3 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁with ▁the ▁option ▁of ▁remaining ▁as ▁full - time ▁fac ulty . ▁ ▁Butler ▁serves ▁on ▁the ▁editor ial ▁board ▁or ▁advis ory ▁board ▁of ▁several ▁academic ▁journ als , ▁including ▁J AC : ▁A ▁Journal ▁of ▁Rh et or ic , ▁Culture , ▁and ▁Polit ics ▁and ▁Sign s : ▁Journal ▁of ▁Women ▁in ▁Culture ▁and ▁Society . ▁ ▁Over view ▁of ▁major ▁works ▁ ▁Perform ative ▁Act s ▁and ▁G ender ▁Constitution ▁( 1 9 8 8 ) ▁In ▁the ▁ess ay ▁" Per form ative ▁Act s ▁and ▁G ender ▁Constitution ", ▁Jud ith ▁Butler ▁propos es ▁that ▁gender ▁is ▁perform ative . ▁She ▁draw s ▁on ▁the ▁phenomen ology ▁of ▁Maurice ▁Mer le au - P ont y ▁and ▁the ▁femin ism ▁of ▁Sim one ▁de ▁Beau voir , ▁not ing ▁that ▁both ▁think ers ▁ground ▁their ▁theories ▁in ▁" l ived ▁experience " ▁and ▁view ▁the ▁sexual ▁body ▁as ▁a ▁historical ▁idea ▁or ▁situation . ▁Butler ▁distingu ishes ▁" between ▁sex , ▁as ▁bi ological ▁fact icity , ▁and ▁gender , ▁as ▁the ▁cultural ▁interpretation ▁or ▁sign ification ▁of ▁that ▁fact icity ." ▁ ▁Butler ▁arg ues ▁that ▁gender ▁is ▁best ▁perce ived ▁as ▁perform ative , ▁which ▁suggests ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁social ▁audience . ▁It ▁also ▁suggests ▁that ▁performances ▁of ▁woman ▁are ▁comp elled ▁and ▁enfor ced ▁by ▁historical ▁social ▁practice . ▁ ▁For ▁Butler , ▁the ▁" script " ▁of ▁gender ▁performance ▁is ▁effort lessly ▁transm itted ▁generation