Author(s)

Xixia Wu ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau China, 999078

Corresponding Author

Xixia Wu

ABSTRACT

This article will analyze the meanings of phallic envy and castration from the perspectives of sociology, feminism, and sexual psychology. It focuses mainly on phallocentrism and Jacques Lacan's theory of the three realms of The Real-Imaginary-Symbolic Order. The article does not take the body/cultural dualism as a premise, but instead uses the body of the eunuch as a medium to discuss the formation of the symbolic order, patriarchy, and female tendencies in the devaluation of women. The castration complex of the eunuch is essential for entering both the symbolic order and patriarchy. At the same time, the alienation of women and phalluses within the symbolic order constitutes the basis for the projection of negative meaning. This article attempts to understand and analyze the physical and mental state of the castrated female eunuch through the lens of intersectionality. The generalized symbol of the phallus extends beyond the physical level to encompass the imprisonment and deprivation of thought and rights, as women consciously enter the isolated space of phallocentrism.

KEYWORDS

Phallocentrism, Symbolic Order, Castration, Feminism, Female Body

CITE THIS PAPER

Xixia Wu, The Non-Maleness of the Symbolic Order: Phallocentrism and the Castrated Third Sex. Journal of Sociology and Ethnology (2025) Vol. 7: 120-125. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/jsoce.2025.070217.

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