Second Wave philosophers have eagerly looked into the dilemma of sexual difference, variously positing the origin of femaleness in some universal essence or claiming it to be a construction of cultural and societal forces. In the first part of this chapter I will consider these arguments, as well as their relevance for my own work. My standpoint is somewhere between these two poles; while leaning on Luce Irigaray’s philosophy, I have felt it crucial to move away from the rigorous dualism her thinking sometimes represents. Yet, the corporeal starting point of her thinking is more relevant for the present study than the purely performative stance postulated by Judith Butler and her followers. Although I deal mainly with texts and representations, I think it is crucial also to bear in mind the bodily aspect of music and the embodied experience of the artist. Furthermore, instead of strengthening the nature/culture dichotomy, in my view it is more fruitful to dismantle it and try to see culture as a natural process, rather than the other way around.
